Businesses must leverage innovative marketing strategies to stay ahead and attract a global audience in the competitive travel and tourism industry. The Middle East, a region known for its luxury experiences and world-class destinations, offers prime examples of travel brands successfully engaging with travellers through digital transformation.

Companies like Etihad Airways, Jumeirah Group, and Qatar Airways have implemented data-driven marketing, influencer partnerships, and personalised digital experiences to capture the attention of international and regional travellers. Here are the top seven marketing tips that travel businesses in the Middle East can use to stand out and find more success. 

1. Get personal

Personalisation has been highlighted as a trend for operators creating successful travel products, but it’s relevant in marketing, too! In fact, 65% of consumers will be more brand loyal to those with relevant ads, according to Google.

Rotana Hotels: regional appeal with personalisation

Rotana Hotels in the Middle East emphasises regional culture in its marketing while using advanced technology to personalise the customer journey. By focusing on cultural festivals and local experiences, they attract both international tourists and local travellers. Rotana also heavily invests in mobile optimisation and uses customer data to send personalised offers, especially through its loyalty program.

2. Focus on the story 

Storytelling holds immense power in tourism marketing by creating emotional connections, allowing brands to resonate with travellers on a personal level. When brands tell relatable stories that reflect the desires or values of their audience, they enhance brand loyalty. Creating impactful stories around a destination also makes advertising up to four times more impactful and memorable. 

Jumeirah Group: luxury through digital storytelling

Dubai-based luxury hospitality brand Jumeirah Group, heavily invests in digital storytelling to convey the unique experiences available at their properties. By focusing on visually-driven content across social media, they used their relaunch and new tagline ‘Stay Different’ in a US$3 million campaign to appeal to international travellers seeking luxury experiences. 

They have also used the “Emotions” campaign in later marketing to emphasise key emotions that would become memories from the traveller’s stay. This strategy targeted affluent travellers by promoting aspirational travel experiences.

3. Don’t shy away from data targeting

Digital tools and data insights, such as cross-device tracking and search analytics, can provide valuable information on how travellers make decisions. Use these insights to refine your marketing strategies, targeting potential customers at different points in their journey.

Etihad Airways: data-driven personalisation

Etihad Airways has implemented dynamic data-driven marketing strategies to engage potential customers. By using real-time data from platforms like Google Flights, Etihad provides up-to-date flight schedules and pricing in search and display ads.

This not only helps travellers make more informed decisions but also doubled conversion rates and reduced costs per acquisition by 70%. Their tailored approach, which shows relevant ads based on a user’s intent and search history, has significantly boosted customer engagement.

4. Leverage AI 

AI-driven insights help marketers predict trends and optimise campaigns by analysing large datasets, leading to more efficient targeting. But more than this, AI can help you work smarter through answering marketing queries, copywriting and imagery help, and, more importantly, creating personalised experiences for your audience.

Qatar Airways: marketing AI experiences

Qatar Airways is a great example of how AI can create a unique experience beyond just promotion. A recent campaign showcasing the airline’s connectivity was turned interactive by the use of AI. Viewers can go to a dedicated AI Fly Qatar website, select a scene from the video and put themselves in as part of the story. This bridges the gap between traditional advertising and using technology to engage and entertain the audience. 

Read more about how travel operators can leverage AI for customer journey excellence here. 

Three more quick tips

1. Use video to appeal to Gen Z 

Younger audiences like Gen Z are not only watching YouTube but engaging with the online community. In fact, 54% of UAE Gen Zs, 52% of Egyptian Gen Zs and 47% of Saudi Arabian Gen Zs visited websites from brand videos that had been shared with them. TikTok is another popular platform, just look at how Dubai is capitalising on that trend.

2. Capitalise on last-minute and in-destination searches

Many travellers make decisions in the moment, often once they’ve arrived at their destination. Ensuring your services are discoverable for local or spontaneous searches (like “things to do near me”) is crucial, especially since mobile searches for local activities have surged. 

3. Don’t be so serious

Remember to entertain your audience, or they won’t hold interest long enough. Entertainment is a top priority among younger MENA audiences. In fact, younger audiences in the UAE (42%), and Saudi Arabia (42%) enjoy watching entertaining travel content on YouTube. 

Ultimately, marketing is constantly evolving, and for travel businesses in the Middle East, being strategic with some of these tips means seeing more results!