Mid-March in Bridgeport featured a teacher strike, a snowstorm, and most of the public wearing green, but for 2018 BHS alum Jake Runner, it was all about fun in the sun. Choosing a unique destination for his first official college Spring Break, he traveled to Dubai with a group from West Virginia University, a trip that would ultimately add to his career goals.

 

While attending one of his business classes during his first semester of college, a guest speaker gave an overview of the Tourism and Hospitality major offered at the university. During the presentation, he filled the students in on the opportunity to travel to the most luxurious city in the world to see how the tourism industry operates first-hand.  Runner jumped at the chance to travel abroad and quickly began researching Dubai’s culture.

 

The group traveled over 7200 miles to Dubai, the largest and most populous city in the United Arab Emirates. They spent ten days exploring the sites, attending workshops and classes, and even got an early preview of what the World Expo will look like when the construction is finished in six months.

 

The city of Dubai grew from a small fishing village to the most advanced city in the world in just 49 years, boasting the tallest building in the world, the world’s largest indoor mall, the largest aquarium, indoor ski park, and even the largest automated fountain, synchronized to music.  In fact, the city is larger-than-life in general, with the best hotel in the world, Burg Al-Arab, at the center of it all.

 

“We toured the royal suite, which was amazing,” said Runner.  “Everything is made of gold and the room comes with the use of a luxury vehicle during the stay.  It’s very common to see Lamborghinis and Ferraris on the streets and everywhere you turn, the views are unbelievable.”

 

The mall houses over 1200 shops and takes up nearly six million square feet.  The Burj Khalifa towers above all other buildings in the world, with 163 stories and an unforgettable observation deck.  The ATMs dispense gold. Yes, gold.  

 

The police spend more on their luxury cars than some Americans spend on college.  Until recently, there was no postal system, addresses, zip codes or area codes and there is still no income tax in the city.  A huge indoor climate-controlled city with air-conditioned sidewalks is currently being built and over 16 million visitors flock there each year to enjoy the weather, the high-end shopping and the excess.

 

For Runner, the trip gave a particularly strong contrast to the dorm life to which he had become accustomed during his first semester of college. 

 

“The history and culture of the United Arab Emirates was truly fascinating and I particularly liked the World Expo site, where we go to see models of what it would look like and what would be revealed from all the countries attending. We saw a device that purified water from the air, which was really interesting,” Runner said.  “We were fortunate to be there while they were celebrating International Women’s Day and we had the opportunity to see special shows and activities honoring women.”

 

The group took a desert safari, rode camels, and attended classes at Amity University Dubai, where they learned about their hospitality and tourism program.  85% of Dubai’s population is foreign, giving students the opportunity to meet people from all over the world.  While the culture’s behavior can be modest, Runner found that there were more similarities than differences between the United States and Dubai.

 

After returning from the extravagance of the city, Runner decided to add Tourism and Hospitality as a second major at WVU.  He is currently also majoring in Finance.  

“This experience allowed me to see business on a global scale and gave me some amazing memories,” said Runner.  “I would love to study abroad again in the future and hope to be able to work in a field that encourages travel and exploration of other cultures.”