Dubai Is Known for Luxury Travel — Now it Wants to Focus on ‘Real Culture’

Dubai boasts of the world’s tallest building, the world’s largest mall, and the only “unofficial” seven-star hotel. Four decades after embracing tourism, Dubai wants to hone in on the “real” aspects of the city and its hidden gems.

Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Tourism, said Wednesday at the Skift Global Forum 2024 that the city will rely less on its famous landmarks and celebrity campaigns, in favor of a more authentic tourism experience.

“I think initially Dubai started off… we needed to create enough noise to get attention, we needed landmark projects, 7-star hotels, islands. It did a great job to get people into the city, but it started to make people feel Dubai was just about new buildings and high-end luxury,” said Kazim.

“We might have missed out on talking about our people. Only when we had that dialogue, did we realize these gems are standing out. If we shed light on the people, Dubai is a different proposition and gets a soul.”

“People used to say Dubai was beautiful but lacked a soul. The city now is speaking to people, we’ve seen that post-Covid. We generated ‘warm’ momentum and people were focusing on Dubai for all the right reasons.”

Authenticity Over Star Power

For years, Dubai has been known for using celebrities in large tourism campaigns. In 2022, Bollywood legend Shah Rukh Khan was featured in a promotional video for the city, while the year before Zac Effron and Jessica Alba did the same.

This may appear as nothing more than using celebrities for “star power” but Kazim says the emirate is prioritizing “authentic” celebrity partnerships.

He said: “At this point, it has changed quite a bit, we have a lot of celebrities visit Dubai, so we’re not relying on them the same way we did in the past. If celebrities can genuinely show an organic experience… we do not seek celebrities who have not been to Dubai. We work with celebrities who genuinely love Dubai and visit frequently.”

Using Real People

To show the ‘real’ Dubai, Kazim and his team are working to highlight the city’s hidden gems and real people.

“We have an arts and culture scene, celebrating the variety in the country. A lot of people knew about the skyscrapers, but not the cultural districts. These cultural neighborhoods were lesser known but they can be enjoyed at lower budgets.”

“Over the past few years, we’ve leveraged celebrities and influences to bring attention to what’s happening in Dubai. Now we’re shifting from that and using real people and real families to talk about why Dubai is home for them.”

“Breaking down barriers is key, to changing perceptions. Even though Dubai is known for luxury, we’re changing that, Dubai can offer affordable luxury.”