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Open-house meeting held in UK to promote tourism in Abu Dhabi

This innovative move is aimed at bolstering relations with the travel and tourism industry in the UK, particularly with institutions which have shown keen interest to promote Abu Dhabi as a competitive tourist destination.

The first of these open-house meetings was held recently at the ADTA London's office and was attended by a host of leading tour operators, travel agents and leisure media icons.

The event was also an opportunity to familiarise the audience with the various attractions awaiting tourists in Abu Dhabi. The very ambience of the occasion was leavened with these attractions in the form of films, placards, brochures and photos featuring environmental, historical and cultural aspects in Abu Dhabi emirate.

Projects exhibiting tourism boom in the emirate were also showcased, notably the 322,800 square feet Guggenheim museum of modern art on Saadiyat island.

Director-General ADTA Mubarak Hamad Al Muhairi said these open-house meetings are crucial to the drive of promoting Abu Dhabi in the UK market.

“The UK accounts for a greater portion in the number of European tour groups visiting Abu Dhabi. Such meetings are therefore important because they will familiarize the UK industry with the Abu Dhabi potentials. This is in addition to cementing ties with the travel and tourism institutions. It is through such meetings that we can foster close relations with key decision makers in the UK travel and tourism industry. This closeness will certainly help them to keep Abu Dhabi on top of their priorities.”

“ With these open-house meetings, the ADTA office in London will turn into a busy forum for interaction with tour operators, travel agents, tourism media and others who are keen to get involved in the Abu Dhabi tourism industry. Such interactions will create a constructive marketing climate, ” Al Muhairi explained.

The open-house meetings, said Al Muhairi, are complementary to other programmes such as the Road Show workshops which were held in London, Dublin and Glasgow, and the Abu Dhabi Champions programme, a project aimed at galvanising elite promoters to effectively market Abu Dhabi in the UK. Over 250 participants in the UK have registered in the programme and 400 others are expected to join within few coming months. This will bring the total number of participants from the UK to 1000 during this year.

ADTA Marketing Manager Ali Ahmed Al Hosani said the event was attended by leading UK industry players such as British Airways Holidays, Premier Holidays, Stylish Resorts, Abercrombie and Kent, along with media.

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