We think that having traveled to the capital of Abu Dhabi a dozen times during our stay in the UAE, we know everything about this city and its environs. The experts who have set an ambitious goal - to turn Abu Dhabi into a center of international tourism, with all that it implies, have a completely different opinion.
We bring to your attention an exclusive interview with His Excellency Mubarak Al Muhairi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), who told us about what his department has already managed to do and what is in the immediate plans.
Mr. Al Muhairi, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority was established in 2004. Could you tell us about the latest achievements of the Office in promoting Abu Dhabi as an international tourist destination?
You are right, our Office was formed a little over five years ago. And this has become a certain symbol of Abu Dhabi's desire to develop and promote international tourism. Over the years, we have gone from a situation of acute shortage of hotel rooms, an insufficient number of attractions for tourists, to a well-developed area of regional tourism. We are still mastering the volumes of investments that have been invested in the tourism infrastructure of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and summarize the first results. So, for example, we have created a calendar of events held in the emirate, which includes a wide variety of sports and cultural events. And its culmination of which will be the Formula 1 race in November this year. Today, due to the greater number of hotel rooms that appeared last year, and it is expected that more than 4,000 hotel rooms will be commissioned during this year, we can say that the situation with accommodation in Abu Dhabi is noticeably improving. which, of course, will attract more tourists to the emirate. Moreover, the new hotels will satisfy the requirements of travelers representing various segments, which will also help attract new businesses to the capital of the emirate.
How did the global financial crisis affect the promotion of Abu Dhabi as a tourist destination?
As for the difficulties caused by the global financial crisis, the first three months of 2010 showed better results compared to the same period last year. In general, in the tourism and hospitality segment of Abu Dhabi, we recorded a 90% increase in the number of hotel guests in the first quarter of 2010, compared with the first quarter of 2009.
Serious figures, but there are statistics, how many Russian-speaking tourists have visited the capital of the UAE in recent times?
Last year, we hosted almost 8,000 tourists from Russia and the CIS countries in Abu Dhabi hotels, and in the first quarter of 2010 we noted an increase in the number of Russian-speaking tourists by 35%.
Is Russia and the CIS countries one of the target markets of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority?
Yes, this is one of the main markets where we want to attract tourists to Abu Dhabi. Today, Etihad operates direct non-stop flights from Abu Dhabi to Belarus and Kazakhstan. In Russia and other CIS countries, we take part in specialized international tourism exhibitions and conduct field seminars to promote Abu Dhabi as an interesting and promising direction. I hope that by the end of this year we will be able to open a representative office of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority in Russia. In any case, work in this direction is already underway.
Are you planning to start new direct Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi to major cities of Russia and the CIS countries?
I have already mentioned that Etihad operates direct flights to Minsk and Kazakhstan - to Almaty and Astana. I think the new Etihad flights are mostly related to the size of the flotilla. As soon as the airline receives new planes, new routes will immediately appear, and the frequency of flights to already known destinations will increase. I can’t speak on behalf of Etihad, but I know that where the company flies now three times a week, there will be five to six, or even seven flights a week. And this, in general, coincides with the plans of our Office to increase tourist flow to the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
The Emirate of Abu Dhabi is the happy owner of a large number of natural islands, which today are gradually being built up, turning into unique objects of tourist infrastructure. With the onset of the global financial crisis, have any of the previously announced projects been suspended or “frozen”?
Not. We continue to build everything that is planned. Abu Dhabi, in fact, owns hundreds of islands, and therefore, when we developed our tourism development strategy, we considered these lands as an additional advantage. Because if you explore the entire coast from the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea, only Abu Dhabi has such natural beauties. We have many islands, including such famous ones as Sir Bani Yas nature reserve in the west and Saadiyat and Yas islands in the east of the emirate capital. Knowing these benefits, today we breathe life into them. Moreover, our goal is not to follow what has already been done in the UAE, but to offer new opportunities and products for the tourism industry.
And this is not a competition between the emirates. Not at all. Tour operators in the UAE have the opportunity to work in any corner of the country, we just want to revive local traditions and create new luxury hotels and resorts. For example, we recently restored an old fort in Al Ain, where classical music concerts are now held, gathering spectators from all over the UAE and neighboring countries. We have opened a new resort complex in a desert oasis, which is really worth it to be included in the program of a tour of the country. Therefore, we are pleased when we hear positive reviews and comments by experts from the tourism industry that the new projects of Abu Dhabi strengthen the position of the whole country in the field of international tourism of the highest class.
At the same time, it must be said that all new projects in Abu Dhabi were carefully planned and properly managed, since we cannot compromise when it comes to the quality of construction and its impact on the environment. Therefore, when we build up the islands, we are sure to take all necessary measures to protect the mangroves growing there and the representatives of flora and fauna living in them. All historical monuments and places where archaeological excavations are carried out today, for example, on the island of Sir Bani Yas, are carefully protected by us. We have a project that involves opening archaeological sites for visitors to the island of Sir Bani Yas, those who are interested in history. I recommend that you definitely go there.
Does the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority plan to introduce new international hotel chains to the UAE, because, as far as we know, not all hospitality market players have entered the Emirates?
We always support the developers of our islands in their desire to bring new players to the Abu Dhabi market, including international hotel chains, because everyone knows that the popularity of certain hotels has a serious impact on sales of the entire direction. In a few months, we expect the opening of a new Rock Forty hotel in Abu Dhabi, which will be the first hotel of this chain in the entire region, not only in the UAE. Next year we will open the St. Regis hotel on Saadiyat Island, which will be the first in the UAE, and I believe the first in the Gulf.
Al Sana Resort will also be the first, and we have already introduced the Anantara hotel chain in the Emirates. Yes, of course, we are interested in the arrival of new hotel chains in Abu Dhabi. And we are well aware today that Abu Dhabi is a kind of magnet for many large international hotel companies. After all, they see the statistics of recent years and figures indicating an incredible rise in tourism and hospitality. I think that none of the chains will refuse to open their own hotels and resorts in the UAE capital. Some of their operators have already signed agreements with developers in Abu Dhabi, and will begin to open their hotels at the end of this year and over the next two to three years.
As a Russian woman, I cannot but note the efforts made by the government of Abu Dhabi and the Office of Tourism to support culture and art. Soon on the island of Saadiyat, the Louvre in Abu Dhabi and the Guggenheim Museum of Modern Art will be opened. Can one hope for the appearance in the UAE capital of a branch of the St. Petersburg Hermitage or the Moscow Tretyakov Gallery?
I must clarify that the Louvre in Abu Dhabi and the Guggenheim Museum are not branches of the main museums, they are independent museums that will exhibit a wide variety of masterpieces from around the world, including Islamic art. However, you are right. Usually, our cooperation with leading world museums begins with visiting exhibits, meetings, negotiations. We have already met with the leadership of the Hermitage. So, this issue is not removed from the agenda. We are very interested in representing Russian culture and art in the Emirates. We were the first to bring an exhibition of the Armory of the Moscow Kremlin in the UAE and the region in 2007. This exposition was very successful. And our relations with Russia and other CIS countries at the cultural level are very strong today. In May, Abu Dhabi hosted a tour of Belarusian ballet dancers, which we sponsored. That is, when it comes to art and culture, for Abu Dhabi, their development is one of the main tasks. We believe that we are obliged to do everything possible in this regard to enrich the cultural life of people living in the UAE and Gulf countries. And, of course, this will help us in attracting the most diverse categories of travelers to the emirate.
What would you like to wish your potential guests from Russia and the CIS countries?
First, I invite everyone to Abu Dhabi. This is a safe direction, located much closer than many people think. We carefully studied the needs of Russian-speaking tourists and we know that they need high quality accommodation and services, excellent shopping, all the conditions for a rest by the sea and entertainment. I believe that all of this is in Abu Dhabi. And if someone is interested in history and cultural heritage, then here Abu Dhabi has something to surprise you with. Welcome to the capital of the UAE.
Thank you Mr. Al Muhairi. And see you soon.
