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Abu Dhabi’s tourism industry is heading for Sao Paolo for the inaugural World Travel Market Latin America as it looks to build awareness of the destination ahead of Etihad Airways’ June launch of non-stop flights from Brazil’s second largest city to Abu Dhabi International Airport.
Together with a 20 strong stakeholder delegation, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) is mounting a destination pavilion at the show, which runs at the TransAmerica Expocenter from April 23-25.
“Etihad’s Sao Paolo-Abu Dhabi service opens the destination up to one of the most important segments on the world tourism stage,” said Mubarak Al Nuaimi, Director Promotions & Overseas Offices, TCA Abu Dhabi. “Driven by a strong currency and a desire to shop abroad, Brazilians continue to explore international destinations.
“The sheer size of the potential is telling - some 5.4 million Brazilians travelled abroad in 2011, recording 2% growth from the previous year. Our job will be to entice some of this business to Abu Dhabi, whether point-to-point visitation or to persuade some of those travelling with Etihad on to other destinations – particularly Australia – which has strong Brazilian visitation, to stop-over in the our destination to explore our expanding offering.”
Etihad Airways will join a number of Abu Dhabi’s leading hospitality providers in the pavilion. Other sharers include; Emirates Palace, which is ranked as among the world’s most opulent hotels; two five-star resorts on the Saadiyat Island destination, namely The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort and the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi, as well as Anantara Hotels & Resorts, which operates three five-star properties in the emirate – the Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa, the Desert Islands Resort & Spa on the getaway island of Sir Bani Yas and the simply stunning Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort & Spa – which translates as the Mirage Palace and is hidden away among the towering dunes of the Liwa Desert, which marks the entry to the famed Empty Quarter (Rub Al Khali), the world’s largest uninterrupted sand mass. The five-star Jumeirah at Etihad Towers which is housed in one of the iconic towers of this complex which adjoins The Avenue – one of the world’s most luxurious shopping destinations.
Orient Tours, one of Abu Dhabi’s leading tour operators will feature in the delegation, as will Yas Island – Abu Dhabi’s entertainment destination. This island is home to the award-winning Yas Links golf course, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi – the world’s largest indoor theme park with the world’s fastest roller-coaster, the Yas Waterworld waterpark with 43 rides, slides and attractions, five of which are ‘one-of-a-kind;’ the Yas Marina Circuit, home to November’s F1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and a host of motorsport and MICE activities and seven hotels and hotel apartments including the signature Yas Viceroy, the only hotel in the world to straddle and F1 race track. The island is just 15 minutes from Abu Dhabi International Airport and benefits from Yas Beach, which is open free-of-charge to any hotel guest staying on Yas Island and the complimentary Yas Express round-island coach service.
“Put these together and you have a microcosm of the destination – a place of diversity of geography with beachfronts, cityscapes and desertscapes - and a place of choice for budgets and styles,” said Al Nuaimi.
“We are optimistic of making a stir in Sao Paolo believing we have the right product mix for the high-end Brazilian traveller.”
The number of Brazilians staying in Abu Dhabi’s hotels is on the increase. In 2012 some 3,605 Brazilians stayed in the emirate’s hotels and hotel apartments delivering 14,627 guest nights and an average-length-of-stay of just over 4 nights.
“Already in the first two months of this year, there’s been a 46% rise on the same period last year in the number of Brazilians checking into Abu Dhabi’s hotels and they are staying longer, with the average-length-of-stay now nearing 5 nights,” said Al Nuaimi.
“With the June launch of Etihad’s non-stop Sao Paolo-Abu Dhabi service, we can look forward to welcoming an ever-increasing number of Brazilian travellers.”
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