The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) began the new year by hosting its regular Industry Development Meeting (IDM) on January 7, 2020, which was attended by key representatives from Abu Dhabi’s hotels and tourism industry partners.

The quarterly meeting was held to highlight the latest trends and developments relating to tourism in Abu Dhabi, with an agenda including presentations of the latest statistical data for the 4th Quarter (Q4) of 2019, details about how DCT Abu Dhabi is building future demand through close industry collaborations, an update of strategic projects, as well as information about the upcoming Expo 2020 Dubai.

Taking place at Manarat Al Saadiyat, the meeting was attended by senior staff from DCT Abu Dhabi, key stakeholders including ADNEC and Experience Hub, and senior representatives from hotel groups including Emirates Palace, Anantara, Marriot, Fairmont, Jumeirah, Millennium & Copthorne, Rosewood, Radisson, Four Seasons, St Regis, Sofitel and Le Meridien.  

“This IDM meeting took place at an extremely important juncture in the growth of Abu Dhabi’s tourism industry,” said Ali Hassan Al Shaiba, Acting Executive Director of Tourism and Marketing at DCT Abu Dhabi. “After a successful 2019, in which we have seen positive indicators in all our performance metrics, including numbers of visitors and hotel guests, the meeting was great opportunity to meet with all our key partners and stakeholders to thank them for their part in our shared success, as well as to outline the exciting prospects for the year ahead.

“While it has been a successful year, there have undoubtedly been challenges in the market, meaning the IDM is a crucial forum to discuss our key strategies and initiatives through face-to-face dialogue so we can share collaborative ideas, disseminate key messages, and ensure we are all working together to deliver excellence throughout our destination,” he added.

The meeting heard that the hospitality sector in Abu Dhabi reported impressive growth across all major KPIs during the last quarter of 2019, and with 4.7 million guests, Abu Dhabi’s hotels have posted the highest ever figure for Year-To-Date (YTD) guests numbers. Compared to other key destinations in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, Abu Dhabi also had amongst the highest YTD RevPAR (Revenue Per Available Room) growth at 8%. Other statistics highlighted how Indian and Chinese nationals were amongst the top three non-UAE nationalities in the Abu Dhabi Island, ADNEC and Yas Island zones, while the Saadiyat Island zone witnessed a higher influx of European nationalities.

Details of DCT Abu Dhabi’s Tactical Summer Campaign to increase visitors during the traditionally quiet summer months were also discussed, which aim to increase the amount of time tourists spend in Abu Dhabi during this period.

The agenda then covered the launch of the Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau’s China-MICE Advisory Committee, the first ever dedicated committee in China which aims to tap into the ever-growing Chinese MICE market by engaging with high level key players.

Attendees were then given an update of DCT Abu Dhabi’s key strategic projects. Here, Abu Dhabi Events Bureau unveiled its packed calendar of events scheduled to take place in 2020, which aims to boost levels of awareness, participation and visitation to the emirate. As well as the return of hugely popular events from previous years, such as the Mother of the Nation Festival from March 26 to April 4 and the themed ‘Abu Dhabi Weeks’ initiatives, DCT Abu Dhabi is soon to reveal a host of new exciting events and promotions.

DCT Abu Dhabi’s strategies for expanding its source markets and footprint, while setting further expansion plans in 2020 were also discussed, with further details of DCT Abu Dhabi’s work on stimulating supply and demand through global travel intermediaries and aviation partners to bridge any market gaps also covered.

Finally, there was discussion about how Dubai Expo 2020 is expected boost to tourism metrics throughout the UAE as a whole, and how DCT Abu Dhabi is partnering with Expo organisers to coordinate links between the two entities.

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