UAE envoy joins Korea World Travel Fair 2012

UAE Ambassador to Korea Khalfan Matar Al Romaithi visited Abu Dhabi pavilion on June 8 which took the centre stage at the Korea World Travel Fair (KOTFA) 2012 which kicked off on June 7 at COEX in downtown Seoul for a four-day run. Ambassador Al Romaithi met with leading Korean travel agents as well as Korean visitors to the pavilion to exchange views on how to attract more Korean tourists to his country. During the first four months of this year, for instance, a total of 5,509 Koreans turned out to have checked in to Abu Dhabi-based hotels, according to the latest statistics. The Abu Dhabi Pavilion in Seoul has been installed by Abu Dhabi Tourism '&'' Culture Authority and its nine member delegation led by Mubarak Al Nuaimi, International Promotions Manager flew into Seoul on June 5 to launch Abu Dhabi tourism promotions. The pavilion is designed to showcase tourism attractions of Abu Dhabi which has recently emerged as one of the most popular tourism destinations in the Middle East against the backdrop of the inauguration of direct daily flights to and from Abu Dhabi by Etihad Airways. The delegation gave a presentation dinner to Korea's top 40 outbound tour operators at Westin Chosun Hotel on June 8 in a bid to outline all that's new in Abu Dhabi for visitors to see and do. Looking forward to life after oil, Abu Dhabi has an economic plan for the next 20 years that places a strong emphasis on the development of leisure and tourism under which Abu Dhabi is set to turn into the Gulf region's dominant tourism destination in and beyond the next quarter-century. "Topping the list of the city's investments is Saadiyat Marina, a 1,000-berth extension of the Saadiyat Island project. When completed, it will be a cultural and residential oasis serving 145,000 permanent residents and potentially 7.9 million tourists annually, with attractions including the $800 million dollar Guggenheim Museum designed by Frank Gehry, the Louvre Abu Dhabi designed by Jean Nouvel, the Zayed National Museum, and the Abu Dhabi Performing Arts Centre designed by Zaha Hadid", said Mubarak Al Nuaimi, International Promotions Manager, TCA Abu Dhabi. Supporting infrastructure surrounding the Saadiyat Marina will include a string of private beach villas, a 128-hectare, or 317-acre, golf club, and luxury hotels and resorts. Shopping complexes, waterfront restaurants, a yacht club, a Maritime Museum and a New York University campus serving a forecasted 2,500 students are also being built around the marina. "Marinas here are the hub of a network of relationships that include brokers, charter and rentals, chandlers that sell boat parts and supplies, and third-party service providers, like chefs and boat staff," said Al Nuaimi. The marina, the largest so far completed in the emirate, opened in November 2009 to host the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix," he said.