Abu Dhabi tourism heading to London's World Travel Market

The 500 square metres Abu Dhabi pavilion has a totally new design to highlight the emirate’s great landscape, cultural and attractions diversity. 

“We’ll be spelling out to visitors that this is a destination for families, independent and group travellers across a vast range of interests and price points,” said Mubarak Al Nuaimi, director promotions & overseas officers, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi). “We have three highly differentiated regional offerings within our emirate – the largest of the seven that make up the United Arab Emirates – and we’ll be highlighting their distinctive appeal.” 

The new-look pavilion will be segmented into Abu Dhabi city, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and its surrounds and islands; the Oasis City of Al Ain, which is the emirate’s heritage heartland and host to a myriad of UNESCO World Heritage sites, and Al Gharbia, the emirate’s Western Region, which is where the desert meets the sea. 

Some 82 co-sharers will pack the pavilion – 13 more than last year – with a compelling mix of hotels and resorts, tour operators, attractions, destination management companies and state-of-the-art sporting and major event venues. 

“Eight of the co-sharers are completely new to our World Travel Market line-up while many of the returnees have revamped and upscaled offerings,” explained Al Nuaimi. “In all there are over 100 products being promoted in an emirate which it is easier than ever to get to, and where air connections with the UK are expanding thanks to Etihad Airways’ plans to launch a non-stop daily service from the Scottish capital of Edinburgh from June, it’s third UK gateway after Heathrow and Manchester.” 

Included in Abu Dhabi’s WTM line-up is the home-grown new Andalus Hotels & Resorts brand which will open its first property – the Al Seef Resort by Andalus - in September next year and Al Ain Club Investment Company which is behind the iconic, 25,000 seat Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium – a game-changing major sports and events venue. The pavilion will also host the official international launch of Al Ain’s new Al Bada Desert Resort and feature the pre-opening promotion of the Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre which is nearing completion at Al Ain Zoo. 

“We have a much bigger story to tell the industry. We are now a destination with so much more to see and do, where air links are excellent, one of the safest societies on earth and which is highly competitive in accommodation prices when you stack up the value delivered in terms of facilities and service excellence in comparison to some other destinations.”

Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre at Al Ain Zoo