Tourism & Culture
From The Report: Abu Dhabi 2014
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Figures from Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) show a 13% rise in 2012 over the previous year in terms of hotel guests staying in the emirate. This trend is expected to continue as a pipeline of new facilities to capture the corporate and conference markets, as well as fresh attractions to increase the capital’s appeal as a leisure destination, come on-stream. A shift in demand towards mid-tier accommodation is also a reflection of the changing composition of the emirate’s main source markets, with increases in visitors from India, China and Russia, showing much higher y-o-y volume increases than the steadier, single-digit growth from the more traditional European and North American source markets.
This chapter contains interviews with Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Representative of the President of the UAE, and Chairman, Culture and Media Centre (CMC); and Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman, TCA Abu Dhabi.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

On the up: The government provides strong administrative and financial backing
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Identified as a key economic diversification driver in the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, according to Reem Al Hashimi, the UAE minister of state, the tourism sector contributes 14% of the UAE’s GDP and provides around one in nine jobs. While keen to expand and promote its tourism offering to maximise economic benefits, Abu Dhabi is taking a deliberate approach to ensuring that the industry’s growth also provides social benefits. Having tourism contribute towards, rather than come at the expense…

Interview

Connection to the past: OBG talks to Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Representative of the President of the UAE, and Chairman, Culture and Media Centre (CMC)
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Interview:Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan How are closer ties between Abu Dhabi and UNESCO being explored and developed? SHEIKH SULTANBIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN: It is well known that the UAE is a member of this UN organisation. In the UAE we have the National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, which was established by a Cabinet decree at the request of the minister of education, who also heads the commission ex officio. This commission is responsible for coordinating between UNESCO…

Interview

OBG talks to Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi)
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Interview:Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan How is product offering being developed when considering the preferences from key growth markets domestically, regionally and internationally? SHEIKH SULTAN BUN TAHNOON AL NAHYAN: We adjust our approach to market specifics. For instance, Russians and Chinese like to shop, British and Germans want beach resorts and like to play golf, and the GCC wants family products. We are working on a zoning strategy that will divide areas of the emirate into…

Analysis

Island race: Major new developments are set to offer a variety of attractions
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The emirate of Abu Dhabi is made up of a collection of islands, many of them largely uninhabited, creating a natural platform for the zoning of new tourism master projects. Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) believes that making each island a distinct development node to showcase a particular offering should lead to a greater variety of options and length of stay for prospective visitors, as well as helping avoid the potential for excessive competition between the destinations. Spreading…

Analysis

A cultured approach: Great care is being taken to ensure the emirate maintains its identity
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With around two in 10 residents UAE citizens, Abu Dhabi is home to a wide variety of nationalities, and the authorities have gone to great lengths to ensure that this does not lead to a dilution of Emirati culture. In early 2012, the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority merged with Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage to form a single entity, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority. The move underscored the complementary nature of tourism and culture, bringing responsibility for both under the one…