ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes how the UAE government is seeking innovation in order to diversify its economy through tourism. This study is inspired by the recent shift of focus towards heritage tourism that relies upon experiential values for travelers. The research explores issues related to experiential heritage tourism by means of interviews with heritage tourism experts in the UAE. The qualitative data was further enriched with two focus groups conducted as workshops. The findings of this original study identified authenticity, memorability, use of the five senses and engagement as key elements of an effective experiential heritage tourism. The discussion synthesized the findings to apply design thinking to augment the innovation in experiential heritage tourism in the UAE.
