DRDubai: Abu Dhabi’s unique cultural experiences and world-famous attractions are winning the hearts of travellers from around the world. In 2017, the Emirate welcomed 5.5 million hotel guests. “Our focus on our culture and authenticity is paying off,” said Sultan Al Dhaheri, Executive Director, Tourism Sector, Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi. “We are targeting 8.5 million visitors by 2021, which will include hotel guests, cruise tourists and day visitors.”
In April, the UAE Cabinet approved day visas at airports to boost tourism numbers. About 70 per cent of passengers who passed through the country’s airports last year were in transit. At present, citizens of India, Pakistan, most of the Arab world, Africa and South America require a visa processed well in advance. Visitors from India and Iran are most likely to use transit visas.
To showcase Abu Dhabi as an authentic, cultural destination, the Department launched ‘Emirati Experiences’ – signature tours led by nationals last October. “We’re promoting this programme through our platforms and linking it with Airbnb, Expedia and TripAdvisor.”
There are 13 Emirati Experiences available. Abu Dhabi is also opening up its factories as part of Emirati Experiences. For example, the Al Dana Leather Product Factory (aLmandoos) is an Emirati firm in Al Ain that makes leather goods and sandals, and now visitors are able to tour the factory in the company of an Emirati guide. “We are also exploring ways to open up the dates factories,” informed Al Dhaheri.
At ATM 2018, Abu Dhabi was present with 77 trade partners. Major projects and attractions on display were the Louvre, which opened last November, undoubtedly the crown jewel of the Emirate’s tourism offerings. The Warner Bros. theme park will be inaugurated on July 25 on Yas Island. CLYMB, the world’s tallest indoor climbing wall, also on Yas Island, is getting ready for a launch, too. Abu Dhabi’s oldest building Qasr Al Hosn, will re-open later this year after a $136-million redevelopment programme.
The historic fort of Qasr Al Hosn will become a cultural hub and tourist draw for the capital city. Cafes and restaurants will also feature in the finished attraction, while it will host exhibitions and concerts, along with the return of the annual Qasr Al Hosn Festival. Sa’adiyat Island is another major infrastructure development with five resorts planned to accommodate the surge in beach tourists from Europe.
St. Regis Sa’adiyat Island Resort, Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas and Sa’adiyat Rotana Resort and Villas are already welcoming guests, and Jumeriah Sa’adiyat Island Resort will open soon. Currently, Abu Dhabi has 161 hotels and 31,000 rooms, while an additional 4000 rooms are getting ready in 2018. The average length of stay is hovering around 2.9 and the target is to touch 3.3 by 2021.
The UK market and Saudi Arabia in GCC are performing well for Abu Dhabi. Plus, the domestic market is booming, thanks to orchestrated marketing efforts focused on the ‘Year of Zayed’ and in the run-up to Expo 2020. In addition, with the introduction of visa on arrival, tourists from Russia and China are also on the rise.
“India and China are new markets for us,” asserted Al Dhaheri. “China is number one and India is number two in terms of FTAs and growth. We have direct offices in both markets and are aggressively marketing our destination.”
While in China the target segments are leisure (city tour, attractions and activities) and MICE, in India there is an extra focus on weddings. “We will be soon announcing a special programme for Indian weddings,” said Al Dhaheri.
Abu Dhabi is doing well on the cruise tourism and medical tourism fronts, too. Last year saw 3,45,000 cruise guests and in 2018 it is expected to grow to 3,65,000. To promote medical tourism in a big way, the Department of Culture and Tourism signed a MoU recently with the Department of Health. As many as 20 hospitals from Abu Dhabi participated at ATM this year.
