Literature Review
Today, many researchers across the globe develop various studies to investigate the tourism industry in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). During the last several centuries, travel and tourism have introduced a significant sector in improving local and national economies. It has become possible to increase the number of jobs, protect the natural environment, and share culture and traditions. This literature review is based on the implication of such keywords as “United Arab Emirates,” “tourism,” “economy,” and “future.” The goal is to examine the current situation in UAE tourism, study people’s perceptions, clarify economic and educational factors, and conclude how researchers see the future of UAE tourism.
Tourism in the UAE
Today, the UAE is one of the countries ready to welcome tourists from different parts of the world all year round. For example, in 2016, the travel and tourism sector brought more than $44 billion to the country’s Gross Domestic Product and increased jobs by about 10% (Michael, Reisinger, & Hayes, 2019). 2018, the contribution increased by 11%, but the statistics worsened during the pandemic (Mannaa, 2020).
To stabilize the situation, the UAE government initiated multiple Emiratization policies to support private sector work and recruit more individuals (Rutledge, 2022). Current outcomes remain promising in the Gulf region, including tourism branding for Dubai and Abu Dhabi (Haq, Seraphim, & Medhekar, 2021; Papastathopoulos, Ahmad, Al Sabri, & Kaminakis, 2020; Yas, Mardani, Albayati, Lootah, & Streimikiene 2020). The UAE is ready to expand this sector and improve people’s perceptions and local opportunities.
People’s Perceptions
Many factors motivate foreigners and locals to consider the UAE one of the best tourist destinations. For example, Michael, Balasubramanian, Michael, and Fotiadis (2020) underline the worth of movie-induced tourism for people to feel nostalgic or romantic or to reveal a particular atmosphere. Adopting new technologies and advanced equipment creates additional options for Emiratis to strengthen their tourism industry (Nuseir & Aljumah, 2020).
According to Hammad, Ahmad, and Papastathopoulos (2019), there are many positive and negative cultural, social, and economic impacts on tourism development in the country, and citizens demonstrate their support for the moderating role of nationality. In other words, people are interested in more tourism on their land to gain financial benefits and cultural exchange options.
Tourism and Economy
The UAE can earn a lot with its improved areas for tourists. The employment of national human capital expands the tourism industry, and the transition to a diversified economy is a matter of time for local businesses (Rutledge, 2022). Many researchers agree that budget considerations might improve the economy of some UAE regions, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi (Yas et al., 2020). Another positive relationship is between immigration and tourism outflows because expatriates continue demonstrating a good advertising effect on available destinations (Saleh, Bassil, & Safari, 2022). In other words, people have already found the economic advantages of tourism and continue enlarging their experiences.
Tourism Education for Emiratis
Regarding the rapid progress of the tourism sector, many Arab facilities are considering improving education for local citizens. According to Mannaa and Abou-Shouk (2020), Emirati students are interested in working in the tourism industry because of enjoyable jobs, the work environment, and interactions with foreigners. However, low salaries and limited management opportunities create additional challenges. Today, much information is available online, and people are free to make their own choices and not be related to a particular city or college (Aldhanhani & Zainudin, 2022). Therefore, the UAE government and the Ministry of Education must examine the conditions under which future tourism agents should study.
The Future of Tourism in the UAE
A positive and safe future of tourism is observed in the UAE. Locals can rely on their oil-related backgrounds and experiment with attractions for tourists (Rutledge, 2022). Tourism success in the UAE is associated with multiculturalism, open-mindedness, and technology (Haq et al., 2021; Ladki, Abimanyu, & Kesserwan, 2020). Relevant tour information, cooperation with people, and enhanced education/training will help young Emiratis find a calling in tourism.
Survey
Age: Gender: Nationality:
- Do you think tourism is popular in the United Arab Emirates?
- Is it true that people of a younger age prefer to travel to the UAE more?
- Do the advantages of tourism prevail over the disadvantages for Emiratis?
- If you had a chance, would you choose a career in tourism in the UAE?
- Are you aware of recent changes in tourism in the UAE?
- Does the UAE have enough tourism companies to ensure progress in the industry?
- Do you agree that UAE tourism is one of the most profitable industries?
- Do young Emiratis have enough educational opportunities related to the tourism industry in the country?
- Do you want to know more about the tourism industry in your country?
- Do you think tourism has a future in the UAE?
Data Analysis
A qualitative survey with numerical descriptions was conducted to address the research project’s goal, which is to identify the future of tourism in the UAE based on young Emiratis’ perceptions. It was decided to implement a non-probability snowball sampling method when a research team asks their friends to answer several questions and distribute them among their friends and family members. It was essential to age, gender, and nationality for inclusion purposes because the opinions of Emirati males and females aged between 18 and 25 were appreciated.
The research team wanted to gather at least 20 replies, and the outcomes were more than promising: 75 individuals sent their answers. Twenty replies were not included to avoid sampling errors and biases, as the participants forgot to mention their age or nationality. In addition, 35 replies did not fit the criteria because of their age. Therefore, 20 replies were taken for analysis in this research project. The survey contained 10 “yes/no” questions related to the sphere of tourism, and clear answers were required to obtain the opinion of each participant.
The answers of all participants proved a positive attitude toward tourism in the UAE, with several exceptions. For example, all participants (100%) agreed that tourism is popular in the country, and they wanted to know more about the business as they saw a future in it. However, the opinions about the preferred age of tourists differed: only 60% of respondents believed the young population is more interested in the chosen sector.
The same percentage of answers was observed concerning educational opportunities for Emiratis. The survey revealed that 80% of locals remain concerned about the disadvantages of tourism in their region, and only 40% would choose a career in tourism. Twenty percent proved their awareness of recent tourism changes, and the opinions were equally divided (50% – yes and 50% – no) concerning the profitability of tourism and the number of tourism companies in the UAE.
Considering the findings of primary and secondary research, it is correct to conclude that young Emiratis have some background knowledge about the tourism industry, but many demotivating factors still need to be solved. On the one hand, Emiratis cannot ignore the tourism progress in their region during the last decade (Rutlede, 2022; Yas et al., 2020).
On the other hand, the local government, the Ministry of Education, and other stakeholders should take additional steps to stabilize the situation and create appropriate conditions. Attention should be paid to the education of young Emiratis, the exchange of information and updates, and the evaluation of the pros and cons of tourism in different aspects (Mannaa& Abou-Shouk, 2020). Tourism is vital to the future of the UAE, and young Emiratis should improve their knowledge to develop positive feelings about the tendency.
References
Aldhanhani, H. M. O. R., & Zainudin, M. Z. (2022). Study on the satisfaction level of heritage and cultural tourism information available in media. International Journal of Sustainable Construction Engineering and Technology, 13(4), 244-253. Web.
Hammad, N. M., Ahmad, S. Z., & Papastathopoulos, A. (2019). The moderating role of nationality in residents’ perceptions of the impacts of tourism development in the United Arab Emirates. International Journal of Tourism Research, 21(1), 61-75. Web.
Haq, F., Seraphim, J., & Medhekar, A. (2021). Branding heritage tourism in Dubai: A qualitative study. Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research, 9(2), 243-267. Web.
Ladki, S., Abimanyu, A., & Kesserwan, L. (2020). The rise of a new tourism dawn in the Middle East. Journal of Service Science and Management, 13(4), 637-648. Web.
Mannaa, M. T. (2020). Residents’ perceptions of the impacts of tourism development: Empirical evidence from UAE. International Journal of Heritage, Tourism and Hospitality, 14(1), 52-66. Web.
Mannaa, M. T., & Abou-Shouk, M. (2020). Students’ perceptions towards working in the tourism and hospitality industry in United Arab Emirates. Al-AdabJournal, 1(135), 33-52. Web.
Michael, N., Balasubramanian, S., Michael, I., & Fotiadis, A. (2020). Underlying motivating factors for movie-induced tourism among Emiratis and Indian expatriates in the United Arab Emirates. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 20(4), 435-449. Web.
Michael, N., Reisinger, Y., & Hayes, J. P. (2019). The UAE’s tourism competitiveness: A business perspective. Tourism Management Perspectives, 30, 53-64. Web.
Nuseir, M. T., & Aljumah, A. (2020). Digital marketing adoption influenced by relative advantage and competitive industry: A UAE tourism case study. Marketing, 11(2), 23-37. Web.
Papastathopoulos, A., Ahmad, S. Z., Al Sabri, N., & Kaminakis, K. (2020). Demographic analysis of residents’ support for tourism development in the UAE: A Bayesian structural equation modeling multigroup approach. Journal of Travel Research, 59(6), 1119-1139. Web.
Rutledge, E. J. (2022). The tour guide role in the United Arab Emirates: Emiratisation, satisfaction and retention. Tourism and Hospitality Research. Weeb.
Saleh, A. S., Bassil, C., & Safari, A. (2022). Tourism research for the GCC region: Current status and future research directions. Tourism Economics, 28(6), 1626-1646. Web.
Yas, H., Mardani, A., Albayati, Y. K., Lootah, S. E., & Streimikiene, D. (2020). The positive role of the tourism industry for Dubai city in the United Arab Emirates. Contemporary Economics, 14(4), 601-616. Web.