With a diverse winter season of events set to commence, Abu Dhabi is stepping into the spotlight with the new Travel and Tourism Week, featuring a series of travel trade activities and gatherings.
After announcing the goal to attract more than 24 million visitors this year, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has increased activities and programmes that elevate both business and leisure tourism sectors.
Those efforts are enhanced by initiatives such as the upcoming opening of an all-new Terminal A at Abu Dhabi International Airport, a series of new partnerships, and increased campaign activity in a range of new markets.
To further streamline its operations to attract an increasing number of visitors, DCT Abu Dhabi is currently hosting the first-ever Abu Dhabi Travel and Tourism Week, taking place from September 25-30.
The platform brings together the emirate’s travel and tourism industry across four business verticals, uniting diverse segments like never before. The week started with the first City Tourism Briefing event and supports the roll-out of Abu Dhabi Business Events Forum, Abu Dhabi Wedding Show and the Future Hospitality Summit.
Set to become an annual fixture on the calendar, each edition of the Abu Dhabi Travel and Tourism Week will feature a mix of flagship and exclusive one-off events.
The platform leverages the collective power of tourism stakeholders from diverse sectors who will pool their expertise and insights to drive growth in the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) events, hospitality, destination marketing, weddings, and tourism strategy fields, among others.
HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said, “The Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 drives our ambitions to build a strong foundation of strategic partnerships that facilitate the establishment of the emirate as a thriving global hub for business, investment, and leisure travel. The Abu Dhabi Travel and Tourism Week is set to unlock new opportunities that reaffirm our commitment to positioning Abu Dhabi as a dynamic and sustainable hub for tourism. We look forward to fostering growth in the sector by accelerating high-potential industries such as gastronomy, aviation, and business events and welcome all of our partners and future collaborators to join us in our journey.”
Abu Dhabi Travel and Tourism Week joins a host of other DCT Abu Dhabi acceleration programmes including MICE industry incentive schemes such as Advantage Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi Culinary Programme.
The scheduled events for the 2023 edition of the Abu Dhabi Travel and Tourism Week are:
City Tourism Briefing – September 25
Executives from across the tourism ecosystem, including aviation, travel, hospitality and retail sectors, in addition to government entities took part in the City Tourism Briefing, which provides a platform for Abu Dhabi’s tourism sector to engage with industry stakeholders. The invitation-only forum hosted discussions on how to harness the latest innovations and trends to create a more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable future. The event also allowed DCT Abu Dhabi leadership to provide attendees with briefs on key initiatives, destination updates and upcoming plans.
Abu Dhabi Business Events Forum (ADBEF) – September 26-27
Returning for its third edition, ADBEF aims to be the foremost platform for the MICE industry in Abu Dhabi and the MENA region. The forum facilitates the sharing of best practices, hosts workshops delivered by professional MICE associations and keynote speakers, creates social and networking opportunities, and fosters the exploration of partnerships.
Abu Dhabi Wedding Show (ADWS) – September 27-30
This inaugural event is set to be the premier platform for the destination wedding industry in Abu Dhabi and the MENA region, capitalising on the emirate’s venues and infrastructure, natural beauty, and prestige as a must-visit location. The day will be dedicated to sharing best practices, learning from workshops led by professionals and members of Wedding Planner Associations, hearing from keynote speakers, and providing networking opportunities within the community.
Future Hospitality Summit (FHS)– September 25-27
FHS is an international platform where influential hospitality investment decision-makers gather to exchange knowledge, explore new partnerships, and shape the future of the hospitality sector. This event represents an evolution from the Arabian Hospitality Investment Conference (AHIC) and has been hosted in various emirates. This edition marks the first time it takes place in Abu Dhabi.
For more information about the Abu Dhabi Travel and Tourism Week, visit travelandtourism.ae
(Image: Supplied by DCT Abu Dhabi)
