Marketing strategies for the tourism industry in the United Arab Emirates after the COVID-19 era

Abstract

PurposeThis paper reviews the challenging trends in the tourism sector of the UAE brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. In so doing, it highlights a radical shift in the consumption of travel products and the related marketing strategies that tourism enterprises could adopt.Design/methodology/approachThe study aims to discern the ramifications of the Covid-19 pandemic for the tourism sector of the UAE by conducting a thematic review of the contextual literature. It highlights how tourism businesses can employ transformative strategies to revive the sector.FindingsThe outcomes reveal that tourism businesses are finding it difficult to respond to the needs of customers in settings where physical distance is a reality. Given this, the study reveals the importance of digital technology in building a relationship between the supplier and the customer. Businesses can leverage virtual reality to provide enriching experiences to prospective customers and in so doing, influence their tourism product choices. Further, there is a need to co-create values wherein the final tourism product is beneficial to both the supplier in terms of profit margin and within the scope of the customer's willingness to pay.Originality/valueThis review highlights that there are both demand and supply-side shocks in delivering tourism products in the post Covid-19 era. It also considers the key socio-economic factors that need to be accounted for when designing tourism products.