Entrusted by Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), MBLM was tasked to increase visibility of the emirate’s offerings through the design and development of an interactive platform that attracts visitors and fulfills Sharjah’s ambitions as a tourist destination.

The process began by collaborating with key stakeholders through a series of work sessions and interviews to develop a comprehensive digital strategy that set clear objectives regarding audience archetypes and user experience. MBLM’s expertise in creating deep bonds served in defining a personalised journey that organically attracts traffic by developing content curated to the personas.

The revamped platform organises all of Sharjah’s offerings into focused areas that cover local beaches, hotels, dining destinations, wildlife reserves and more. Visitors have access to pre-assembled itineraries that break down activities day by day, and a trip planner tool that customises travel plans according to the visitor’s budget and interests.

The website engages Sharjah’s tourism partners with an easy-to-use portal where hotel, activity and restaurant operators can upload and market their products and services on the website. The functionality allows visitors to directly communicate with local businesses to organise events and activities.

“We worked to create a website that focused on attracting qualified traffic, rather than pushing information out at people that didn’t want it,” said David Clover, MBLM’s Associate Partner. “This project gave us the opportunity to identify what information visitors are most interested in in order to keep enhancing the platform to accommodate our intended audience and support SCTDA’s long-term initiatives.”