Dubai offers an abundance of attractions for visitors, from the enduring tranquillity of the desert to the lively bustle of the souk. The Emirate contains a diversity of scenery, where in a single day; the visitor can encounter everything from craggy mountains and stunning sand dunes, to tropical beaches and luxuriant green parks, from traditional villages to deluxe residential districts and from ancient houses and busy souks to futuristic shopping malls, and even an indoor ski slope. Traditional Arabian experiences include desert safaris, dune driving and wadi-bashing, moonlight Arabian barbecues, camel racing and falconry and dhow cruises on the creek. Duty-free shopping, fine dining, world class golf, sandy beaches and the Wild Wadi water park, compete with the museums, historic villages and the dessert culture.

The Emirates Academy will be host to the EuroCHRIE Dubai 2008 Congress.

The Academy opened in October 2001, and is part of Jumeirah Group, the hotel group behind the Burj Al Arab, the most luxurious hotel in the world, as well as a number of other world renowned hotel properties in Dubai, London and New York. Established as an institution of higher education, offering degree-level courses, it is the first major academy focusing on tourism and hospitality education at the university level in the Middle East. Since its inception, The Emirates Academy has been meticulously planned to fulfil the exacting requirements of tourism and hospitality management education.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, is the owner of Jumeirah and is the Academy's patron. The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research for the United Arab Emirates licenses and accredits the Academy and its degree courses.