Abu Dhabi: Tourism and Culture Authority Abu Dhabi (TCA Abu Dhabi) is aiming to attract record number of Russian and Chinese tourists this year capitalising on relaxation of entry visa rules for citizens from both the countries, a senior official told Gulf News.
Chinese visitors are now given visas on arrival at Abu Dhabi International Airport or other points of entry in the UAE. The same facility is extended to Russian tourists since the start of this year.
Chinese hotel guest arrivals increased by 48 per cent and from Russia by 41 per cent during the first quarter of the year, according to figures provided by TCA Abu Dhabi.
China has now overtaken India as the largest overseas source market for international visitors in Abu Dhabi.
Till the end of March this year, Russian hotel guest arrivals numbered 9,194, up from 6,508 the previous year, making it the eighteenth largest overseas source market. The number of guest nights provided by Chinese visitors also surged by 48 per cent to reach 138,747.
“TCA Abu Dhabi has ambitious targets for both (Russia and China) countries and is aiming for another record year in attracting tourists to the emirate,” said Mubarak Al Nuaimi, Director of Overseas Offices and Promotions, TCA Abu Dhabi.
“We work very closely with our overseas offices in both Moscow in Russia and Beijing in China to market the emirate and promote the destination while also pushing our global destination campaign at world leading road shows and trade fairs in Asia and Europe.”
The authority is aiming to welcome 600,000 Chinese visitors a year by 2021. From the July 1, Etihad Airways will begin operating its B787 Dreamliner on their daily Beijing to Abu Dhabi route.
The airline currently operates 28 flights per week to Abu Dhabi from four major cities in Greater China including Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Hong Kong.
Meanwhile hotels in Abu Dhabi are optimistic about their growth prospects in 2017 and also during summer months.
Rotana group which operates sixteen hotels in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain expects occupancy levels at their hotels in the capital to increase 3 per cent during the summer months, driven by a rise in arrivals from Saudi Arabia as well as increased tourist inflow from Russia following the UAE government’s recent decision to grant visa-on-arrival facility for Russian citizens.
Christian Baudat, area general manager for Abu Dhabi, Al Ain & Oman said Russia has traditionally been a major source market for Rotana and the UAE hospitality industry at large but the fall in the value of the rouble over the past couple of years had taken a toll on Russian tourist arrivals in the UAE.
“With the rouble continuing to strengthen against the dollar, we have recently witnessed an uptick in arrivals from Russia, and we expect this trend to continue through the summer months and beyond,” Baudat told Gulf News through email.
Rotana is also witnessing increased business from Eastern European countries such as Poland, Slovakia and Hungary, and plans to tap further into these markets. The hotel is offering 25 per cent discount on room rates during summer.
Chief operating officer of Jannah Hotels & Resorts, Mohammad Hani Fakih said the new visa policies will bring in increased number of guests to Abu Dhabi especially in summer months when hotels slash rates.
“This is a great opportunity, especially during the summer which appeals to travellers from this region (Russia) with rates being more affordable as opposed to winter.”
Currently, Jannah has three properties in Abu Dhabi including the five star hotel Jannah Burj Al Sarab, Jannah Place City Center and Jannah Place Abu Dhabi.
