Tag Archives: Tourism Sector

His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council approved the Abu Dhabi Tourism Sector Strategy 2030, which aims to attract 39.3 million visitors, create 178,000 new jobs, and increase the sector’s contribution to non-oil GDP to AED90 billion annually by 2030 to further enhance Abu Dhabi’s position as one of the world’s fastest growing tourism destinations. His Highness praised the efforts of relevant entities in the tourism sector, which have resulted in an exceptional performance in 2023, including welcoming nearly 24 million visitors; a more than 30 per cent increase from 2022. In addition, the tourism industry significantly bolstered Abu Dhabi’s economy in 2023, contributing AED49 billion to GDP, a more than 22 per cent increase from 2022. The hotel sector alone contributed AED6.4 billion. This remarkable growth reflects the emirate’s rising profile in the global tourism sector and lays a solid foundation from which to achieve objectives of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Strategy 2030. The strategy reflects Abu Dhabi’s vision to transform the emirate’s social and economic landscape through sustainable development in line with the objectives of Abu Dhabi’s Economic Vision 2030. The strategy also aims to develop talent in the tourism sector and strengthen the sector’s role in supporting the emirate’s economic growth. The approved strategy will continue to support and encourage private sector investment in tourism development through a range of incentive initiatives and programmes, including facilitating and simplifying regulatory procedures. The strategy will also support sustainable tourism initiatives and drive innovation and technology integration to enhance tourism services and the development of unique attractions and experiences. These are among other strategy …

COP28 will witness world leaders gathering in the UAE which will open new chapters in tourism. Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, Group CEO, Miral shares the importance of this gathering to the tourism sector. “In a few days, the highly anticipated COP28 UAE will convene with world leaders and policy makers right here in the UAE in a bid to accelerate global efforts towards Net Zero and carbon neutral goals. These conversations are more critical than ever for the tourism industry, which is responsible for approximately 8% of the world’s carbon emissions. The UAE has played an increasingly crucial role in the fight against global warming, from committing to Net Zero by 2050 to marking 2023 as the Year of Sustainability. To ensure such endeavours go a long way in creating a positive impact on our people and the planet, our tourism ecosystem must make concerted efforts to keep sustainability high on the agenda and mitigate the overall effects of climate change. It’s inspiring to witness several industry pioneers across Abu Dhabi already rising to this challenge. A comprehensive sustainability framework by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) is enabling industry partners to apply sustainable practices across their operations and pledge towards Net Zero carbon events by 2050. In addition, the opening of Abu Dhabi Airports state-of-the-art Terminal A is spearheading a new chapter in the Emirate’s sustainable economic development. As a key player within the tourism industry, Miral has long been committed to this positive transformation. Sustainability is an integral part of our vision to deliver growth across the leisure, entertainment, and tourism sector. We define our success by creating a positive impact on …

The latest figures released by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) for the emirate’s hospitality sector show the number of hotel guests staying in Abu Dhabi during June rose by 6 per cent compared to the same month a year ago, with Saudi Arabian and American guests underpinning the uplift. Completing a record-breaking first half of the year, June’s results reveal the Department’s plans to exceed 2017’s record-breaking numbers of guest arrivals, when close to five million people stayed in the emirate, are on track. In total 339,592 visitors were guests of Abu Dhabi’s 162 hotels and hotel apartments during June, an increase of more than 19,000 over the previous year. For the first six months of 2018, the figures show Abu Dhabi upping the total number of hotel guests to the emirate by 5 per cent on the year, with 2,413,230 guests in total arriving. HE Sultan Al Dhaheri, Executive Director, Tourism Sector – DCT Abu Dhabi, added, “We are delighted to see hotel guest numbers and occupancy rates in positive territory for all three of Abu Dhabi’s distinct regions. As pleasing as it is to see visitors from both Saudi Arabia and the US arriving in such numbers, we will continue to strongly focus on all of our key markets for the second half of the year, promoting our latest tourism and cultural assets alongside the diverse range of offerings we already showcase.”

Hosted by the Department of Culture and Tourism–Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Travel Mart 2018 kicked off in Al Ain Region, as part of the PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart 2018 (PATA ATRTCM). Participants engaged through pre-matched appointments, and face-to-face meetings with adventure product buyers and sellers from across the world. HE Sultan Al Mutawa Al Dhaheri, Executive Director, Tourism Sector, DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “We would like to thank all the delegates for taking part in all the meeting at the PATA Travel Mart this year. We strongly believe in the need to create strong partnerships between the private and public sectors to drive the industry forward.  Our aim to host and attract conferences is to make Abu Dhabi the place to engage with all of our international stakeholders, and exchange knowledge which would benefit our economies and communities.” To conclude the successful conference, delegates took part in a day tour of Al Ain to experience Abu Dhabi’s top tourism offerings, including the Al Ain National Museum and Sheikh Zayed Palace Museum, amongst other renowned cultural and heritage sites.

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.

Russian guests jumped by 49 per cent from January to August as compared to the same period in 2016. A roadshow to Moscow and St Petersburg led by Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism resulted in a surge in visitors into the emirate from Russia. Sultan Al Dhaheri, Acting Executive Director, Tourism Sector, Department of Culture and Tourism, said, “Since visa restrictions were lifted on our Russian visitors at the start of the year into the country visas now granted on arrival, we have witnessed an upsurge into the emirate, both from Russia and from counties within the Commonwealth of Independent States, with both markets together showing significant growth.” Leading Russian tour operators, travel agents and trade partners were representatives from key partners in Abu Dhabi. The delegation included Etihad Airways, Rotana Hotel Group, Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Island, Intercontinental Abu Dhabi, Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Hilton Abu Dhabi, Emirates Palace, St. Regis Abu Dhabi, Sheraton Abu Dhabi, Le Meridien Abu Dhabi, Yas Viceroy, City Season, Ritz Carlton Abu Dhabi and Gromaxx Hotel Management.