{"id":23370,"date":"2017-06-27T13:29:58","date_gmt":"2017-06-27T13:29:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/damacofficial.com\/hussainsajwani\/?p=23370"},"modified":"2025-06-23T05:16:31","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T05:16:31","slug":"the-customer-experience-is-redefining-traditional-industries-approach-to-driving-growth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/damacofficial.com\/hussainsajwani\/the-customer-experience-is-redefining-traditional-industries-approach-to-driving-growth\/","title":{"rendered":"The customer \u2018experience\u2019 is redefining traditional industries\u2019 approach to driving growth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In this new era of digital living, the user or customer experience has taken the spotlight and underpins innovation of almost every product and service out there.  From ride-sharing applications to weekends for two at the cinema, the user experience has become pivotal to the success and failure of any organization; its impact propagated by the boundless reach of social media, which can hurtle a single negative review across a million smartphone screens in a blink. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organisations around the world are listening, heeding the warnings of marketers who have learned over the years to leverage the powerful impact experience, and the positive user-generated content that follows, to gain brand leadership and drive commercial growth.   We don\u2019t have to look far to find examples of this, particularly in this digital age, where the likes of Uber and Expedia<\/a> have transformed into multi-billion-dollar empires thanks to the experiences they offer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this focus on the user experience is not only the concern of those driving the global digital transformation; we are seeing it extend across countless traditional industries that have had to re-think their entire approach on how to develop, package and sell their products by putting the customer experience first. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am going to touch on just one of those industries, tourism.  My home city of Dubai sets a perfect example of how it has continuously evolved its tourism sector over the years in order to attract holiday goers, business travelers and transit visitors alike. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dubai\u2019s initial marketing push in mid-2000 was to attract global visitors with its opulent lifestyle proposition \u2013 luxury hotel, shopping and dining experiences that were second to none.  Today, Dubai has shifted its approach 180 degrees and sees future visitors coming to experience the \u2018real\u2019 Dubai, as enjoyed by its residents.  According to the CEO of Dubai Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM)<\/a>, Dubai wants to attract 20 million visitors by 2020, and it is going to achieve this by promoting real experiences that highlight the city\u2019s diverse yet authentic offerings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u2018experience\u2019 proposition has proven itself the world over, with global travelers seeking authentic experiences that can be shared instantly with friends and loved ones via social networks.  The impact of marketing the \u2018experience\u2019 is truly profound, particularly when we factor in millennials who today are considered the largest generation in modern history<\/a>.   The millennial traveler is part of the generation that was raised with technology \u2013 the internet, social media and mobile devices \u2013 and with an endless desire to try something new. This \u2018experience\u2019 approach becomes fundamental to attracting these young, knowledgeable travelers who then become the champions of your brand, driving positive user-generated content that sells your destination. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I believe that Dubai is taking the right step with its \u2018real\u2019 Dubai approach and is opening up a whole new market for itself.   Dubai\u2019s existing visitor portfolio, 14.9 million in 2016, is already sold on the city\u2019s diverse offerings and can only help drive more positive awareness by sharing their visit experiences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By turning the focus on the \u2018real\u2019 Dubai proposition, Dubai will be able to attract a new set of visitors whose travel impulses and motivations are widely viewed as a growth opportunity by the tourism and hospitality industry in 2017 and beyond.  These trends highlight a strong demand for travel experiences that revolve around food, adventure and sports, culture, amateur photography and even environmentally-conscious travel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In all these categories, Dubai has something to offer. While its traditional proposition of luxury hospitality, dining and retail experiences will continue to thrive and attract travelers, Dubai is already well\u2013positioned to start attracting new segments of travelers who are armed with a smartphone and are looking for a different type of stimulus or fulfillment, be it emotional, spiritual or cultural. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The success of Dubai\u2019s proposition to \u2018experience\u2019 travelers will depend on the how genuine its message will be. We have to remember that these travelers \u2013 the majority of which will be millennial \u2013 are: <\/p>\n\n\n\n