More than 150 members of Virtuoso, the US-headquartered international luxury travel network, have been exploring Abu Dhabi ­ the largest of the seven emirates in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) - learning more about its wide array of cultural, recreational and sporting attractions following the staging of their annual Chairman’s event in the country.

The organisation comprises over 300 independent agencies with more than 6,000 elite travel specialists in 22 countries in North and South America, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand, as well as over 1,000 of the world's best travel providers and premier destinations.

Virtuoso Chairman and CEO Matthew Upchurch recently identified the UAE as a “hot, go-to destination” for outbound US travellers, noting a 336 per cent increase in year-on-year bookings from his travel agency sales figures.

In particular, Upchurch highlighted increasing air lift into the country, which will be further boosted when Etihad Airways ­ the national airline of the UAE ­ begins flights from Dallas to Abu Dhabi three times a week next month, with plans to upscale to a daily service from April.

“The number of American hotel guests checking into Abu Dhabi accommodation is on the up and up and the airline network is continuing to expand making us even more accessible. Dallas will now join Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Washington DC with flights into Abu Dhabi International Airport,” said Mubarak Al Shamisi, Director Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau, Tourism & Culture Authority Abu Dhabi (TCA Abu Dhabi).

“Abu Dhabi is a world class venue with first class hotels, highly competitive room rates and a rich diversity of cultures and attractions. I’m sure our profile in the US will be raised even higher next year with the release of Star Wars and Fast & Furious 7, both of which have been filmed here.”

The 162 delegates were welcomed to Al Ain, the UAE’s heritage heartland and the Oasis City of Abu Dhabi, with demonstrations of Emirati cooking and handicrafts at Al Jahili Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The fort is an iconic building in the city and one of the UAE’s most historic buildings. It was built in 1891 to defend the city and protect its precious palm groves and now houses a permanent exhibition of the work of British adventurer Sir Wilfred Thesiger and his 1940s crossings of the Rub Al Khali or Empty Quarter desert.

Virtuoso member Scott Evans, from New Orleans, Louisiana, US, said: “I’m absolutely overwhelmed, the progress that has taken place over the last 20 years is indescribable. It’s been great to see the history, culture and traditions in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi and see what a diverse culture is out here. We were welcomed with traditional dancing and singing at the fort, which was very special. It’s been a very diverse trip and so worth seeing, there’s something for everybody.

“Emirates Palace is simply spectacular and an awesome place to visit. I feel privileged to see it and it’s like nothing I’ve seen before.”

The tour party will also take in visits to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the UAE capital’s most visited landmark which can house up to 41,000 worshippers, and receive a private tour of the ’Seeing Through Light’ exhibition at Manarat Al Saadiyat on Saadiyat Island, which features selections from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi collection ahead of the museum’s 2017 opening.

Saadiyat Island, the emirate’s cultural hub, also houses the Louvre Abu Dhabi, scheduled to open its doors next year and the Zayed National Museum, set to open in 2016.

Besides exploring the cultural and heritage side of the emirate, Virtuoso delegates received a taste of the leisure and sporting activities available including golfing at the Gary Player designed Saadiyat Beach Golf Course with stunning views over the Arabian Gulf, and a tour and pit walk of the Yas Marina Circuit, due to host the 2014 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on 23rd November.

Virtuoso member Carolyn Bettes from Anchorage, Alaska, US, said: “This visit has been beyond expectations and I’ve been so impressed with the culture and humanity here, it’s really touched my heart. Going to Al Ain and experiencing how this country has developed while still keeping hold of its traditions showed just where this country has come from and how it is progressing. I have no doubt in my mind in recommending to my clients to come on vacation here.”

Delegates were hosted in a number of the Abu Dhabi city’s premium five-star hotels including the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi; the Shangri-La, Qary’at Al Beri, Abu Dhabi; St. Regis Saadiyat Island and the iconic Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi’s flagship hotel, which has created an enviable niche in luxury hospitality, welcoming world leaders, celebrities, global business travellers and leisure guests while recording a record year in 2013 for rooms and total revenues.

From January to September this year 85,987 Americans checked into Abu Dhabi’s 156 hotels and apartments ­ an increase of 37% on the same nine months in 2013, and together they spent  430,732 guest nights in the emirate ­ an increase of 18%.
 

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