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Visitors to Abu Dhabi can now easily explore some of the UAE’s most dramatic desert and coastal scenery via a dedicated tourist map of Al Gharbia (Western Region)produced by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) in consultation with its stakeholders and the Western Region Development Council.
Spanning an incredible two-thirds of the emirate, Al Gharbia’s expansive array of open desert, oasis towns, secluded beaches, island experiences, stunning coastline and plethora of diverse experiences have been collated into a compact, visitor-friendly, fold-out map.
“Al Gharbia is becoming increasingly popularwith visitors, and our new map features all the region’s key places of interest and highlights the region’s fascinating festivals and cultural events,” said Saeed Al Dhaheri, Customer Service Section Manager, TCA Abu Dhabi.
Al Gharbia highlights mapped includethe region’s wide-ranging traditional festivals and cultural events such as the annual Liwa Date Festival and December’s Al Dhafra Camel Festival, which is one of the world’s largest desert heritage events and includes the world’s only camel beauty contest.
“The map will help spread the message that there’s much more to see and do in Al Gharbia. In fact visitors may be surprisedby the area’s sheer diversity. We want to help attract more visitors to the region’s festivals and attractions,and increase average-length –of-stay at its hotels,” added Al Dhaheri.
Within an hour to the west of the UAE capital, Al Gharbia’srich history of ancient settlements of fishermen, herders and farmers can be traced back 6000-8000 years and it is now home to some of Abu Dhabi’s most fascinating tourism experiences.
The new mapfeatures 3D representations of attractions, including detailed plotting of the eight early-19th century forts and towers across the oasis town of Liwa, as well as a visual representation of the five-star Qasr al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara deep in the heart of the vast Rub al Khali (Empty Quarter) – the world’s largest uninterrupted sand desert.
Additionally, the map includes details of the archaeological and conservation destination of Sir BaniYas Island, home to the Arabian Wildlife Park -one of Arabia’s largest wildlife reserves with more than 10,000 free roaming animals – and the exquisite accommodation choicesof Anantara’sDesert Islands Resort & Spa, Al Yamm and Al Sahel Villas, which capitalise on the island’s unique savannah and beach experiences.
The map also offers practical information and street plans of the resort town of Jebel Dhanna, the maritime heritage of Delma Island and highlights of the picturesque harbour town of Al Mirfa – home to the annual 10-day Al GharbiaWatersports Festival.
The introduction of the Al Gharbia map adds to a suite of TCA visitor collateral which includes dedicated maps for Al Ain and Abu Dhabi city. The maps are available in Arabic and English from TCA Abu Dhabi information centres and visitor information points across the emirate, by calling toll free within the UAE on 800 555, orcan be downloaded from www.visitabudhabi.ae
The Al Gharbia map comes at a time of sustained tourism growth and improved accommodation options in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region, with guest numbers rising from 30,070 to 92,000 during the five years to 2013 – an increase of 205% - whilst guest room nights grew by 113% to 288,000 over the same period.
In the first six months of this year some 53,002 guests stayed in Al Gharbia hotels – up 17% on the same period last year – delivering 137,938 guest nights, which was up 10% year-on-year. Guests now stay in Al Gharbia hotels and resorts for an average of 2.85 nights.
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