Tag Archives: Abu Dhabi

The Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi’s UK and Ireland office organised its annual trade roadshow in partnership with Etihad Airways. The team visited Glasgow, Manchester, London and Dublin, showcasing the destination to a total of 330 travel agents. Throughout the roadshow, agents were made aware of all the new exciting offerings in the destination, including the opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi, new hotels under construction and the packed calendar of events the emirate provided, as well as providing attendees with further destination knowledge and advice on selling packages. The UK is the leading European market and the third largest overseas market for Abu Dhabi, with 2017 arrivals (as of September) at 173,103, a 5 per cent increase compared to 2016 figures. Events kicked off in Glasgow and Manchester, where 140 agents met with stakeholders to gain knowledge about Abu Dhabi. A holiday package to Abu Dhabi was also given out at the event. Held at The Mayfair Hotel in central London, 120 agents attended to network and meet with stakeholders.

Hotel guests to all three regions of Abu Dhabi increased in total by 5 per cent in September as compared to the same month in the previous year, according to figures released by the Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi. Increases for hotel guests have been recorded as 14 per cent in the Al Dhafra Region, 8 per cent in the Al Ain Region and 4 per cent in Abu Dhabi city with a total occupancy rate of 69 per cent. Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director General, Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi, said, “Globally, we have invested heavily in marketing Abu Dhabi as a destination of distinction with an emphasis on its history, culture and heritage. Our strategy is to highlight Abu Dhabi as a wealth of natural and man-made attractions across all regions while providing luxurious yet affordable choices of accommodation.” While September saw a slight drop in domestic tourists into Abu Dhabi, the month was marked by a surge in Chinese hotel guests, recording an increase of 133 per cent in comparison to September 2016. India remained the largest international source market with more than 33,000 hotel guests during the month.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Club membership programme has been opened for registration. Members will receive a range of exclusive benefits and the chance to become part of a vibrant cultural community. Throughout the year, there will be special opportunities for members and their families to enjoy exclusive enhanced experiences, events and activities, including previews of the museum’s four temporary exhibitions each year. Art Club members can visit and revisit Louvre Abu Dhabi, discovering something new each time. Options include a Member+1 package, with unlimited free access for a member and one guest, or Member+5, which includes up to five named guests. Members and their guests can also enjoy free admission to Musée du Louvre in Paris and other partner museums. Manuel Rabaté, Director of Louvre Abu Dhabi, said, “The Art Club is a platform for meaningful enrichment, discovery and new experiences. It will be a meeting place where a unique global community comes together in an atmosphere of cultural understanding and inspiration. Membership offers unparalleled access to Louvre Abu Dhabi’s exceptional collections, exhibitions, events and special programmes.”

A tourism delegation promoting the best of Abu Dhabi ended its first leg of a two-city tour to India in Mumbai. Led by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, partners and stakeholders, the tour showcased the attractions, culture and heritage across all three regions of the emirate in a first of its kind ‘Abu Dhabi Week in India’. The three-day event at MMRDA Grounds – Bandra Kurla complex in Mumbai attracted thousands of visitors, trade officials, tour operators and media. Since the start of the year until the end of September, 256,418 Indians stayed in Abu Dhabi’s 163 hotels and hotel apartments, making India the second largest international source market for tourists. It is expected that the format of ‘Abu Dhabi Week in India’ will become an annual event with more cities added to the itinerary as the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi seeks to increase the number of annual inbound Indian hotel guests even further.

Etihad Airways announced the suspension of its Abu Dhabi – Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) route effective March 25, 2018, as it will become commercially unsustainable following American Airlines’ unilateral decision to terminate its codeshare agreement with the airline. Peter Baumgartner, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways, said, “The unfortunate decision by American Airlines to terminate a commercial relationship that benefited both carriers has left Etihad with no choice but to suspend flights between our Abu Dhabi home and Dallas/Fort Worth. We are open to American Airlines reversing its decision to cancel our codeshare agreement so that Etihad Airways can continue the route and together support global connectivity while driving commercial value for both airlines.” The route commenced with three flights a week and was upgraded to a daily service in February 2017, providing travellers in the US and across the airline’s network with access to more US cities through American Airlines’ primary hub. Almost half of Etihad Airways’ DFW customers connect on US codeshare flights operated by American Airlines.

The Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi announced its calendar of events and activities for December across the capital, Al Ain city and Al Dhafra. The programme includes the inaugural of the annual ‘Dar Al Zain’ Festival in Al Ain, launch of the New Year’s Eve Countdown Village and the return of the annual Abu Dhabi Food Festival. This news was presented alongside other Q4 private sector events, including announcements from Miral and Sheikh Zayed Sports Stadium. Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director General, Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi, said, “Abu Dhabi continues to attract a growing number of visitors annually as it develops a strong pipeline of unique event experiences. The capital, which boasts of an exceptional cultural and visitor attractions, has successfully transformed itself into an international tourism destination. In partnership with the private sector – events companies, hotels and tourist destinations, we are proud to announce an engaging series of recreational activities planned for December across the cities, activity that will further cement the capital’s standing as a destination of distinction.”

The National Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) in Abu Dhabi and Dubai participated in ‘One Million Signatures of Loyalty to the Nation’, a national initiative launched by the Al Dhaid Cultural and Sports Club in cooperation with the Emirates Vision Media Network and the Happiness Ambassadors Volunteers. The aim of the initiative is to gather one million signatures on pieces of material distributed to government agencies and public and private sector institutions over the next three months. The initiative was welcomed by officials, employees and clients of the GCAA. Both Emiratis and residents alike decorated the piece of material with messages of love and support for the UAE. Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General of UAE, GCAA said, “Our loyalty to our beloved country and its values has no limits, the values of giving are firmly rooted in the hearts and minds of its residents.” He also believed that such initiatives served to “strengthen ties to the homeland and allow them to express their loyalty to the UAE under the leadership of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE.”

The Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi will launch an incentive scheme to develop content and programme collaboration with the private sector to drive inbound tourism growth. Already home to more than 800 events including spectacles such as the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Grand Prix, Abu Dhabi Food Festival, Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and the Abu Dhabi Classics international concert season, the tourism body is now incentivising international, regional and local companies to build on this success and further enhance the programme. Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director General, Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi, said, “Throughout the year, we host a wide range of flagship events as part of our ongoing commitment to creating rich, engaging and vibrant cultural experiences for our residents and visitors. We intend to expand our events calendar in partnership with the private sector while adding value to our established events programme.” The Advantage Events Abu Dhabi initiative is being introduced to boost the emirate’s appeal as a thriving tourism destination by funding leisure and entertainment events driven by the private sector.

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.

The Abu Dhabi-Medina Etihad Airways will introduce three additional weekly services during the peak winter period. Effective from February 1, 2018, the current overnight departure from Abu Dhabi will be replaced by a mid-morning flight offering an attractive schedule for travellers flying between the UAE’s capital city and Medina in Saudi Arabia. The schedule will improve connectivity to a number of destinations served by Etihad Airways across the Indian subcontinent. The airline will also increase frequency to 10 flights a week for two months between December 1, 2017 and January 31, 2018 to cater to increasing demands. The additional capacity will be operated with a two-class Airbus A320 featuring 16 seats in Business Class and 120 in Economy. Mohammad Al Bulooki, Executive Vice President Commercial, Etihad Airways, said, “The re-timing of our Medina flights to a daytime operation and introduction of additional services strengthen our business proposition and commitment to the Saudi Arabian market.”