‘Salt Bae’ Customers Motivation
Dubai has increased in size several times over the past several decades. They grow into a massive cosmopolitan city, produced Dubai Mall as the world’s largest shopping mall. In the 1960s, oil deposits were found there. In Sheikh Zayed hand’s, Dubai growing into a modern city, western investors came into the country, and Dubai’s started it all happened mainly being a technological and expensive city. Dubai’s development ethos seems based on a desire to be bigger and better than the rest of the world (Stephenson & Ali-Knight 2010).
In 2007, Dubai received 6.9 million visitors and increased tourist arrivals into the Emirates to 15 million by 2015 (Stephenson & Ali-Knight 2010). According to Crompton’s Socio-psychological motivation for tourists to visit Dubai, tourists are motivated by escape, exploration of self, relaxation, and prestige regression. Although according to Maslow’s hierarchy the basic needs is food, Dubai 5 leading tourist destination is not gastronomy tourism. This tourist experience classified in Recreational and Diversionary Modes; motivations for taking a break and entertainment.
In the massive digital era, in 2017, a Turkish chef named Nusret Gokce or famous as Salt Bae, went viral and become a tourist attraction in his own right (Whether You Love Or Hate Him — Salt Bae Is A Tourism Attraction 2019). Known for its distinctive sprinkling salt on a steak covered in gold, few famous Hollywood actors visit, such as Leonardo DiCaprio.
Despite the successful strategy, few reviews say that the steak is overpriced, but it does not discourage tourists from visiting Dubai to experience The Salt Bae and proudly share it on social media, especially Instagram. According to the VALS, the Salt Bae type of tourist is included in the Achievers and Strivers category. They are driven by demonstrating success to their peers, motivated primarily by achievement. Image is essential to Achievers; they favor established and prestigious products and services. Furthermore, with the term of ‘FOMO’ or known as fear of missing out, which was often popular several years ago in the digital world, status and prestige have become motivators for tourists to eat in the ‘right’ restaurant.
This motivation is also related to Cohen’s typology, which states that this type of tourist belongs to the experimental type of tourist; being up to date with the current food trends.
Nevertheless, interestingly, Dubai becomes the image of the city of the rich or the successful people; they create a luxurious lifestyle as an attraction, status and prestige have become gastronomy tourist motivators. Thus, motivations are therefore the heart of all behavior.
Tourism is a very substantial contributor to the nation’s wealth. it will be easier to create a marketing strategy that is in accordance with the target market based on the characteristics of the place.
