ADTCA opens office in Saudi Arabia
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The Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (ADTCA) has opened a full-fledged office in Saudi Arabia to penetrate the Kingdom’s, and the wider GCC’s, high potential outbound market. The office will have dedicated trade promotion, MICE and public relations staff and will double as a visitor centre providing walk-in customers with all the information they need on destination Abu Dhabi.
The move comes as Saudi Arabia and other GCC destinations produce more hotel guests for the emirate than ever before with authority officials believing there’s more potential from the region.
In the first quarter of this year some 45,823 GCC nationals, excluding Emiratis, stayed in Abu Dhabi’s hotels and hotel apartments – a 57% increase on Q1 2011. In all they notched up 101,587 guest nights – up 50% on the first quarter of 2011. Saudi Arabia produced the lion’s share with some 22,107 Saudis staying in making the Kingdom Abu Dhabi’s fourth largest international source market. Abu Dhabi’s hotels and hotel apartment during Q1 this year – a 69% rise on the same period last year. They accounted for 49,489 guest nights – again a 69% rise on Q1 2011.
“This market is extremely important to us,” explained Mubarak Al Nuaimi, international promotions manager, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority. “There are excellent air links between Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi. Many others, of course, may opt to drive to Abu Dhabi and on the way can call in at the new resorts in Al Gharbia, such as the Desert Islands Resort & Spa on Sir Bani Yas Island which recently opened equestrian stables and which is soon to have a dedicated dive centre,” added Al Nuaimi.
“Two major new resorts will open this summer and by the end of the year, Yas Island will have the UAE’s largest waterpark which we are sure will be a big draw with GCC clientele,” Al Nuaimi further added.
“We have identified three main priority areas with the first being to convert market demand to visitation,” explained Mubarak Al Shamsi, Country Manager Saudi Arabia for ADTCA. “This will initially centre around our Summer In Abu Dhabi campaign and up-coming events such as November’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. We will work closely with our Saudi Arabian partner tour operators to achieve this,” he added.