 Tourism is an important part of the Dubai government 's strategy to maintain the flow of foreign cash into the emirate . Dubai 's lure for tourists is based mainly on shopping , but also on its possession of other ancient and modern attractions . As of 2013 , Dubai was the 7th most visited city of the world based on air traffic and the fastest growing , increasing by a 10 @.@ 7 % rate . Dubai is expected to accommodate over 15 million tourists by 2015 . The emirate is also the most populous of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates . 
