Abu Dhabi Tourism Hopes Rise as Virtuoso Arrives Emirate

More than 150 members of Virtuoso, the US-headquartered international travel network, have been exploring Abu Dhabi and learning more about its wide array of cultural, recreational and sporting attractions following the staging of their annual Chairman’s event in the country.

The organisation comprises over 300 independent agencies with more than 6,000 elite travel specialists in 22 countries in North and South America, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand, as well as over 1,000 of the world's best travel providers and premier destinations.

Virtuoso Chairman and CEO, Matthew Upchurch, recently identified the UAE as a "hot, go-to destination" for outbound US travellers, noting a 336 per cent increase in year-on-year bookings from his travel agency sales figures.

In particular, Upchurch highlighted increasing air traffic into the country, which will be further boosted when Etihad Airways – the national airline of the UAE – begins flights from Dallas to Abu Dhabi three times a week next month, with plans to upscale to a daily service from April.

"The number of American hotel guests checking into Abu Dhabi accommodation is on the up and up and the airline network is continuing to expand making us even more accessible. Dallas will now join Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Washington DC with flights into Abu Dhabi International Airport," said Mubarak Al Shamisi, Director Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau, Tourism and Culture Authority Abu Dhabi, TCA Abu Dhabi.

The 162 delegates were welcomed to Al Ain, the UAE’s heritage heartland and the Oasis City of Abu Dhabi, with demonstrations of Emirati cooking and handicrafts at Al Jahili Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The fort is an iconic building in the city and one of the UAE’s most historic buildings. It was built in 1891 to defend the city and protect its precious palm groves and now houses a permanent exhibition of the work of British adventurer Sir Wilfred Thesiger and his 1940s crossings of the Rub Al Khali or Empty Quarter desert.

Virtuoso member Scott Evans, from New Orleans, Louisiana, said, "I’m absolutely overwhelmed, the progress that has taken place over the last 20 years is indescribable. It’s been great to see the history, culture and traditions in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi and see what a diverse culture is out here. We were welcomed with traditional dancing and singing at the fort, which was very special. It’s been a very diverse trip and so worth seeing, there’s something for everybody.

The tour party will also take in visits to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the UAE capital’s most visited landmark which can house up to 41,000 worshippers, and receive a private tour of the ’Seeing Through Light’ exhibition at Manarat Al Saadiyat on Saadiyat Island, which features selections from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi collection ahead of the museum’s 2017 opening.

Saadiyat Island, the emirate’s cultural hub, also houses the Louvre Abu Dhabi, scheduled to open its doors next year and the Zayed National Museum, set to open in 2016.

Virtuoso member Carolyn Bettes from Anchorage, Alaska, US, said, "This visit has been beyond expectations and I’ve been so impressed with the culture and humanity here, it’s really touched my heart. Going to Al Ain and experiencing how this country has developed while still keeping hold of its traditions showed just where this country has come from and how it is progressing. I have no doubt in my mind in recommending to my clients to come on vacation here." From January to September this year 85,987 Americans checked into Abu Dhabi’s 156 hotels and apartments – an increase of 37% on the same nine months in 2013, and together they spent 430,732 guest nights in the emirate – an increase of 18%.