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Russian television celebrity, Andrey Ponkratov - the popular host of My Planet TV’s globe-trotting, weekly travel show, Citizen of the World - believes Abu Dhabi’s “all-round” tourism proposition will attract huge numbers of his compatriots.
Andrey’s bullish outlook for Abu Dhabi came as he led a four-strong production crew – the first Russian TV channel to visit the emirate - filming a 26-minute Citizen of the World Abu Dhabi special, which will air this July in the homes of 30 million My Planet TV subscribers and upwards of 100 million potential viewers of the state-owned Russia 2 station.
“This was my first trip to Abu Dhabi and it was not what I expected,” said Andrey during the week-long, emirate-wide shoot, which covered dozens of natural and man-made locations. “There is great diversity to the emirate and so much potential for Russian holidaymakers – much more than only relaxation, much more than sun, sea and sand. Abu Dhabi’s all-round appeal is very attractive to Russians for so many reasons.”
Hosted by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) in conjunction with Etihad Airways, Andrey and the My Planet TV crew experienced the emirate’s diversity - from trekking through vast deserts in Al Khatem, deep in Abu Dhabi’s heritage heartland of Al Ain, to testing the slides and rides at Yas Waterworld and Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, two power draws on Yas island, Abu Dhabi’s entertainment district.
The crew also shot at numerous five-star hotels including Emirates Palace, The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort and Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, at Mina Zayed’s traditional souks, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club and its environmentally-protected oceanfront on Saadiyat Beach, Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Links, Café Arabia – an independent restaurant near Mushrif Park – and an authentic desert camp operated by Al Badeyah Eyes Tourism, an Emirati-owned tour operator.
With Andrey guided through his Abu Dhabi odyssey by multiple ‘hero’ characters – both Emirati and expatriate – the show will feature six segments: ‘Life of the Bedouin’, ‘Life of an Emirati’, ‘Expat Life’, ‘Leisure’, ‘Racing: Past and Present’ and ‘Architecture & Culture’.
“I did not know Abu Dhabi offered so many options for energetic adventure breaks with friends or family. The rollercoaster at Ferrari World gave me feelings I’ve never felt before, the waterpark is the best I’ve ever seen and I loved the mix of cultural influences at Café Arabia,” added Andrey, who reserved special praise for the Al Khatem desert.
“I’ve visited many big deserts before - Sahara, Gobi, the Nazca in Peru and Namib in Nambia – but this was my first Arabian desert experience and seeing wild camels walking the dunes was magical. The shooting wasn’t easy but the results are amazing.”
A print journalist by trade, Andrey fell into television presenting by accident when a former editor ordered the reluctant star in front of the Citizen of the World cameras. Since landing his career-defining role, the 43-year-old has travelled to more than 190 countries to taste local food, wear traditional dress and study indigenous arts and customs. Despite his love for Abu Dhabi, the self-confessed global citizen graciously added: “all countries are my favourite.”
Russia now ranks among Abu Dhabi’s top 20 international source markets for hotel guests. During the first three months of the year, some 6,923 Russian nationals stayed in the emirate’s hotel and hotel apartments – a 59% increase on the comparative period last year. Vitally, Russians top Abu Dhabi hotels’ average length of stay charts at 5.69 nights – comfortably exceeding the year-to-date average of 3.36 nights.
“Russia remains a strong growth territory for Abu Dhabi,” said Mubarak Al Nuami, Director of Promotion and Overseas Offices, TCA Abu Dhabi. “We have high hopes the significant exposure afforded by the My Planet TV programme will raise awareness of the destination’s diverse product offering and encourage more Russian travellers to opt for extended holidays in the emirate.”
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