‘Desperate’ under fire Dubai offering £600 rewards to locals who tempt pals to visit
Dubai officials are offering seemingly lucrative packages to residents who persuade tourists to visit the city amid a decline in tourist rates following the outbreak of war
Dubai are offering the ‘invite’ scheme to convince more visitors to come to the city (Image: FADEL SENNA / AFP via Getty Images)
Dubai is offering residents a package of perks worth more than 600 quid, as long as they’re able to persuade pals to visit the gulf city, with critics slamming the scheme as “desperate”.
The new “A Dubai Invite” campaign promises UAE residents benefit packages worth more than AED3,000 (£610) for each friend or relative they successfully convince to visit the city before October 31.
Residents can claim up to three packages, which include hotel stays, restaurant discounts and attraction tickets once their nominated visitors arrive. Announcing the initiative, Visit Dubai said: “Bring your friends and family to Dubai and receive benefits when they arrive.”
Are you less likely to visit Dubai following the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East(Image: Getty Images/arabianEye)
The tourism body added: “Dubai is home to millions of people from every corner of the world… and every single one of you has someone you wish was closer.
“Invite your loved ones to experience Dubai between 20 July and 31 October, and in return receive up to three benefit packages worth over AED3,000 each. Each individual stands to gain more than 20 perks, including hotel stays, dining experiences, attraction tickets, and more.”
The campaign follows what has been a tricky period for Dubai’s tourism industry, which was rocked by the high-profile conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States, which saw airlines cancel routes, visitor numbers fall and hotels reporting sharp drops in bookings.
And while some residents have praised the policy, many online feared that the package showed that UAE officials were getting ‘desperate’ about the decline.
Dubai has long had a successful tourism industry (Image: Kusska via Getty Images)
On the United Arab Emirates subreddit, one user joked that “Things are not looking good lads”, while another poster added that the scheme showed the government was “getting desperate”.
Another added: “They really doing this… situation ain’t good.”
Others pointed out that in order to access some of the perks, the policy seemingly requires you to spend some of your own money.
Numbers have taken a hit since the city was hit by drone attacks earlier this year(Image: AFP via Getty)
One wrote: “The deals sound terrible. Like spend 1000 AED on dinner and get 10 AED off your next Careem ride.”
Some suggested the campaign had arrived too late, with one commenter saying: “Such offers should have been made during good times.”
Others questioned whether the rewards would actually tempt anyone to visit, with one user writing: “These are not even real ‘benefits’, it’s just discounts. It’s just a loud marketing campaign.”
However, not everyone agreed the scheme was a sign of desperation.
One resident pointed to a similar domestic tourism campaign launched during the Covid pandemic, arguing: “It worked… residents are more likely to reassure their family members abroad that everything is fine and not to believe the media.”
