Abu Dhabi signs deals with travel brands to meet 24mln tourists target

Abu Dhabi signs deals with travel brands to meet 24mln tourists target

Abu Dhabi has commissioned top travel brands to further drum up tourism in the UAE capital, as it races to deliver a footfall of more than 24 million visitors before the new year clocks in.

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has signed ten "joint marketing programmes" with several companies including One on the Beach, Trailfinders, the leading tour operator in the UK and Ireland; Destination 2, which specialises in budget-friendly holidays and Kenwood Travel, which offers luxury travel for less.

Abu Dhabi has also extended existing agreements with major industry players, including Expedia, Lastminute.com, Amadeus and Dnata, to support the emirate’s “ambitious goal” of meeting its visitor target this year, according to a statement on Wednesday.

The deals were also signed with Voyage Prive, which will focus on adding Abu Dhabi hotels to its portfolio, and El Corte Ingles, a Spanish firm and owner of travel agency Viajes El Corte Ingles.

“The agreements will build on Abu Dhabi’s appeal to European travellers, harnessing the region’s potential to generate increased growth in visitor numbers to the emirate and supporting Abu Dhabi’s ambitious goal of attracting more than 24 million visitors to the emirate this year,” the statement said.

December