City launches ‘influencer academy’ to teach the art of allure

The world’s influencer capital has launched an “influencer academy” to teach the art of allure.

Some holiday destinations are advertised in the corridors of airport terminals and on the side of bus shelters, others in the pages of newspapers.

Dubai, however, has decided to tap into the 37.9 million videos on TikTok with the hashtag #Dubai, stuffed full of skyscrapers, sunsets and supercars.

The world’s influencer capital has little need for ad men – social media platforms are saturated with people doing the job for it.

Now the Emirati city’s tourism department has launched an “influencer academy” in partnership with a travel content agency, offering three months of social media “training” for “students” who will learn how to sell the Dubai dream to potential relocators and tourists.

The academy aims to bolster Dubai’s tourism industry, which welcomed a record 18.72 million international visitors last year, and align with Dubai’s economic agenda “D33”, which aims to double the size of the economy by 2033.

A tourist in the Red Desert overlooking the distant skyline of Dubai city, United Arab Emirates. Picture: iStock

Social media has already helped to sell the glitzy lifestyle to up to 250,000 Britons believed to be living in Dubai – along with the lure of salaries two or three times those back home as well as no income tax. Foreign citizens make up 90 per cent of the population, of whom about 7 per cent are thought to be British.

“Beautiful Destinations Academy, powered by Dubai” is inviting applications for four budding influencers who will be paid to travel and live in the city from next month.

In return, participants will post – freely, the company insists – about their experiences travelling in the city, and be awarded a certificate from Dubai College of Tourism, with “the really special ones” offered a full time job with Beautiful Destinations at the end.

Jeremy Jauncey, chief executive of the content creation agency, who is originally from Edinburgh, said there would be no obligation to post specific or sponsored content, with trainees able to post freely.

The Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Picture: iStock

Dubai is governed by sharia, which criminalises sex outside marriage and homosexuality, and dozens of Britons have been detained in recent years for breaking its strict laws. Some influencers have alleged they have been offered lucrative opportunities in Dubai, such as modelling trips, which turned into degrading or dangerous situations. Detained in Dubai, a campaign group, has warned of “exploitation disguised as glamour or opportunity”.

“I’m not familiar exactly with those examples,” Jauncey said, “but certainly from our side, Dubai has been incredibly safe in all the time that we’ve been here, we’ve never had any issues at all.”

He added that the trainees would “have the freedom to tell all the stories they want to tell and make the content they want to make”.

Jauncey, 40, distinguished between content creators, who make videos to post online, often for brands, and influencers, who post about their own lives.

“We’re not looking for hosts, we’re not looking for presenters, we’re not looking for people that want to build a career in front of the camera,” he said. “It’s very much about, what’s your ability to tell a travel story?”

The famous Burj al Arab Hotel in Dubai. Picture: iStock

The academy includes free accommodation in a luxury serviced apartment, a salary including living expenses, and access to shoot some of Dubai’s “most stunning and exclusive locations, normally reserved for celebrities and royalty”.

Students will typically spend five days a week training, with varied hours depending on the content filmed; for example, capturing sunrises or late evening venues. Modules include cinematography, editing, marketing strategies, tourism industry knowledge and professional ethics and acumen.

One of the mentors at the academy, Mike Gray, known online as Mike-visuals, said he learnt his skills through trial and error, starting off posting light paintings of Durdle Door in Dorset as a “passion project” while at university.

“There are a lot of creators out there – however, there’s not the biggest pool of hybrid tutors who can do it all, including the business side, the pitches, the client contract, relationships – the business side’s definitely lacking,” he said.

The program is jointly funded by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism and Beautiful Destinations.

Issam Kazim, chief executive of Visit Dubai, said the academy’s launch was “a testament to our commitment to fostering creativity, innovation and excellence in the tourism sector”.

This story originally appeared in The Times.