Today's Edition
KHALED AL KHAWALDEH (Abu Dhabi)
The Arabian Travel Market (ATM) kicked off in Dubai on Monday, bringing together tourism delegations, companies and professionals from over 166 countries. Expected to attract over 55,000 guests, the conference has become a popular platform for countries to and companies to collaborate and promote their credentials as tourist destinations.
At the event, running until May 1, the Abu Dhabi Department of Tourism and Culture (DCT) has marketed the city - and continues to boost its reputation - as a travel hub.
Over the past few years, Abu Dhabi has steadily differentiated itself from neighbouring cities like Dubai with its exclusive cultural and leisure offerings. As, DCT Chairman, Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, told Aletihad at a roundtable talk earlier this month, Abu Dhabi offers visitors a truly unique experience.
"If you look at it from an experiential perspective, from a visitor, the amount of experiences… it really puts us in a big differentiating pool with the rest," he said.
"I'm a family man, I've got four kids, I can come and visit the Louvre Abu Dhabi, or I can actually start even earlier. I can go to the beach. In any of our natural beaches, we have over 200, play volleyball, whatever the case may be.
"Let's say we get there at eight o'clock in the morning. By 10, we're done. I can be at a museum. By 6.30pm, I can take them to a theatre, and I can drop the kids back at 9pm. I can take my wife across town for a steak. You really can't do that in any other city because of just how it's built."
According to Mubarak, the emirate is investing in many of the cultural institutions - including the Zayed National Museum, a natural history museum, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and the Louvre Abu Dhabi - as a strategy to help inspire Emiratis and residents first and foremost, with tourism as a welcome additional benefit.
This strategy is seemingly working, in tandem with a busy entertainment event calendar which this year includes international comedy acts like Bill Burr and Dave Chappelle as part of Abu Dhabi Comedy Season, as well as performers like rapper Nas at Bred Abu Dhabi – the capital is attracting more tourists than ever before.
According to DCT, Abu Dhabi welcomed 1.4 million overnight guests in the first quarter of the year, reflecting sustained growth compared to the same period last year.
Hotels generated Dh2.3 billion in revenue, an 18% increase compared to the same period last year, and the industry as a whole is on track to reach the goal of contributing Dh62 billion to the economy in 2025.
At this year's ATM, the capital will highlight these successes whilst giving visitors a chance to see the vision for the future of Abu Dhabi as a unique destination.
This year's ATM is set to include several key themes including the rise of AI in Tourism, and the increasing popularity of luxury travel – an segment in which Abu Dhabi is increasingly featuring.
In alignment with ATM 2025's theme of Developing Tomorrow's Tourism Through Enhanced Connectivity, the Experience Abu Dhabi stand is showcasing everything the emirate has to offer, joined by 73 key trade and tourism partners from across the emirate.
