Actress has singled out Dubai's Atlantis hotel for criticism American actress and environmental-activist Daryl Hannah has accused Dubai’s Atlantis hotel of offering fake cultural experiences, likening their attractions to junk food. Hannah was in Abu Dhabi to speak at the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Global Summit on Wednesday where the actress criticised "insulated tourism" such as the hotel’s water park, saying these places appealed to people’s laziness and that such a dissociation from reality was unhealthy.
Dubai’s Atlantis offers a dolphin experience, while the central attraction at the water park is a series of slides that make up an imitation ancient ruin.
The Splash and Kill Bill actress said that UAE's tourism was "fabricated and closed off," adding that cultural experiences in the Emirates are not fattening like junk food, but still "unhealthy for us."
Hannah went on to acknowledge that fabricated culture has become a global trend, adding that the US was guilty of it too.
The actress did however praise UAE for taking the lead on solar energy and called for greater global use of alcohol-based biomass energy for vehicles, adding that she had two cars that run on renewable energy.