Abu Dhabi to reap long-term rewards of tourism promotional trips

Two new promotional events conducted recently in China and India, led by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, are expected to provide a significant boost to inbound visitor numbers to the emirate from both countries.

Joined by key stakeholders and partners, the department has concluded two new initiatives, ‘Abu Dhabi Week in China’ and ‘Abu Dhabi Week in India’, aiming to capitalise on spectacular growth in hotel guests visiting the emirate from both key markets.

Up to September, the emirate has witnessed a 7 percent year-on-year increase in the total number of hotel guests of 3.5 million, with numbers of Chinese visitors surging by 65 percent, making it the largest overseas source market for inbound guests. In September alone, the amount of Chinese guests rose by 133 percent compared to the same month the previous year.

India has also provided a dramatic increase of new or repeat hotel guests, rising 8 percent year-on-year to reach 256,000, and in so doing, becoming the second largest provider of inbound guests into the emirate’s 163 hotels and hotel apartments.

Saif Saeed Al Ghobash, Director-General, Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, said, "After witnessing sustained and impressive growth from both markets throughout the year, we determined to capitalise on the opportunity and take the best of Abu Dhabi to the heart of Shanghai, Mumbai and Delhi for consumers to see first-hand our diverse tourism proposition and range of attractions.

"We have many distinct destination ‘regions’ across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, each offering a unique perspective on our culture and heritage. The feedback we received from both our promotional trips has been overwhelmingly positive and we will look to turn these ‘roadshows’ into annual events, even extending them to add more cities, to maintain long-term growth from both markets."

Abu Dhabi Week in China gained impressive media coverage across print, television and digital platforms with live streaming of the event attracting an audience of more than 30 million people across Shanghai and the rest of China. More than 2,500 visitors visited the site and leading domestic tour operators including Tuniu, One Tour and Uniway reported strong business lead generation and holiday sales.

Abu Dhabi Week in India was similarly well received, with more than 5,000 visitors to the Mumbai leg of the events and 6,000 in Delhi. Following its successful conclusion, the department then led a five-city promotional tour to Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata to reinforce the message that Abu Dhabi is an ideal destination for Indian visitors with excellent air connectivity for ease of travel. Etihad Airways and Jet Airways currently operate 282 flights a week from 13 Indian destinations to Abu Dhabi.

Ghobash concluded, "Working in tandem with our overseas offices in both countries gives us valuable insight into what consumers in these counties expect and demand of a destination and we can therefore tailor our products to meet their expectations. As an example, our policy of visa on entry for Chinese visitors since the turn of the year has proved highly beneficial and we will keep exploring ways of making Abu Dhabi even more enticing to visit."