20% rise in number of Qatari travellers to Abu Dhabi in 2015

Abu Dhabi is expecting a 26% increase in the number of tourists from other GCC countries this year despite the prevailing oil price crisis, a senior official of the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) has said.
“In general, I am sure there will be an impact but to be honest, we do not feel this impact, our numbers are increasing,” TCA Abu Dhabi GCC country manager Sultan al-Mansoori told reporters during a road show in Doha yesterday.
Without any budget cuts for tourism this year, he believes the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is on the right path of not solely depending on oil and gas to further boost its economy.
Al-Mansoori said they are also expecting the number of travellers from Qatar to further increase this year after enjoying a 20% rise in 2015.
TCA Abu Dhabi registered a 22% increase in the number of visitors from various GCC countries last year compared with the figures (280,000) in 2014.
“We have 11 regional offices worldwide, we thought of this a long time ago and it is helping us to gain more travellers from other regions,”
al-Mansoori said.
The UAE capital hosts a wide range of festivals and events all year round to attract tourists from different parts of the world including Europe, the United States, Africa Australia, Asia and the Middle East.
Visitors will have the opportunity to watch the action-packed Red Bull Air Race in March, an event that features world-class acrobatic air show.
The much-awaited Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November is also expected to be a huge draw among car enthusiasts. The race showcases top race car drivers speeding their cars to as fast as 300kph on the Yas Marina Circuit.
Al-Mansouri said better and bigger tourism, cultural, entertainment and sports events are scheduled this year.
The Abu Dhabi Classic features 26 concerts and performances by some of the world’s leading musicians, orchestras and some of the most prestigious names in Western and Eastern classical music for eight months until May 10.
Comedy acts, world-famous children’s shows, star-studded concerts, and international theatre shows are also lined up for three months during the summer.
Showcasing some of the most popular Arabic and international dishes, the annual Abu Dhabi Food Festival attracted more than 50,000 visitors last year. Set in December this year, it is also expected to be a big hit.
Al-Mansouri urged families and other travellers from Qatar to plan their itinerary carefully to catch all the exciting and fun-filled events and visit family-oriented destinations.
About inviting more cruise ships to visit the GCC, he expressed confidence that maritime tourism will also bring in more tourists to Abu Dhabi in the near future.
“We want to attract different types of travellers and those who prefer to travel using cruise ships,” he said.