Tourism Development Strategy in Abu Dhabi

This assignment delves into Abu Dhabi's tourism development strategy. It requires a critical analysis of how the city diversifies its offerings, fosters innovation, and manages the impact of tourism on residents. The role of sports events in promoting tourism and regeneration is also examined, drawing upon relevant academic literature and case studies.

Running head: BUSINESS RESEARCH METHOD RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Digital Marketing in Tourism
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author Note:

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Research Title..................................................................................................................................4
Overview..........................................................................................................................................4
Research Questions..........................................................................................................................5
Literature review..............................................................................................................................5
Key Research Outcomes..................................................................................................................7
Methodology....................................................................................................................................8
Research Philosophy........................................................................................................................9
Justification for Choosing the Research Philosophy.......................................................................9
Research Design..............................................................................................................................9
Justification for Choosing the Research Design............................................................................10
Research Methods..........................................................................................................................10
Selection of Sampling Methods and Sample Size.........................................................................10
Data Collection Methods...............................................................................................................11
Research Instrument......................................................................................................................11
Questionnaire.................................................................................................................................11
Research Outcomes.......................................................................................................................11
Ethical Considerations...................................................................................................................12

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Timeline.........................................................................................................................................13
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................14
References......................................................................................................................................15
Appendix 1.....................................................................................................................................18
Gantt chart.....................................................................................................................................18

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Introduction
Research Title
The Research title is “Role of Digital Marketing in Tourism Marketing: Case Study on
Department of Tourism and Culture, Abu Dhabi”.
Overview
Tourism is basically referred to as the travel for business or pleasure. The following can
be defined as the act of attracting, providing pleasure and also offer business perspectives to
tourists. Tourism can be undertaken both locally and internationally. The World Tourism
Organization which is a neutral body has defined tourism as “traveling to and staying in places,
which is outside the usual environment for not more than a consecutive year for business, leisure
or other purposes” (Prayag and Hosany 2014). Tourism is one the business sectors in a country,
on which the economy of a country largely depends. Therefore, both domestic and international
tourism have their implications on the balance of payments of a country. In the present day,
tourism stands out to be one of the major sources of income for a country. There are some
countries in the globe where tourism acts as the economic spine of the country. In the recent
times, the tourism sector has been highly affected by digital marketing, which plays an important
role in the tourism sector. The term digital marketing refers to the marketing of different
products and services by using different technologies mostly using internet. It also uses digital
advertisements on roads, mobiles and any other forms of digital sources. The following will
provide a research on the impacts of digital marketing in the tourism sector in the UAE, with
special regards to Abu Dhabi.

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Research Questions
The following are the research questions based on the research proposal on the impact of
digital marketing in Abu Dhabi:
 What is the impact of digital marketing in tourism sector of UAE, with special reference
to Abu Dhabi?
 What are the different strategies relating to digital marketing that are used by the tourism
sector in UAE to enhance economic growth?
 What are the future prospects for the use of digital marketing in the UAE?
Literature review
Tourism acts as an important source to the economic strength of the mentioned country of
West Asia. It is one the main strategies in the UAE to maintain the flow of foreign cash.
According to Giampiccoli and Mtapuri (2015) the mentioned country has introduced a number
of different leisure and sports activities to strengthen its position as one of the largest attractors
of tourism. This is one of the reasons for the country to turn into one the most attractive and the
most tourist friendly country of the world. On the other hand Chaffey and Ellis-Chadwick
(2016) has suggested that the tourism sector has been responsible for transformation of the
country into a world class destination and also for conserving, leveraging and promoting its rich
culture and heritage.
Continuous investments into Abu Dhabi’s diverse array of leisure, cultural attractions,
entertainment and different tourism related programmes of fund raising events are organized by
means of partnering with a network of industry stakeholders and sponsor. Prayag and Hosany
(2014) have concluded in their research that globalization in the modern times and the

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emergence of the digital marketing industry has led to the lightning speed of the technologies.
These new technologies play an important role in the business sector as they are used for
marketing purposes. The use of such technologies for marketing of goods and services is called
digital marketing and the use of technologically advanced forms of marketing plays a key role in
the tourism sector of a country. Abu Dhabi, along with the other countries in the UAE is no
exception to this. The UAE, as stated above, largely depends on the tourism sector for its
economic growth. Digital Marketing is not just the “Internet of Things” but has been transformed
to the “Internet of Life” as use of internet, smart phones, apps and other ICT technologies have
huge impact on the lives of the people. This ever increasing usage of technology has also
influenced the people’s social and moral lives in the UAE, which also includes Abu Dhabi
(Chaffey and Ellis-Chadwick 2016).
Abu Dhabi is the capital of United Arab Emirates and is rich in digital marketing
opportunities. UAE is probably the most internet savvy country in the MENA region and as a
large population of the country is expatriates or immigrants from other countries, a huge segment
of the society depends on the internet. A huge population has been involved in availing tourism
services by using smart phones and tablets with the help of internet, in the recent years. As seen
by Henderson (2014), internet usage has been increasing rapidly and the people are using
technologies for availing various services with the help of modern technologies. Digital
marketing, that involves the use of modern technologies, has become very important for the fast
growing tourism sector of the UAE. Kovjanić (2014) on the other hand has found out that, the
expanding tourism industry in Abu Dhabi focuses on the use of new age technological marketing
as experts have pinpointed a growing trend in the pre- booking experience of the different
visitors in advance to arrive at their preferred destination.

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The Abu Dhabi tourism Authority (ADTA) made several plans for arranging seminars on
digital marketing for the partners and stakeholders of the Travel and Tourism Agencies Council
(ATTAC) as it has become key for the industrial suppliers for utilizing all online requirements at
their disposal and understand the way to leverage the technologies, as tourism is an important
component of the Abu Dhabi Vision 2030 and is considered as one of the key enablers for
building a sustainable future of Abu Dhabi by way of diversity and economic prosperity. It is
expected that the tourism sector is expected to become the engine of economic growth In Abu
Dhabi and across UAE. According to, Henderson (2014) the responsibility of promoting Abu
Dhabi’s tourism sector lies on the hands of the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Cultural Authority
(TCA). The TCA regulates the tourism industry by marketing it internationally by way of a wide
range of initiatives and events. It plays a serious role in promoting the culture and heritage of
Abu Dhabi and leverages all these aspects of the city for attracting the maximum number of
tourists to the area (Vij 2017). The TCA makes plans, programs and policies, which serve as a
catalyst in enhancing investment, development and growth. For this development and growth in
the tourism sector, the use of digital marketing has become massively important in today’s world
and the TCA has been focusing on the use of digital marketing strategies as well for the purpose.
However the government of UAE can also intervene in some key decisions regarding tourism if
they feel it necessary.
Key Research Outcomes
The purpose of the research is to analyze the role of tourism in Abu Dhabi in the times of
digital marketing. The research will explore all the possibilities and options to provide the
readers with a detailed information on the modern era of digital transformation and its use in
tourism sector in the mentioned city of United Arab Emirates.

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Methodology
Research Methodology is the process by which the researcher designs his or her research
in a proper manner (Finley 2014). This will determine the different methods that will be used by
the researcher to conduct the research.
A single handed method will be inconsistent with the different objectives of the study and
so the review of literature was conducted by the researcher. A survey will be conducted by him
who will help to determine the primary information for proceeding with the research. The
information will be obtained after interviewing each and every participant. The research will be
designed using both local experience as well as theoretical knowledge. The following section
provides an insight into the processes and methodology that will be used to conduct the main
research (Amelina Faist and Nergiz 2014).
The research will follow the process of a theory based research which will be focusing
more on “Theory then Research” rather than focusing on “Research then Theory” The research
focuses to the qualitative processes that help to throw light on the in depth understanding of the
different issues and will try to display the original results using the best process (VALEK 2015).
The research will describe the different social process as asked by the research questions. The
following process will construct an explicit theory and model based on the number of different
propositions derived from the different theories and models of tourism (Finley 2014). The
empirical information will itself prove the effectiveness of the propositions on whether they are
acceptable or not. The results that will be derived from the following will help to determine
whether the different changes points out to the models or theory for empirical investigation. The
research will completely concentrate on the impact of digital technology on tourism in Abu
Dhabi. As mentioned earlier the researcher has aimed to conduct a survey that will be conducted

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upon 100 participants. An online questionnaire will be provided to them which consist of a
number of different questions related to the tourism aspects of Abu Dhabi and the impact that
digitalization has brought to the mentioned sector.
Research Philosophy
Research philosophy is a set of beliefs by which the information about a particular
phenomenon is collected, analyzed and used in the research (Amelina Faist and Nergiz 2014).
The research philosophy of this particular research will provide an in depth study on the various
theories and models of tourism. There are three research philosophies namely, positivism,
realism and interpretivism. Positivism will be helpful to identify the different problems related to
the study whereas realism is the mixture of both positivism and interpretivism. The last
philosophy which is interpretivism deals with the subjective interpretation and intervention in
reality so that it can be understood fully.
Justification for Choosing the Research Philosophy
The researcher will be choosing positivism based research approach to identify the topic
in a much broader way and logically find out the different problems related to the topic. The
following process helps to manipulate the reality with variations in only a single variable.
Research Design
The research design will be based on the overall strategy that will be chosen by the
researcher to integrate the different elements of tourism in a proper and logical manner. This will
help the researcher to address the problems related with the research and analyze the information
properly. There are four types of research designs starting from analytical, descriptive,

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explanatory and exploratory design. The researcher will be choosing the descriptive research
design to complete the research.
Justification for Choosing the Research Design
The choice of the descriptive Research Design is for generating a thorough knowledge
regarding tourism in Abu Dhabi and its digital transformation. The descriptive design will be
allowing the researcher to analyze the research more critically using a vast number of available
sources.
Research Methods
As mentioned earlier the researcher will be using a “multiple operationalism” in the
research process. At least two types of research process will be combined in the study in the
same phenomenon. The following process can be defined as methodological triangulation which
involves the qualitative and quantitative methods (Takhar-Lail and Ghorbani 2015)dologies and
information obtained from a wide range of relevant sources. These methods will be useful to
determine the information both at a general level as well as the specific case study areas. Some
of the specific case study areas can be used in the research for the purpose of obtaining a precise
and transparent understanding of the local culture and the digital methods used by the authority
to promote tourism in Abu Dhabi.
Selection of Sampling Methods and Sample Size
Probability and Non Probability sampling techniques will be used by the researcher for
completing the sampling methods. The random sampling method will provide the researcher
with a better and transparent understanding of the topic. A sample size of 100 persons involving

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the tourists visiting UAE, local guides and managers of tourism companies will be used. The
selection of the mentioned people will help the researcher to get the exact details regarding
tourism sector and its latest developments in UAE.
Data Collection Methods
The primary information will be received from the conduction of the survey and the
interviews by the researcher. The primary information is of immense importance as it will
provide the first positive approach to the study. The secondary information will be received from
any other printed or online sources related to the topic.
Research Instrument
Questionnaire
As mentioned earlier an online questionnaire will be provided to the participants of the
survey. A time span of 10 days will be provided to them to submit the survey form.
Research Outcomes
The data analysis of the research will be conducted in the form of charts and tables that
will provide a clear understanding of the outcomes of the report. The report will be outlined in
exactly the way that has been mentioned in the proposal. Such a proper presentation will help the
report to attain the aims and objectives of the research. At the successful completition of the
research the readers will be expected to get a transparent idea of the present scenario of UAE
tourism and can also assess the importance of digitalization of tourism in the modern era. The
research will also provide a large scope for further studies by other researchers.

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Ethical Considerations
Ethical considerations constitute the most crucial element of the research. Ethics cannot
be neglected while conducting the research as because such neglect can result in the failure of the
research. The researcher must ensure that the participants of the survey must not be harmed in
any way during the conduction of the research. It is also important for the researcher to maintain
the dignity of the participants as because the participants. The participants must not be
humiliated at any point of time while the research undergoes. The researcher also must make it a
point to obtain prior permission of the participants before conducting the research. In addition to
these the researcher must keep in mind not to disclose the identity of the individuals and their
opinion to others. Other ethical considerations include the researcher to be honest during the
research and must publish an honest report that mentions the actual results. The researcher must
ensure to not apply any force over the participants while they undertake the interviews. The
ethical clause must also make sure that the participants are free to withdraw their participation at
any given point of time. However the most important point that should be kept in mind by the
researcher is to make it sure that the only purpose of the research is for academic activities and
not any promotional acts.

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Timeline
Task Name Duration Start Finish
Project Timeline 105 days Mon
1/8/18
Fri 6/1/18
Choice of the topic 1 day Mon
1/8/18
Mon
1/8/18
Submission of the
Topic
1 day Mon
1/8/18
Mon
1/8/18
Approval of the
Topic
2 days Tue 1/9/18 Wed
1/10/18
Primary Data
Collection
10 days Thu
1/11/18
Wed
1/24/18
Primary Analysis 10 days Thu
1/25/18
Wed
2/7/18
Assembling the
Report
15 days Thu
2/8/18
Wed
2/28/18
Submission of the
First Draft
1 day Thu
3/1/18
Thu
3/1/18
Identification of the
Survey Sample
20 days Fri 3/2/18 Thu
3/29/18
Selection of the
Survey Sample
10 days Fri
3/30/18
Thu
4/12/18
Conducting the
Interview
15 days Fri
4/13/18
Thu
5/3/18
Assembling the
outcomes of the
survey
5 days Fri 5/4/18 Thu
5/10/18
Preparing the result 10 days Fri
5/11/18
Thu
5/24/18
Review of the
Research
5 days Fri
5/25/18
Thu
5/31/18
Submission of the
Final Report
1 day Fri 6/1/18 Fri 6/1/18
Timeline Table
The research will take a time period of 105 days to complete. The Gantt chart has been
shown in the appendix section of the proposal.

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Conclusion
The research proposal has pointed out to the formulation of a proper research on digital
tourism in Abu Dhabi. The identification of the necessary elements and other aspects of modern
day tourism will form an essential part of the future research. The thorough analysis of the
proposal summarizes the fact that digital technologies are the answer to a sustainable tourism
future of Abu Dhabi.

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References
Amelina, A., Faist, T. and Nergiz, D.D. eds., 2014. Methodologies on the move: the
transnational turn in empirical migration research. Routledge.
Anwar, S.A., 2014. Tourism in a Smart Society. International Journal of Excellence in Tourism,
Hospitality and Catering, 6, pp.1-1.
Chaffey, D. and Ellis-Chadwick, F., 2016. Digital marketing. Pearson.
Dwivedi, Y.K., Kapoor, K.K. and Chen, H., 2015. Social media marketing and advertising. The
Marketing Review, 15(3), pp.289-309.
Finley, S., 2014. An introduction to critical arts-based research demonstrating methodologies and
practices of a radical ethical aesthetic. Cultural Studies↔ Critical Methodologies,
p.1532708614548123.
Giampiccoli, A. and Mtapuri, O., 2015. Diversification and Innovation in Tourism Development
Strategy: The Case of Abu Dhabi. The Arab World Geographer, 18(4), pp.245-261.
Hammad, N., Hammad, N., Ahmad, S.Z., Ahmad, S.Z., Papastathopoulos, A. and
Papastathopoulos, A., 2017. Residents’ perceptions of the impact of tourism in Abu Dhabi,
United Arab Emirates. International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality
Research, 11(4), pp.551-572.
Henderson, J.C., 2014. Global Gulf cities and tourism: A review of Abu Dhabi, Doha and
Dubai. Tourism Recreation Research, 39(1), pp.107-114.

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Henderson, J.C., 2017. 1 Sports events, tourism, development and regeneration. Sport, Events,
Tourism and Regeneration, p.9.
Jauncey, S. and Nadkarni, S., 2014. Expo 2020: What must Dubai’s hospitality and tourism
industry do to be ready pre-and post-event?. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 6(4),
pp.381-386.
Kovjanić, G., 2014. Islamic tourism as a factor of the Middle East regional
development. Turizam, 18(1), pp.33-43.
Mtapuri, O. and Giampiccoli, A., 2017. Abu Dhabi and Doha: Skyscraping for Tourism
Development. The Arab World Geographer, 20(1), pp.42-65.
Prayag, G. and Hosany, S., 2014. When Middle East meets West: Understanding the motives and
perceptions of young tourists from United Arab Emirates. Tourism Management, 40, pp.35-45.
Sotiriadis, M. and Fotiadis, A.K., 2017, June. The hybrid era in online tourism distribution
channels: Disintermediation and Re-intermediation. In 5 th International Conference on
Contemporary Marketing Issues ICCMI June 21-23, 2017 Thessaloniki, Greece (p. 657).
Takhar-Lail, A. and Ghorbani, A., 2015. Market Research Methodologies: Multi-Method and
Qualitative.
VALEK, N.S., 2015. Abu Dhabi sport tourism: From zero to hero. Sustainable Development of
Sports Tourism, p.11.
Vij, A., 2017. Adoption of Social Media Marketing-An Overview of UAE Service
Firms. International Journal of Business Administration and Management Research, 3(2), pp.23-
28.

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Zaidan, E., 2017. Analysis of ICT usage patterns, benefits and barriers in tourism SMEs in the
Middle Eastern countries: The case of Dubai in UAE. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 23(3),
pp.248-263.

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Appendix 1
Gantt chart
Figure 1- Gantt chart
Source- (As created by the author)