In today’s travel and tourism sector, particularly in the Middle East, we stand at a pivotal crossroads. Our region is pioneering some of the world’s most ambitious tourism gigaprojects, designed to drive economic diversification and align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals.
Yet amid this transformation, many chief executive officers and chief marketing officers find themselves grappling with a familiar, and increasingly perilous, tension: performance marketing versus brand building.
It is easy to understand why. The pressure to deliver immediate results is immense. New destinations must demonstrate return on investment quickly, measured in clicks, leads and conversions. Performance marketing offers speed, precision and the lure of instant gratification.
However, if we get trapped in a short-term mindset, we risk undermining the deeper, more vital work of building destination brands that inspire, endure and, above all, lead sustainable change.
Performance marketing delivers, but brand building sustains for tourism
In the Middle East, as in the world beyond, tourism is no longer simply about attracting visitors. It is about catalysing economic transformation, fostering environmental stewardship and empowering communities.
Achieving these ambitions demands more than tactical media buys or algorithm tweaks. We need a careful cultivation of brand ecosystems that genuinely connect with global audiences seeking meaning, purpose and impact.
Performance marketing can drive bookings. But it cannot, on its own, build belief. And without belief – in a destination’s values, in its stewardship of culture and nature and in its commitment to sustainable progress – no amount of paid media can create the enduring loyalty and advocacy that sustainable tourism depends on. True value in tourism comes not from transactions, but from trust – which must be earned, lived and shared.
Brand as a platform for purpose
The next generation of travellers, particularly millennials and Gen Z, no longer view destinations as mere places to visit. They seek deeper alignment with their values, caring profoundly about sustainability, community empowerment and ethical stewardship. For them, a destination’s brand must transcend logos and slogans; it must embody a visible and credible commitment to shaping a better world, not merely offering a beautiful one.
In this evolving landscape, the SDGs offer destinations far more than a compliance framework. They provide a strategic foundation for purpose-led positioning, enabling brands to articulate ambitions around climate action, gender equality, responsible consumption and inclusive growth. Those that embed the SDGs authentically into their brand DNA are not only fulfilling a moral imperative – they are building reputational equity that no short-term campaign can replicate
Some of the tourism gigaprojects across the Middle East are already signalling this shift. Conservation, renewable energy and community development are no longer peripheral to their brand propositions; they are central to their value creation strategies. Yet, as ambition grows, so too must authenticity.
In an era of radical transparency, brand expression must be matched by measurable action. Otherwise, the painstakingly earned credibility risks being undermined by scepticism – or, worse, by accusations of greenwashing – eroding the hard-won progress that no destination can afford to lose.
Resetting priorities: a call for leadership
As stewards of our brands, CEOs and CMOs must lead the charge towards a more holistic marketing philosophy – one that aligns short-term performance with long-term brand equity and transactional goals with transformational impact.
Several priorities emerge:
- First, embed sustainability commitments into the core of brand strategy, not just marketing communications. Sustainability should not be a campaign theme; it should be the brand’s enduring reason for being.
- Second, recalibrate marketing KPIs. Bookings and conversions matter, of course. But so too must trust, advocacy, reputational strength and perceptions of authenticity. What we measure shapes what we value.
- Third, foster cross-functional collaboration. Brand, sustainability, operations and guest experience teams must co-create the destination’s promise and proof points. Marketing must not simply package reality but help shape it.
- Fourth, practise radical transparency. Perfect sustainability does not exist. Progress, not perfection, should be the goal. Brands that openly share their sustainability journey – including their challenges – will win far greater loyalty than those who attempt to curate flawless narratives.
- Finally, invest in building deep, evolving brand ecosystems. Beyond promotional bursts, destinations need sustained expressions of their purpose – narratives that invite travellers to become part of a shared journey towards a better future.
Higher calling for tourism
The Middle East is uniquely positioned to lead this new era of tourism. Our gigaprojects are not burdened by legacy systems; they are being built, quite literally, from the ground up. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine what success looks like – not just in terms of visitor numbers, but in terms of positive social, environmental and economic outcomes.
Performance marketing will always have its place. But brand-building rooted in authenticity, sustainability and purpose is what will future proof our destinations and allow us to contribute meaningfully to the Global Goals.
At its best, tourism is about hope, connection and possibility. Let us ensure our marketing practices, like our projects, reflect that higher calling. Let us build brands that not only invite the world to visit but inspire the world to believe – and to care.
The future of tourism depends on it.
By Megan French-Ritsch, Executive Director Strategic Marketing and Brand, confidential Public Investment Fund (PIF) project
