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Doha, Qatar: Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) has made its third stop in Doha as it embarked on a tour and promotional campaign of key cities in the GCC to feature Abu Dhabi's unique tourist offering.
Aimed at boosting shoulder season tourism growth in the UAE's capital, TCA Abu Dhabi's roadshow kicked off at the Grand Hyatt Muscat in the Omani capital on 26 August. It then proceeded to Regency Hotel Kuwait on 30 August in Kuwait City prior to its stop at the Sharq Village & Spa in Qatar.
As in their previous stops in Muscat and Kuwait City, representatives of TCA Abu Dhabi's tourism sector met with the travel and tourism's key players in Doha to showcase the emirate's various destinations that combine sea and water attractions, modern entertainment, desert spas and retreats, heritage and cultural sites and charming oases.
TCA Abu Dhabi also highlighted the opportunities and facilities available for the business tourism segment though the incentives and services offered by Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau (Abu Dhabi CB).
"TCA Abu Dhabi is back to touring the major cities of the Arabian Gulf, following the highly successful campaign during the Holy Month of Ramadan. We will be providing more attractive offers to encourage guests from Qatar and the GCC to enjoy their time in Abu Dhabi and stay longer, especially that the weather has started to cool down," said Sultan Al Mansouri, KSA Country Manager, TCA Abu Dhabi, with responsibility for the GCC.
Tourists from the GCC are on the list of top 25 nationalities that frequently travel to Abu Dhabi, which has uniquely succeeded in preserving its authentic, traditional characters. Recent statistics indicate that Abu Dhabi's hotels received more than 62,499 hotel guests from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the first half of 2015, an impressive increase of 28% compared to the same period of last year. Abu Dhabi also received 30,909 hotel guests from the Sultanate of Oman (an increase of 15%), 13,306 guests from Kuwait and 13,156 guests from Qatar.
"Our current roadshow combines meeting with the leaders of the travel and tourism sector in the GCC and representatives of prominent media organisations in their respective countries. The meetings will focus on the collection of upcoming cultural and art activities listed on Abu Dhabi's agenda, all the while calling attention to the promotional offers extended to visitors by the emirate's hotels and shopping centres as they play a major role in attracting visitors," added Al Mansoori.
Abu Dhabi's highly anticipated events are expected to draw a large number of visitors from neighbouring GCC countries, especially celebratory activities for September's Eid Al Adha bringing together a group of top-tier Arab singing stars to grace the stage in Abu Dhabi City, Al Ain and the Western Region.
An array of cultural and heritage events will follow in October including the seventh edition of Al Ain Reads Book Show which will focus on local publishers and hosts preeminent Emirati writers in open discussion sessions, and the National Traditional Handicrafts Festival, considered a major attraction for everyone interested in reviving traditional crafts.
In November, all eyes will be on the UAE capital during the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Furthermore, Abu Dhabi Art will captivate modern art enthusiasts as one of the region's leading art events, and the return of the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival will be a visitor magnet with its interactive aspect that brings back to memory original arts and traditions in the vast area it occupies in Al Wathba region amid spectacular sand dunes.
From Doha, the TCA Abu Dhabi team will then head off to the InterContinental Regency Bahrain on 2 September. The roadshow in Saudi Arabia starts at Kempinski Riyadh on 6 September, moves to Mövenpick Hotel Al Khobar on 8 September and ends at Park Hyatt Jeddah on 9 September.
"The roadshow presents a wonderful opportunity for us to profile the excellent facilities available in Abu Dhabi to GCC businessmen and entrepreneurs through the Convention Bureau's wide-ranging cluster of free consultation services," said Mubarak Al Shamisi, Director Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau. .
"Abu Dhabi has emerged as an international destination for the specialised Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions (MICE) tourism and global events. Investors from the GCC will find plenty of opportunities to strike major deals in Abu Dhabi, in cooperation with a far-reaching network of experienced, highly-qualified partners across all economic fields and events," added Al Shamsi.
Abu Dhabi CB has revitalised the emirate's business, specialised exhibitions and incentives tourism sector which has seen remarkable growth over the past five years. More than 24 major international conferences and business meetings were held in Abu Dhabi in 2014, with some events hosting in excess of 5,000 delegates.
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About Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority:
Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) conserves and promotes the heritage and culture of Abu Dhabi emirate and leverages them in the development of a world-class, sustainable destination of distinction which enriches the lives of visitors and residents alike. The authority manages the emirate's tourism sector and markets the destination internationally through a wide range of activities aimed at attracting visitors and investment. Its policies, plans and programmes relate to the preservation of heritage and culture, including protecting archaeological and historical sites and to developing museums, including the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. TCA Abu Dhabi supports intellectual and artistic activities and cultural events to nurture a rich cultural environment and honour the emirate's heritage. A key authority role is to create synergy in the destination's development through close co-ordination with its wide-ranging stakeholder base.
© Press Release 2015
