As I offer my sincerest congratulations to TTN as it celebrates 40 years of travel and tourism in the Gulf, I find myself reflecting on my own journey of the last 20 years based in the UAE and working across the GCC countries.
How times have changed, bringing not only massive changes to the region but also continuous change and evolution in the way we communicate and promote our businesses. With my boutique communications and PR company, AllDetails Middle East, celebrating 15 years this year, we have had the privilege of working with some of the most prestigious travel, hospitality and food and beverage organisations in the world and played a part in raising their brand awareness in the Gulf Region whilst significantly increasing their regional client base and market share.
The region’s residents have evolved and become increasingly more sophisticated and eager to explore the diverse experiences which can be found in different parts of the world. They now yearn to explore off the beaten track and experience #off-grid adventures; personalised safaris in Africa, the Northern Lights in the Arctic Circle, mountain trekking in the Alps, cruising down the Mekong River in a two-cabin river cruiser; it is all about exploration and experiential travel, tailored to suit each person’s individual needs; this is the new luxury.
“There is no cookie-cutter approach or one-size-fits-all strategy that is ever going to work in my book”
– Isabel Tapp
Closer to home, the food and beverage offering available in the UAE can rival that of any top international city around the world. We have it all at our fingertips with Michelin Star Chefs bringing their own particular brand of perfection to a menu whilst home grown chefs evolve, mature and rival any top international chef.
As we look to the future and 2020, we are poised for growth and ready to meet the challenges of the next decade. There is no cookie-cutter approach or one-size-fits-all strategy that is ever going to work in my book. It has always been and always will be about understanding each particular brand and its DNA, and carefully curating an approach; a marketing and PR plan; which will bring success. Every brand is different; therefore, every strategy has to be different and one which will incorporate an integrated mix of activities, some new and experimental ideas complimented by some more traditional ones.
No matter how much times have changed, and the internet and social media have revolutionised our world, we all still love to listen to a good story. Hearing a visionary’s story, their inspiration, their dreams, builds a strong emotional bond with that person or brand and that in turn is what builds loyalty. We tend to make most of our purchase decisions based on our emotions and this is also the case with our travel and leisure decisions, perhaps more so; as time becomes our most precious commodity, we want to be sure we are using every minute in the best possible way. And this is what we do; we tell your story, building loyalty to your brand which in turn translates into loyal customers and a successful business.
Every brand has a story, let us tell yours...
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The writer is founder & CEO of AllDetails Middle East and can be reached on isabeltapp@alldetails.net
