Pry Wionace ots 885 3% 36% Inlerhome we i ~ 0 Merneruolp, 8%, 12 oe 1 Mackelf acls yy ews" N 18% ews farsh -f 1a- Where The Stars Are (NAPSA)—Americans love to stargaze, with people in the U.S. spending millions on celebrity magazines each year. And as celebrity gossip shifts from the stuff of checkout line tabloids to the interest of mainstream media, trend watchers say stars will continue to influence what we wear and eat and where we vacation. For instance, one of the newest celebrity hot spots is Dubai—one of seven emirates, or states, that make up the Gulf nation of the United Arab Emirates, and one of the world’s fastest-growing business andleisure destinations. But not only are the stars vacationing there, they’re lending their names and ideas to the burgeoning emirate as well. For example, Brad Pitt is teaming up with an L.A.-based architecture firm to help design and construct a five-star, environmentally friendly hotel in Dubai. Also, Giorgio Armani and Donatella Versace will each develop and design their own luxury hotel. Top professional athletes have gotten in the act, too, with Tiger Woods and Greg Norman each endorsing and designing their own Dubai golf courses. Additionally, Formula 1 legend Michael David Beckham and other A-listers vacation in Dubai. @- Schumacher and tennis champion Boris Becker have their names connected to offices in Dubai’s swanky Business Bay. So why does the emirate boast such star power? One reason is entertainment. A vacation there could consist of a trip to Dubailand, a theme park twice the size of Disney World; shopping in the boutiques of the top designers; a desert safari; skiing at Ski Dubai, an indoor alpine ski resort; or sim- ply relaxing on white sandy beaches surrounded by clear blue waters. Indeed, these attractions have garnered the attention of millions of people looking for a luxury get away. Over 6.95 million tourists visited Dubai in 2007 and this number is expected to swell to more than 10 million by 2010, or over 27,000 visitors a day. While all tourists might not be visiting Dubai with hopes of glimpsing David Beckham or Celine Dion, both of whom have been spotted vacationing there, it seems that the Gulf state is the destination of the moment—and another example of how so many people gravitate toward stars.
