TCA Abu Dhabi to highlight best of Abu Dhabi at ITB Berlin

Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business

Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) is spearheading a large delegation of more than 50 of the emirate’s leading hotels, tour operators, attractions and destination management companies to Germany to highlight the best of the emirate at one of the world’s largest travel and trade exhibitions to help build on last year’s record number of guest hotel guests.
ITB Berlin, held from March 8-12, is one of the world’s largest and most important travel exhibitions, and one that TCA Abu Dhabi has been participating in for more than a decade. This year, a total of 10,000 companies and organisations from 187 countries will exhibit their products and services to around 180,000 visitors, which includes 120,000 trade visitors.
Among TCA Abu Dhabi’s primary objectives at ITB Berlin is to develop strong partnerships and marketing initiatives with leading tour operators to further grow the emirate’s presence internationally and leverage the destination’s cruise appeal while building awareness around the Authority’s global destination campaign.
During the 2015/16 cruise season, Germany contributed 56% of the total number of passengers to the emirate, numbering 91,658, while Austria’s share was 3% and Switzerland’s 2%. The cruise sector welcomed a record number of passenger arrivals during the 2015/16 season and Abu Dhabi has ambitious targets to attract a further 250,000 passengers within the next three years, to reach 450,000 passengers by 2020 and 808,000 by 2025.
As part of the international destination campaign ‘Your Extraordinary Story’ which was rolled out globally last November, a series of sector-specific videos were also commissioned to highlight the emirate’s diverse attractions. A video showcasing the Cruise sector in Abu Dhabi will be launched at ITB Berlin featuring Sir Bani Yas Cruise Beach which has opened in the Western Region and is now the Arabian Gulf’s only dedicated desert island cruise stopover.
TCA Abu Dhabi has one of its 11 overseas offices based in Frankfurt, Germany which is responsible for leading promotional drives and marketing campaigns across Europe to increase visitor numbers into the emirate.
Joining the delegation in Germany will be representatives of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the emirate’s most popular tourist attraction which can hold 40,000 worshippers and has been voted the world’s second popular attraction by TripAdvisor, while visitors to the Abu Dhabi pavilion will also be keen to learn of the emirate’s commitment to culture which is epitomised in the planned Saadiyat Cultural District. This will be home to the world’s largest single concentration of premier cultural assets – including the soon-to-open Louvre Abu Dhabi, followed by Zayed National Museum and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Many of the emirate’s leading resorts and hotels will be represented in Berlin and the emirate will see the opening of a number of new hotels as the year progresses including the 428-room Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi, the 327-room Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas, Abu Dhabi and the 172-room Aloft Al Ain.
EDITION Hotels, a new luxury brand making its regional debut in Abu Dhabi, will be in attendance at ITB Berlin to meet with potential partners and develop business opportunities across Germany, Switzerland and Austria. The Abu Dhabi EDITION is situated in the downtown district on the waterfront of Al Bateen Marina. The hotel will feature 197 guest rooms and 55 exclusive residences and 950 square metres of meeting and event space including several meeting studios, boardroom and a ballroom.
The 416-square metre Abu Dhabi pavilion in Berlin has a new design to highlight the emirate’s diverse landscape, culture and attractions. Specific areas will be dedicated to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi National Hotels, Danat, Souk Al Qattra and TCA Abu Dhabi’s digital department where trips to Abu Dhabi can be won.
The stand also offers several interactive experiences for visitors including handicraft performances of Talli and Sadu. Henna art will also be available to visitors.