Abu Dhabi hotels register 92% capacity ahead of Formula 1

Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business

With more than 60,000 race fans converging on the capital city for the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and related festivities between November, 25 and 27, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) is forecasting highly impressive occupancy rates of 92 percent in the emirate’s leading hotels over the three days.
A number of four and five-star hotels are forecast to be fully booked over all three days of racing, while others are 100 per cent full on individual days.
HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director General, TCA Abu Dhabi, said: “Since 2009 when Abu Dhabi hosted its first Grand Prix, the annual event has become one of the most important highlights in our year-round calendar attracting tens of thousands of fans to our emirate and millions more to watch all around the world. It is an ideal opportunity for us to show the ability to host global events while also showcasing our diverse and impressive range of attractions, infrastructure and accommodation.
“We are also able to give our visitors a taste of our traditions, culture and heritage which make Abu Dhabi such a distinctive and desirable destination to visit.”
Worldwide Authority roadshows, the hosting of leading tourism delegations and aggressive marketing in key local and international markets have helped contribute to guest arrivals into the emirate increasing by 8% in the first ten months of this year compared to 2015, with visitor arrivals reaching 3,641,234.
Guest nights have also increased by 2% over the same corresponding period to 9,850,881 in Abu Dhabi’s hotels and hotel apartments.
Further gains in visitor numbers are expected following the launch in November of a new global destination campaign aimed at encouraging travellers to experience Abu Dhabi’s ‘extraordinary stories’. The campaign comprising of television commercials dedicated to the GCC and international markets, is now being broadcast and run across TV networks, digital channels and in-flight entertainment systems.
Following a record 2015, the hotel industry across the emirate has maintained steadfast momentum with a continued focus on attracting guests from leading markets and the Authority remains confident in it strategy and ability to meet its ambitious targets.
With the growth of the capital’s cruise tourism sector and the development of forthcoming attractions including Warner Bros. Abu Dhabi theme park, the Authority is in an excellent position to capitalise on cementing Abu Dhabi’s position as a cosmopolitan cultural powerhouse.
Domestic tourism has increased by 9% in the first nine months of the year compared to the previous year, spurred by a host of events highlighting the emirate’s heritage and traditions including February’s Qasr Al Hosn Festival and the inaugural Mother of the Nation Festival in March while Abu Dhabi Summer Season and this December’s Abu Dhabi Food Festival will also contribute to impressive domestic tourism growth until the year end.
India has continued to stamp its authority as the top overseas market seeing 18% growth year on year up until September, with their number of guest nights also increasing by 3%. Earlier this year Abu Dhabi hosted 600 influential travel executives, all members of The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) – the ‘voice’ of the country’s rapidly expanding travel and tourism sector – for its 63rd annual convention at Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Palace.
The UK remains the largest source market in Europe with guest arrivals increasing by 3% year-on-year. The Authority recently led a delegation of the emirate’s leading hotels, resorts, attractions, tour operators and destination management companies, along with the UAE’s national airline Etihad Airways, to World Travel Market London, to help bolster the number of British visitors into Abu Dhabi.
In October, the emirate also hosted the 2016 convention of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), which featured a large delegation the decision-makers of the UK travel and tourism industry including influential media representatives.
China is the third largest overseas market with 19% more visitors in the first nine months of this year compared to 2015 reaching 163,935 guest arrivals. A delegation of leading Chinese tour operators will be attending the Grand Prix as guests of TCA Abu Dhabi.