Abu Dhabi takes sustainable tourism to 8th Global Travel and Tourism Summit

Addressing more than 1,000 delegates from over 70 countries on the inaugural day of the three-day high-profile event in Dubai today, he said: "We are looking at tourism as one major strategy in diversifying our economy and in generating more employment opportunities for our population. We are successfully tapping the enormous growth potential that tourism offers for the benefit of the Emiratis, our society and the world at large."

He was speaking at a panel discussion on "Global Perspectives -Changing Priorities" moderated by Mr. Nik Gowing, Main Presenter of BBC World. The other panelists were Mr. Christopher Dickey, Middle East Regional Editor of Newsweek, Mr. Edouard Ettedgui, Group Chief Executive, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Mr. Arthur de Haast, Global CEO, Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, and Mr. Jabu Mabuza, Chairman of South Africa Tourism and Group Chief Executive of Southern Sun Hotels.

Mr. Al Muhairi said the tourism development was taking place in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi with the active involvement of the private sector and other stakeholders and the government has taken several proactive initiatives towards environmental preservation as well in engaging the society towards sustainable tourism.

While reaffirming Abu Dhabi's commitment to environment protection and sustainable tourism, he pointed to the Emirate's Masdar initiative - a global cooperative platform for open engagement in the research amongst leading institutions for solutions to some of mankind's most pressing issues: energy security, climate change and truly sustainable human development- as a prime example.

Masdar's headquarters in Abu Dhabi's Masdar City is being developed as the world's first zero-carbon, zero-waste city fully powered by renewable energy.

The headquarters will be the world's first large-scale, mixed-use "positive energy" building, producing more energy than it consumes. In addition to being the location of Masdar Headquarters, the building will accommodate private residences and 'early bird' businesses starting up in the city.

Construction of Masdar City commenced with a formal ground-breaking ceremony on February 9, 2008. The City will be constructed over seven phases and is due to be completed by 2016. Masdar's headquarters is part of phase one and will be completed by the end of 2010.

Mr. Al Muhairi called upon the international media to be "more balanced" in the coverage of developments in the region and not just look at the place as a hotbed of crises and conflicts.
The region, he said, was also making great economic and social progress and such stories deserve to be featured more strongly in the mainstream media.

Earlier, His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), delivered the keynote address of the summit and called for close public-private sectors collaboration to sustain global growth of travel and tourism industry, a key factor behind Abu Dhabi's awe-inspiring tourism development drive.

He said the collaborative approach is a key facet of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority's five-year strategy plan for the year 2008-2012 unveiled to the global media on April 20.

The ADTA has upgraded its tourist arrivals forecasts for the next five years and now expect to receive more than 2.7 million hotel guests by the end of 2012, about 300,000 more than originally envisaged. It also hope to have in place 25,000 hotel rooms by 2012, 4000 more than it initially expected.