Tourist, Local, and Broker Perceptions of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Tourist Gazes, Ultra-Artifacts, and Hyperreality

The globalization of tourism has dramatically influenced the construction of destinations, as well as the demand for novel experiences in such places as the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. As tourism providers work to immerse visitors in innovative tourism sites characterized by wondrous architecture with extreme technological enhancements, it becomes critical to develop a new and comprehensive understanding of experiential travel. This study employs a mixed-methods research design to develop insights on concepts of tourist gazes, ultra-artifacts, and hyperreality by delving into processes and interactions between brokers, locals, and tourists within natural and built environments. Tourism in Abu Dhabi and Dubai entails a dynamic interaction between ultra-artifactual components and travelers in the pursuit of contrast. Tourism gazes facilitate immersive experiences of hyper-real tourism spaces. This research contributes to Urry’s sociological studies on tourist gazes by introducing a new set of ‘hyper-gazes’ that capture individuals’ stimulating encounters that redefine reality. Findings underscore the importance of perceptions in understanding the design of hyperreal productions and tourism development in the future.