When Middle East meets West: Understanding the motives and perceptions of young tourists from United Arab Emirates

Limited research exists on the tourism outbound market from the Middle East. To address the literature gap, this study investigates young UAE travel motivations and perceptions of Paris as a luxury tourist destination. Data were collected from residents living in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. Cluster analysis uncovers three distinct clusters; enthusiasts, unconvinced, and convivials. Multiple discriminant analysis confirms the validity of the three-cluster solution. The three groups differ by their perceptions of Paris and overall attitude towardtoward luxury consumption. Findings offer important implications for destination marketers in terms of advertising, segmentation and positioning strategies.