VOA慢速英语2020--迪拜重新对海外旅客开放

Dubai announced this week it has reopened for tourism. But it remains¹ unclear how many foreign visitors will return as many nations still struggle to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

The city-state in the United Arab Emirates depends heavily on tourists to spend dollars and pounds to support its economy.

Dubai officials are seeking to bring visitors back to the area's beaches and modern shopping centers. They hope to create interest now that could keep tourists coming through the important winter season.

The government has promised measures aimed at keeping tourists safe. Industry workers will be armed with thermometers³, face coverings and hand sanitizer.

"I think that will give people confidence— when they're ready to travel — to come to Dubai," said Paul Bridger. He is the director of operations at Dubai-based Rove Hotels. "It will take time to come back. ... We are expecting to be one of the first markets to be back because of the confidence that we can give to people that are traveling."

Dubai's ruler, Sheik Mohammed bin⁴ Rashid Al Maktoum, has long sought to recreate the area as a major tourist center. He used the state-owned airline Emirates to bring in foreign visitors, making Dubai International Airport the world's busiest for international travel. The government has backed several major attractions, including the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building.

In 2019 alone, Dubai welcomed 16.7 million international guests, up from 15.9 million the year before, says the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce⁵ Marketing⁶. Most tourists come from India, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Oman, China, Russia and the U.S. The city's 741 hotels were about 75 percent full for the year. Most visitors stay between three to four days.

These travelers also support Dubai's large number of restaurants and other nightlife. Unlike neighboring places, alcohol⁷ sales are legal in Dubai and remain an important part of the economy.

Even before the coronavirus crisis⁸, lower international energy prices and a 30 percent drop in housing⁹ values caused some Dubai employers¹⁰ to lay off workers. The coronavirus then led to more financial losses. So reopening for tourism is important.

However, many countries tourists come from are still struggling to contain the coronavirus, said Rabia Yasmeen, with the market-research firm Euromonitor International.

"It's good for them to go ahead and announce because there needs to be a call for the confidence to come back," Yasmeen said. "Someone has to take that step first to show the world."

Dubai has begun taking those steps. French football club Olympique Lyonnais wore shirts saying "Dubai Is Open." The team is supported by Emirates.

Dubai is also preparing to hold a world's fair next year. The event, first planned as Expo 2020, was delayed until 2021 because of the spread of the coronavirus.

But risks remain for Dubai as the virus continues to spread in other countries. Emirates stopped flying to Pakistan over virus fears. Across the seven sheikhdoms that form the United Arab Emirates, there have been 52,600 confirmed cases of the virus. There have been at least 326 deaths.

At Rove Hotels, thermometer²-carrying workers check the temperature of everyone coming inside. Cleaners spread disinfectants and repeatedly¹¹ clean tables and chairs. The hotel group, like others in Dubai, has also sought independent approval¹² for its cleaning systems to show that the methods are even better than government requirements.

Visitors who do come to Dubai will be under new rules. In order to travel, tourists must take a COVID-19 test within 96 hours of their flight. They must show the airline results of the test. Without that proof¹³, visitors will be tested upon arrival.

Even though Dubai has declared itself prepared to reopen for tourists, Yasmeen said the current situation brings a very big question to mind: "Is the traveler ready to come to Dubai?"

I'm Susan Shand.

Words in This Story

tourism - n. the activity of visiting places for pleasure

sheikhdom - n. an area that is ruled by a sheik

shopping - n. the activity of buying things for pleasure

thermometer - n. an object which takes the body temperature of a human being

sanitizer - n. a liquid that kills germs¹⁴

confidence - n. the ability to be certain and sure

attraction - n. an building or place that tourists like to visit

disinfectant - n. a liquid or spray that kills germs on objects

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 thermometer   

n.温度计，寒暑表

参考例句：

• She put the thermometer in his mouth.她把体温表放入他口中。
• The thermometer fell to zero last night.寒暑表昨夜降至零度。

3 thermometers   

n.温度计，体温表( thermometer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The liquid we can see in thermometers is mercury. 我们看到的温度计里的液体是水银。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The equipment required consists of two mercury thermometers, and one cloth wick. 所需设备包括两个水银温度计和一个布条。 来自辞典例句

4 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

5 commerce   

n.商业，贸易；社交

参考例句：

• Commerce binds the two countries together.贸易把这两国结合在一起。
• They drew up plans aimed at expanding commerce.他们拟定了发展商业的计划。

6 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

7 alcohol   

n.酒精，乙醇；含酒精的饮料

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors.法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。
• The alcohol is industrial.这些酒精是供工业用的。

8 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

9 housing   

n.房屋，住宅；住房建筑；外壳，外罩

参考例句：

• Do you think our housing sales will turn around during this year?你认为今年我们的住宅销路会好转吗？
• The housing sales have been turning down since the summer.入夏以来，房屋的销售量日趋减少。

10 employers   

雇主( employer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Employers must consider all candidates impartially and without bias. 雇主必须公平而毫无成见地考虑所有求职者。
• The onus is on employers to follow health and safety laws. 雇主有义务遵行健康安全法。

11 repeatedly   

adv.重复地，再三地

参考例句：

• The loudspeakers blared the speech repeatedly.扬声器里反复大声地播送那篇演讲。
• He repeatedly beat his foot upon the floor.他反复用脚敲着地板。

12 approval   

n.赞成，同意；批准，认可

参考例句：

• The audience has expressed its approval.观众已经认可。
• The teacher signed his approval.老师做了手势表示同意。

13 proof   

adj.防...的，耐...的，能防护；n.校样，证据，证明；vt.检验，给...做防护措施

参考例句：

• He is living proof of the wonders of modern medicine.他是当代医学奇迹的活证明。
• The proof was fished up from some old papers.校样在旧文件中被找到了。

14 germs   

n.微生物( germ的名词复数 )；病菌；起源；发端

参考例句：

• Dirty hands can be a breeding ground for germs. 脏手会滋生病菌。
• The air is full of millions of invisible germs. 空气中充满了许多看不见的细菌。 来自《简明英汉词典》