Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island is gearing up for a significant increase in accommodation at its seven hotels over the next few months, especially as Yas Mall opens in November, according to Clive Dwyer, director of destination management at Yas Island.
Current estimates show that over four million people visit the Island on an annual basis – around 30 per cent of who are from outside Abu Dhabi.
While the new mall is expected to attract many from the UAE, there has also been interest expressed by international shoppers who ask about packages offered by Yas Island.
“We’ve got international markets especially in Europe, India, and even in China asking us about Yas Mall and how we’ll package it, so the level of interest and awareness is very strong, and we’re only going to leverage that in 2015,” Dwyer said.
Mall’s location
He noted that the mall’s location is one of its main selling points, as it is close to many hotels, Ferrari World, and Yas Waterworld, presenting itself as a multi-dimensional leisure venue.
Discussing expansion on the island, Dwyer said a new development called Yas South is currently going through steps to get government approval.
“That’s going into the integrated destination plan for the island, which will look at mixed use, more accommodation, more hotels, sports and entertainment arenas, restaurants, shopping, residency, etc…That will be quite an important piece of the puzzle,” he said.
There are also plans to construct a new theme park over the next three years. Details about the brand have not been disclosed yet.
Dwyer said such expansion plans make Yas Island a unique place to visit, live in, work at, and ultimately, invest in.
As for challenges facing the island now, Dwyer said it has to do with visitors’ length of stay.
“We’re starting to create a really big UAE proposition that focuses on length of stay. That’s really important because it generates significant growth in economic impact for the UAE,” he said.
The proposal will soon be pushed further as the Abu Dhabi Airport opens a new terminal that allows it to welcome more visitors.
“What’s exciting is that Yas Island is six minutes from Abu Dhabi Airport, so we are really the UAE’s playground connected to an airport that’s about to double in size. So, as they double in size, we open Yas Mall, start with Yas South, and the economy is just going to go into double digit growth, I think,” the director said.
Expo 2020 awareness
Additionally, Expo 2020 is expected to increase awareness about Abu Dhabi as a destination, and thus, increase visitation to Yas Island.
As for strategies to attract such visitors to the island, Dwyer said there needs to be more awareness on the UAE as a safe and welcoming destination. Once potential customers are aware, they can look into packages offered by Yas, and book.
Estimates show that most visitors to the island come from GCC countries, Europe, India, and the UK. There has recently also been growth in number of visitors from China.
