Abu Dhabi, 3 May 05 (WAM)--The tourist sector in Abu Dhabiis now set for take off in the coming years, according to a reportpublished online by the Oxford Business Group (OBG).

"While Abu Dhabi's tourist sector has long been one of theemirate's more under-developed sectors, it is now set for takeoff in the coming years.

Spurred by the will to diversify the oil state's economy, theAbu Dhabi Executive Council has placed tourism at the centreof its strategic thinking," said the OBG in its online print.

The OGB is a leading publisher of economic and politicalintelligence on the emerging markets of the Southern Balkans,North Africa, the Levant and the Gulf.

Across the world, Dubai has successfully marketed itselfas an international destination.

The newly established Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA),the print said, has been tasked with increasing tourist numbersin the emirate from around 830,000 a year in 2003, to over 3mby 2015. "Of this figure, half are expected to be business visitors,growing organically from the current 627,000 in line with expectedeconomic growth...

"One of the principal components of this strategy is thenew airline, Etihad, which was set up in 2003, is the fastestgrowing carrier in the world.

Its current fleet of eight aircraft will soon be augmented bythe 29 it bought recently (with options for a further 15) ina shopping spree costing more than $7bn." With delivery plannedat one plane a month from October 2005, and a strategy to service70 destinations by 2010, Etihad will be funnelling visitors intoAbu Dhabi in ever increasing numbers, according to the report.

This, adds the report, will require massive investment intourist-related infrastructure, especially hotels, but also golfcourses, luxury apartments and attractions. "Few hotels haveadded room inventory to the emirate in recent years, and alreadythe impact of Etihad is being felt, especially in the capital.

Hotel managers are reporting above 95% occupancy since November,and unanimously agree that there is a high chance Abu Dhabi willrun out of rooms next year. With this sense of urgency in mind,real estate developers are rubbing their hands: the coming yearsshould be profitable for anyone with good ideas." ADTA chairmanSheikh Sultan bin Tahnoun told OBG, investment would come solelyfrom the private sector.

"The government will designate certain 'Tourism Zones', wherethe legal, licensing and ownership framework will be more attractiveto the private sector.

But the government will not use public money to build the facilities,"he said.

ADTA's role is instead to be a facilitator, providing theprivate sector with whatever it needs in order to stimulate growth.

However, ADTA will also be keeping strict control over qualitythrough a centralised licensing and classification process.

The print said ADTA intends 44% of the 17,000 new rooms itwants to see built in the emirate in the next decade to be fivestar.

"We have all the right natural resources for sun and sandtourism, perfect weather, fabulous beaches, and over 200 islandsin the west of the country that have not been developed. We haveall the right ingredients to build some fantastic resorts," hetold OBG.

Meanwhile, ADTA is out selling Abu Dhabi to the world atthe major international tourism trade fairs. Later this yearit will open offices in London and Frankfurt, promoting Abu Dhabiin the world's two largest leisure tourism markets. And withan annual budget of $30m to be spent on promoting the destination,Abu Dhabi could soon be a place everybody is talking about.