DRMumbai: As part of its India strategy in 2018, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi Tourism (DCT Abu Dhabi) – will be undertaking joint promotions with around 20 travel agents, offline as well as online. Without revealing the names, Bejan Dinshaw, Country Manager – India, DCT Abu Dhabi, said they will be approaching the top-performing players in their respective regions across the country for joint promotions.
Notably, Abu Dhabi recorded 3,60,400 tourist arrivals from India in 2017, registering a growth of 11.4 per cent over 2016, and the average length of stay for Indians in 2017 was 2.5 nights. India ranked third in terms of top source markets for Abu Dhabi, after GCC (domestic) and China.
For 2018, the DCT Abu Dhabi has a line-up of roadshows across India in two phases. While the first phase is being held from March 16 to 23 in Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Pune, the second phase of roadshows is scheduled to be held in September in New Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai. Also, the Department recently led a consumer-focused Abu Dhabi Week in Kochi and Kolkata, following a similar event in Delhi and Mumbai in November 2017.
Dinshaw stated that through the roadshows and other related marketing and promotional activities, they want to promote the Emirate of Abu Dhabi as a standalone destination. “We have been very active on the marketing and promotions front in the past few years to promote Abu Dhabi as a standalone product in India. We associated with Vistara Airlines last year for in-flight promotional campaigns and corporate activities.”
For creating awareness and education of travel agents and tour operators, Abu Dhabi has partnered with Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) to hold training sessions in 18 cities across India, phase one of the same to be concluded in Srinagar next month, and phase two to be organised in cities of Gujarat and South India in July. “Considering the efforts we are putting in, I am positive we shall continue to record a double-digit growth from the Indian market and hopeful that India will overpass China in terms of source market.”
In terms of new attractions and destination offering in 2018, Abu Dhabi will be witness to the launch of Warner Brother Theme Park in July and opening of around seven hotel and resort properties. The Emirate of Abu Dhabi is also expecting a new airport to open by 2019.
