Tag Archives: HE Sultan Al Mutawa Al Dhaheri

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and Airbnb have teamed up to promote the UAE capital’s offerings. DCT Abu Dhabi’s already established Emirati Experiences initiative offers visitors to the emirate a selection of 20 different tours and experiences designed and led by Emirati nationals which provide firsthand insight into Emirati culture, heritage and history. These tailor-made experiences are echoed by Airbnb’s own ‘Experiences’ – unique excursions and activities designed and led by local hosts – which Airbnb offers across 800 cities worldwide. This new joint initiative means all 20 Emirati Experiences will now be included on Airbnb’s popular global platform for the first time. “This collaboration with our friends at Airbnb to showcase Emirati Experiences on their hugely popular service makes perfect sense and is in line with our mandate to promote our emirate to the widest possible audience. Each year, millions of tourists come to Abu Dhabi to experience our history, traditions and heritage and there is no better way for visitors to experience the uniqueness of Abu Dhabi and its districts, and to learn about our rich history than by spending time with an Emirati tour guide, which is what Emirati Experiences offers. With this new initiative, the demand for these unique experiences should increase as more potential visitors are exposed to the wonderful things on offer in Abu Dhabi. This co-operative initiative will no doubt result in greater visibility of our emirate to an international audience, which can only positively impact visitation numbers going forward,” said HE Sultan Al Mutawa Al Dhaheri, Executive Director, Tourism Sector, DCT Abu Dhabi.

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has announced details of both the upcoming Eid Fest celebrations and the annual Abu Dhabi Summer Season; two marquee events for the emirate which aim to attract more overseas visitors to the UAE capital and to thrill and delight all-comers. Both events have been geared to provide both visitors and residents, especially families and bargain hunters, with something to get excited about, with sought-after experiences and fantastic promotional deals for all – making Abu Dhabi the place to be this summer. The celebrations get off to a spectacular start with a 24-hour mall mega sale, featuring discounts of up to 90 per cent, as part of Eid Fest celebrations. With more than 500 stores involved, the sale will kick off on Friday, June 15 and run until Saturday, June 16th in a bid to bring families and friends to Abu Dhabi. HE Sultan Al Mutawa Al Dhaheri, Executive Director of the Tourism Sector at DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “The Eid Fest celebrations and Abu Dhabi Summer Season are annual anchor activations that aim to underpin the Emirate’s credentials as a destination of distinction during the summer, especially for families looking for unmissable experiences and offers. It forms part of our long-term strategy to incentivise the private sector and tourism industry and get them involved in event development while building both regional and international awareness of the emirate’s appeal.”

For the first time, Al Ain Region hosted the Pacific Asia Travel Association Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart 2018 (PATA ATRTCM), organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism–Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi). A number of workshops and plenary sessions was hosted by industry experts and visionaries from across the globe. Key speakers including HE Sultan Al Mutawa Al Dhaheri, Executive Director, Tourism Sector, DCT Abu Dhabi; Dr. Mario Hardy, Chief Executive Officer, PATA, Thailand; Norie Quintos, Editor at Large, National Geographic Travel and Independent Communications Consultant, USA, explored the trends and dynamics of one of the fastest-growing tourism sectors. Themed on ‘Adventure in a New Era’, the event offered delegations from across the Asia Pacific region a unique opportunity to exchange knowledge and unlock the potential of the adventure tourism sector in the digital era. The conference was followed by a travel mart, in which participants interacted with adventure product buyers and sellers from across the world.