Walking Dubai Differently: How an Indian-Origin Founder Is Redefining Luxury Tourism in the UAE

VMPL
New Delhi [India], February 3: In the quiet shade of a wind tower in Dubai's historic Al Fahidi district, a small group pauses as the noise of the city fades. A guide explains how coral stone walls and ancient ventilation systems once cooled homes long before electricity existed. Nearby, the scent of spices drifts through the air. This is not the Dubai of supercars and skyscrapers. This is Dubai at human pace.
This is the world created by Dubai By Foot, a purpose-driven tourism company founded by Indian-origin entrepreneur and author Priyanka Gupta Zielinski, who is redefining what luxury travel means in the Middle East.
In a city synonymous with speed, scale, and spectacle, Dubai By Foot does something radical: it slows people down. It replaces bus tours with walking journeys, surface impressions with cultural understanding, and tourism consumption with meaningful connection. The result is a new form of luxury--one defined not by excess, but by depth.
"In Dubai, luxury has often meant more--more height, more gold, more spectacle," says Zielinski. "We're redefining luxury to mean depth. Walking through historic neighbourhoods, hearing stories passed down through generations, and connecting authentically with place--that's the ultimate luxury, and it leaves the smallest footprint."
Dubai By Foot challenges a core assumption of the tourism industry: that sustainability and premium experiences cannot coexist. Instead, it proves the opposite. Small group sizes, walking-based exploration, and partnerships with local communities create experiences that are both environmentally responsible and culturally rich--offering a slower, more thoughtful way to engage with the city.
Walking, in a region built for cars, becomes a powerful act of rediscovery. "When you walk, you notice everything--the layered aromas of the spice souk, the geometry of wind towers, the dialogue between century-old coral stone buildings and modern towers," says Zielinski. "These details tell Dubai's story better than any skyline ever could."
Dubai By Foot doesn't just show landmarks--it teaches visitors how to understand a city. History, trade, migration, architecture, religion, and modern transformation are woven into each experience. The company has built a loyal global community of repeat guests and institutions, including organisations like the NBA, Deloitte, New York University, and over 80 local schools who use the tours as cultural learning experiences.
Zielinski's entrepreneurial journey spans steel manufacturing, minerals, publishing, and sustainable enterprise leadership. She is the author of The Ultimate Family Business Survival Guide (Pan Macmillan) and has built multiple purpose-driven ventures across sectors. "Throughout my career, I've been guided by one question: Can this business do well while doing good? Dubai By Foot is my answer," she says.
Building on its success, the brand has expanded into the UAE capital with Abu Dhabi By Foot, exploring Emirati heritage, cultural preservation, and national identity--again through intimacy, not spectacle.
At a time when tourism is grappling with overtourism and cultural commodification, Dubai By Foot offers a new blueprint: tourism that educates rather than exploits, connects rather than consumes, and transforms rather than entertains.
More than a tour company, it is a movement toward meaningful travel--one that believes cities are best understood through footsteps, stories, and human connection. And in a world obsessed with speed, Dubai By Foot is proving that sometimes, the most powerful journeys begin by slowing down.
(ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same.)