Dubai influencers are now on the rise. But why are all the influencers in Dubai?
Dubai has become a global business hub bridging the east and the west by having headquarters of several companies. Due to its tax breaks and custom duty benefits, it’s beneficial to be located in Dubai for multinational companies. Dubai also doesn’t have any restrictions towards foreign ownerships. As many companies are located in the city, their campaigns are also conducted there. However, the reason why Dubai become the number one luxury tourism destination, even in the pandemic, is not limited to these reasons.
To create a desirable tourism destination from scratch not only requires a lot of money, but also a lot of exposure in the media, and Dubai used its features to attract the most famous people in public eye to create highly affective but not so obvious campaigns. By promoting the destination through Influencers & celebrities, Dubai stood out even during the pandemic as the never-sleeping tourist heaven. But how do influencers work in Dubai, and what made Dubai stand out among other already famous cities?
Dubai influencers need license to make money
Influencer marketing is a big business right now and as every business, influencer marketing professionals are also required to follow some specific laws and regulations. The UAE announced a requirement of influencer license for both influencers living in and outside of Dubai. According to the regulations the influencers need license to make advertisements, and collaborate with brands or they won’t be paid. This regulation aims to create more professional and credible influencer marketing projects in Dubai. Although some people disagree with the necessity of this license, there are far more people who are in favour of this regulation
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Social Media influencer Jessica Hardie is one of the supporters of this regulation saying that:
“It gives legitimacy to what we do. So I think it was a really positive thing for the influencers here in Dubai and globally. I think regulation is pretty important because it encourages influencers to be forthcoming about whether or not they’re being paid to advertise a product. And it protects the followers as consumers.”
Trending: Luxury Tourism and Dubai Influencers
Since the end of 2019, luxury tourism has been all the rage. Although all the areas in the world get closer to minimalism, spending on luxury tourism doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Dubai is known for its exclusive parties, cruises, and elegant accommodation options which make the city seems like the perfect location to have your ultimate luxury holiday. The city doesn’t only offer posh hotels but also a duty free experience which is a paradise for shopaholics. These features made Dubai more popular among influencers, and in turn the target audience.
Marketing campaigns all around the globe
To celebrate #ValentinesDay, @kitmytrip has a great offer for couples heading to Dubai. From now until 16 February, buy one SIM and get another free for your loved one, saving up to AED100 ($28) ❤️ Visit the retail store in T3 Arrivals or find out more ➡️ https://t.co/plkE9aHprv pic.twitter.com/QjcY3guNeE
— Dubai International (@DXB) February 10, 2021
With the effect of global pandemic, most of the countries face severe economic problems and for touristic cities the problems mainly resulted from the travel restrictions. In the post-pandemic period, Dubai turned the crisis into an opportunity quickly to bring tourism back again, and promoted itself as “the ideal vacation spot”.
Influencers heavily affect the way tourism trends evolve in today’s world. Knowing that, DTCM (The Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing) launched the campaign “Live Your Story” globally for several influencers to come to Dubai. The aim of the campaign was to show the target audience that Dubai is a desirable tourism location with its cultural diversity with its combination of huge and modern skyscrapers alongside its traditional and cultural districts. They provided a pre-pandemic vibe for influencers to have parties, and travel the city as they did before.
DTCM also stated that:
“The integrated Dubai brand activation gives a glimpse of the multitude of offerings that await visitors to the city, spanning many leisure touchpoints from heritage to entertainment, outdoor adventures to beach activities, from gastronomy to family-oriented experiences, shopping to luxury. The Live Your Story tagline will serve as the new foundation for a refreshingly new customer-focused approach that Dubai Tourism will adopt for all future marketing efforts”
For example, they started a “mask-off policy” meaning that the second you are in Dubai, you don’t need to wear masks. Also, the country has a selected list of countries, people who travel from these countries didn’t need to be tested to fly to Dubai. The UAE is also in the travel corridor list which means that people returning from UAE don’t need to quarantine themselves back home.
The city collaborated with travel agencies to promote both the city, and the agencies at the same time. The agencies utilized this win-win situation immediately, and started the collaborating with influencers. For the projects, the agencies covered all travel expenses for influencers to come to Dubai, and promote the city.
Trending Travel is one the travel agencies that benefit influencers to advertise trips.
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Is all publicity good publicity ?
Although Dubai succeeds in becoming a dream location, influencers’ trips to Dubai get a lot of criticism for being “tone-deaf”.
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Fitness influencer Sheridan Mordew said that her trip to Dubai was a business trip, and supported her argument with saying business trips are not restricted during pandemic, so it was essential for her to go there. But she couldn’t escape from criticism. When everyone is at home craving for a good trip, influencers vacationing in Dubai seems like showing no empathy to the public rules.
You might also enjoy our guide to influencer marketing laws and regulations in the Middle East!
What do you think of Dubai’s influencer marketing campaigns to increase popularity? Do you think there is anything useful for other countries? Let us know by commenting below or hit us up on our socials!
