The image of the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Image at the very basis is described as the illustration of a commodity or brand in the minds of the individual customers (Andreu et al. 2001, p. 49). Hunt (1975, p. 1) sees that the success of a tourist destination can be directly linked to the image of the respective country, perceived by individual tourists and potential guests. Every year, tourism providers such as holiday destinations, airlines or vacation spots spend huge amounts of money in order to develop the image of their respective tourism business. Nevertheless, in the same article Hunt writes that images can be influenced by recent events happening in the specific country, natural resources available in the surrounding environment, the climate conditions as well as the local inhabitants, all embodying a particular picture of the country. These factors may affect the image of a destination in a positive or negative way (ibid.). “Destination brands are inextricably linked to the image of the place.” (Hankinson 2004, p. 13).