ADTA readies for InterContinental awareness hat-trick

Together with industry partners, the ADTA will be looking to build on its already growing French-speaking market and to lay the foundations for future activity in Japan and Russia.

The intense, triple country schedule begins at TOP RESA, the annual B2B travel and tourism exhibition which will take place September 15-19.

This year the show will be held in Paris for the first time instead of its more usual Deauville setting - a move the ADTA has welcomed as bringing it closer to the country's decision-makers.

The ADTA pavilion at TOP RESA will be double last year's size, reflecting, according to Ali Al Hosani, ADTA's Director Promotions, the importance of the French speaking market and Abu Dhabi's expanding product offering.

"Recent industry research commissioned by the ADTA shows that the Middle East is now accounting for almost a third of the turnover of 57% of French travel agents. More specifically 71% of these have sold destinations in the Arabian Peninsula and 67% have contracted for the UAE.

"French travel agents have also told us that Abu Dhabi's reputation for natural and cultural resources is what resonated with them most," added Al Hosani.

"Abu Dhabi's growing links with France are also assisting in building destination awareness, which we can now capitalise on. For instance, in a consumer survey, 61% of those interviewed in France linked Abu Dhabi with an agreement to host a Louvre museum while 27% linked the emirate with the opening of a Paris-Sorbonne University campus.

"Just over half of those interviewed said they would like to holiday in Abu Dhabi and while the destination did not immediately top their vacation list, they are curious about it. It is now up to us to translate this curiosity into a stronger intent to travel to the emirate."

Last year Abu Dhabi featured in the pages of 82 French tour operators - a resounding 410% increase on the ADTA's original target.

"This was the result of great awareness building through increased marketing, including the staging of a significantly increased number of inbound media and trade familiarisation trips and destination workshops than previously," explained Al Hosani.

"This year we are looking to push the envelope further with a targeted appearance in 150 tour operator brochures - a target we believe is more than realistic considering we had commitments for 98 brochures by the end of June."

Abu Dhabi's widening tourism product base will see the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, which is now offering guided tours and falconry experiences, join the ADTA's TOP RESA pavilion alongside fellow newcomers Anantara Hotels & Resorts and Ferrari World theme park developer Aldar.

Anantara is managing Abu Dhabi's new Desert Islands Resort & Spa on Sir Bani Yas Island in the emirate's emerging Western Region, which is due to open next month.

From France, the ADTA moves to Tokyo for JATA, one of Asia's largest travel fairs which takes place in the Japanese capital from September 19-21.

"This is very much an industry preparation exercise as we anticipate greater air and tourism links with the important Japanese market," said Hosani.

"Abu Dhabi's expanding golf offering, which includes the new Abu Dhabi Golf Resort, home to the annual European-Tour backed Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, a Gary Player course on Saadiyat Island and a planned championship course in Al Ain, the emirate's second city, will have substantial appeal to Japanese visitors who rank among the world's top five outbound golfing tourists. Abu Dhabi is carving out a substantial golfing tourism offering and we will focus on this in laying the ground work in Japan."

ADTA's September promotional overseas blitz will culminate in Russia at the Leisure-Moscow exhibition from September 23-26.

"Russia, with its large profile of affluent outbound travellers, is a market we must seriously investigate most particularly as Etihad prepares to launch its five-times-weekly, Moscow-Abu Dhabi service due to take off in December," said Al Hosani.

Nineteen companies, a mix of tour operators, hotels and Etihad, will make up the Abu Dhabi pavilion at the show.