Business | Tourism

Abu Dhabi carnival to boost hotels

Expected to bring more than 150,000 visitors to the capital city amid quieter season.

  • By Himendra Mohan Kumar, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 22:54 July 5, 2009
  • Gulf News

Abu Dhabi: The second edition of the month-and-a-half family carnival - Summer in Abu Dhabi - is expected to attract more than 150,000 visitors which will help boost the emirate's revenues and keep hotel occupancy rates high during the off-peak season, people close to the developments said on Sunday.

"At the peak of summer, when business travellers don't come, we needed to have some sort of attraction for both residents and visitors," an Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) official told Gulf News, requesting anonymity.

ADTA is the organiser of Summer in Abu Dhabi.

The event, running from Wednesday until August 15 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec), features a range of exciting family activities and is already attracting visitors in droves.

"Despite the global econ-omic recession, there hasn't been a lull as far as visitors to the Summer in Abu Dhabi carnival are concerned," Paul Vincent, marketing director at Adnec, said.

At the inaugural 2008 edition, Summer in Abu Dhabi attracted more than 135,000 visitors.

Being held across Adnec's seven fully air-conditioned halls, the show includes 38 fun activities for families.

Five specially created "islands" are designed with themes that include culture and heritage, adventure, science and technology, entertainment and sports.

For the avid adventurer, the delights of the carnival include rock climbing, jungle expeditions filled with runaway trains, shooting ranges, riverboat rides and skill games. Other attractions include carnival rides, game stalls, 4D cinema, UV puppet theatre, and interactive adventure cinema.

The show timings are from 2-10pm from Sundays to Thursdays, and 2pm to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

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