Abu Dhabi marks presence in three international tourism exhibitions in a fortnight

ADTA has taken part in the JATA World Tourism Congress and Travel Fair (JATAWTF2007) concluded in Tokyo last week, and in Leisure Moscow 2007, from September 25- 28 in the Russian capital, and Top Resa which initiates today till the 28th in Deauville, France.

The strong promotional momentum coincides with Abu Dhabi welcoming an unprecedented tourism season marked by an impressive 13.6 per cent growth in guest numbers achieved in the first half of 2007. Guest nights also increased by 6.2 per cent to 1,909,167.

His Excellency Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, said: "ADTA's upcoming activities are aligned with our 5-year strategic plan to achieve even greater numbers of tourist arrivals in Abu Dhabi from 2008- 2012. This will benefit the whole industry and help enhance returns from tourism. The impressive results achieved by the emirate's tourism sector prove the effectiveness of taking part in major international events and the strengthening the importance of Abu Dhabi as a leading world destination for tourists."

Sheikh Sultan said that the Abu Dhabi tourism industry has been gaining vast strides since ADTA took over as industry's organizer three years ago. "Our development has been impressive but we realise that there is still a long way ahead to go. There is huge potential to be tapped, especially with the completion of the numerous major developments underway," he added.

Abu Dhabi scooped significant success with its first-ever participation at Asia's largest specialized tourism event held September 14 to 16, 2007, for the third consecutive year in Tokyo. JATA 2007 attracted more than 770 exhibitors from 131 countries.

Represented by ADTA, Abu Dhabi participated in the 13th edition of Leisure Moscow, the International Trade Fair for Tourism and Travel to be held from September 25 to 28. ADTA's pavilion at the fair will host 14 Abu Dhabi-based tourism organizations.

The French city of Deauville will host Top Resa from September 26 to 28. The exhibition plays a vital role in the world tourism industry by providing a platform for tourism and related services with officials and experts from all over the world taking part. Participants will have the chance to share their experiences, present promotional programmes and sign deals.

In 2006, 390 exhibitors representing 1,350 brands (of which 30 per cent were from France) received nearly 16,000 visitors.