Abu Dhabi tourism body opens offices in China

Dubai: The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), the emirate's apex travel and leisure organisation, yesterday said it has opened offices in three key cities in China looking to capitalise on the growing outbound market which, according to the UN World Travel Organisation, will be the world's biggest by 2020.

"The ADTA's new offices are in the Chinese capital Beijing and the country's largest and third largest most populous cities Shanghai and Guangzhou," ADTA said in a statement.

Peter Phang, one of China's leading experts on outbound travel, has been appointed ADTA's country manager in China and will oversee the authority's activities in the region.

Mubarak Al Muhairi, ADTA director-general, said: "A number of factors led us to prioritise China in our five-year overseas promotion strategy, including the sheer size of the outbound Chinese market, the propensity of the Chinese tourist for culture and substantial air links between Beijing and Abu Dhabi.

"Chinese government figures prove the republic is now the largest outbound market in Asia with Chinese travellers accounting for 40.95 million overseas trips last year, which was an 18.6 per cent rise on the previous year.

"This is estimated to rise to a staggering 100 million international trips by 2020 when Abu Dhabi will be counted among one of the world's leading cultural destinations.

"We have to get into this vast market now, build destination awareness and prepare our audience well before the opening of some of the world's leading cultural institutions in Abu Dhabi."

ADTA's promotions division is looking to seal closer ties with the 930 travel agencies within China.

"Through familiarisation trips and regular trade workshops and by working closely with the UAE embassy in China, we hope to facilitate the start of group leisure travel from China," said Ali Al Hosani, director, promotions, ADTA.

China will now play a key role in ADTA's expanding industry and media familiarisation programme which educates key influencers on the destination, which aims to attract 2.7 million hotel guests annually by 2012 - up from 1.45 million last year.

ADTA's overseas office network comprises the UK, Germany, France and Australia. An office in Italy is expected to open by year-end.