Content creators visiting Abu Dhabi may soon be filming with smart glasses to give audiences a first-person glimpse of the capital's culture and experiences, officials revealed at the Skift Global Forum.

Steve Cox, Executive Director of Strategic Marketing and Communication at the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said DCT Abu Dhabi is experimenting with Meta smart glasses, which enable creators to capture their surroundings as they experience them - offering a more authentic portrayal of the destination.

“We're working on really shifting the way we're doing it... having the creators in the destination experiencing through their eyes... through the metaglasses.”

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He added that engagement rates for such first-person content have exceeded expectations.“The response rates to content that is through their eyes and through their experience, as opposed to the glossy kind of traditional DMO ads, is off the charts.” This move reflects Abu Dhabi's focus on authenticity and its efforts to connect with Gen Z travellers, who prefer real, creator-led storytelling over highly produced advertising.

For Gen Z, travel is less about sightseeing and more about storytelling. That shift, said Maxim Braverman, Managing Director of Sales at Google Mena, who was speaking with Cox during a panel talk at the Skift Global Forum, is forcing destinations to rethink how they connect with young travellers. Speaking during the same panel, Braverman said members of Gen Z do not consider themselves traditional tourists.

“If you talk to Gen Z... they don't see themselves as tourists. Sixty percent of them see themselves this way [as creators].' Cox agreed that relevance and authenticity matter more than overt marketing.“You don't need to sell anything; you just need to be relevant.”

Overall, DCT Abu Dhabi is developing an AI-driven visitor journey that will tailor every stage of travel - from airport arrivals to attractions - in what officials describe as the next evolution of destination marketing. The system would allow Abu Dhabi to test and adjust campaigns instantly according to audience response.

“We will literally have an Abu Dhabi identity per sort of the global population, be able to create campaigns, test those campaigns in real time, and recreate the campaigns in real time,” explained Cox.

The emirate was building“the world's best visitor experience practice” using advanced data and AI insights. The initiative forms part of DCT's long-term digital transformation, which uses technology to improve personalisation and engagement - a vision also reflected in its partnerships with Etihad Airways and the Experience Abu Dhabi platform.

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