Abu Dhabi: The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) will support the creation of more than 300 jobs in the fast-growing e-gaming industry. The target will be spread across more than 20 new companies with potential for expansion, the Department said while announcing its 2023 tourism and culture growth roadmap on Thursday. DCT, however, is yet to provide a timeline for this project.
Saood Al Hosani, Undersecretary of DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “We are helping Abu Dhabi progress by creating new job and career opportunities and enabling growth across the culture sector throughout the culture and creative industries (CCI) while enabling business and leisure tourism to thrive.”
The Department has set a target of welcoming more than 24 million visitors into the Emirate this year. Abu Dhabi achieved 18 million visitors in 2022, a 17 per cent increase in visitor numbers from the previous year. And several new destination offerings, such as SeaWorld Yas Island, Pixoul Gaming, Adrenark Adventure and Snow Abu Dhabi, are incentivizing visitors to return to the Emirate, said Al Hosani.
DCT Abu Dhabi also confirmed the growth of both leisure and MICE visitation, revealing that hotel occupancy rates for 2022 exceeded 70 per cent, surpassing the Middle East average. That included a 24 per cent increase in overnight hotel guests to 4.1 million compared with 2021, while the average length-of-stay per visitor was three nights, resulting in an 18 per cent year-on-year increase in revenue per available room compared with 2021. It welcomed more than 600,000 MICE visitors and hosted 1,210 events in 2022.
As part of a strategic goal to foster a strong national identity, DCT Abu Dhabi will continue its mandate to promote and disseminate Emirati heritage and cultural identity.
