Abu Dhabi’s tourism industry is set to roll out its biggest road show delegation to India next week with 25 stakeholders joining the initiative launched by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi). The delegation, comprising Etihad Airways, hotels and resorts, attractions, tour operators and destination management companies, are to press home the emirate’s case of affordable luxury and enhanced product base to India’s media and travel trade in four key cities across the country.
The road show will begin in New Delhi on 9 December, moving on to Mumbai the next day before rolling into Ahmedabad on 11 December and closing out in Bengaluru on 12 December. “This will be our first outing in Ahmedabad from where Etihad Airways now operates a daily service bringing the Gujarat market well within our reach. With enhanced air accessibility via Etihad’s network and that of its strategic partner Jet Airways, the Indian market – which is now our largest overseas source market for hotel guests – has enormous growth potential,” said Mubarak Al Nuaimi, Director Promotions and Overseas Offices, TCA Abu Dhabi.
Joining TCA Abu Dhabi’s annual Indian road show for the first time is Al Diar Hotels, a division of Abu Dhabi National Hotels Company. The group says its business from India is growing at around 25-30 per cent a year.
Meanwhile, Danat Hotels & Resorts, which is a division of the National Corporation for Tourism & Hotels says when in India it will be promoting its renovation plans for its Sands Hotel in downtown Abu Dhabi city which is to have a new Spa. The group will also promote its Danat Residence Hotel Apartments which it expects to open in Q1 next year when it also expects to complete renovations to two restaurants at its Danat Al Ain Resort.
“We started to receive some Indian leisure guests through destination management companies in 2012 when they accounted for 1,000 room nights – this grew to 2,000 room nights this year. We now expect to enhance this performance through building relationships with DMCs that book Indian groups and FIT business. Indians like shopping and most of our hotels are adjacent to shopping malls or provide shuttles to major malls,” said Rima Rawass, Group Marketing Manager.
One of Abu Dhabi’s big ticket attractions – Ferrari World Abu Dhabi – on the emirate’s entertainment and leisure district of Yas Island – has reported a doubling of its Indian visitor intake over the past year. “We are introducing a new attraction – Karting Academy featuring the region’s first electric powered karts – to visitors later this year and we’re positive our Indian visitors will enjoy this new offering just as much as they’ve been enjoying the rest of the experience,” said Bruno Wiley, Sales Director, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi.
Near neighbour Yas Waterworld – the aqua park named in the World Travel Awards as the Middle East’s Leading Attraction – has been specifically tailoring its services to the Indian market. “We have introduced an Indian food menu and have hired many staff from India to look after guests from that country. We have a strong network of travel agents and partners in the Indian market and we work closely with them on an ongoing basis to identify ways and means in which we can serve this market better. This includes offering more convenient facilities for group travel, such as dedicated bus drop-off points for large groups and working to develop promotional collateral and ride descriptions in their languages so that Indian tourists have a better idea of what to expect during their visit,” explained Mike Oswald, General Manager.
Also joining the delegation is inbound operator Lama Tours and Holidays which last year opened an office in Abu Dhabi city and is now producing all-inclusive packages to the emirate. Lama says since opening its Abu Dhabi office its business to the emirate has tripled. “We hope to maintain growth between 50 to 60 per cent in our second and third year and thereafter year-on-year growth of around 25-30 per cent,” said Kulwant Singh, Managing Director, Lama Tours and Holidays.
For the five-star, beachfront The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal, Indian weddings are proving to be the icing on the cake. “Our wedding packages designed specifically for the Indian market have proved a great success with both wedding planners and brides-and-grooms-to-be who certainly appreciate our dedicated wedding team’s experience and understanding of the requirements of this important market,” said Pep Lozano, General Manager. Lozano further added that Abu Dhabi is seeing an increase in MICE business emanating from India with an average stay of three nights in the UAE capital.
