Capital in travel hot spot top 10

Daniel Bardsley

• Last Updated: November 04. 2009 1:40PM UAE / November 4. 2009 9:40AM GMT

Abu Dhabi // The UAE capital has been named one of the top 10 cities in the world to visit next year by the travel publisher Lonely Planet.

Abu Dhabi is featured alongside cities such as Istanbul, Turkey; Kyoto, Japan; Sarajevo, Bosnia; and Vancouver, Canada, in its new Best in Travel 2010 book.

The guide praises Abu Dhabi’s “laid-back and understated” feel and highlights numerous activities, from going on a desert safari to watching the Grand Prix.

Cities are chosen by Lonely Planet if their appeal to tourists is rising; the list is not meant to represent the top 10 travel destinations in the world, according to the publication.

Abu Dhabi is, according to the guide, “reinventing itself” as a cultural centre with architectural showpieces, music and arts festivals and museums.

The book says the city “lacks the finesse” of older European capitals but is nonetheless an “aspiring urban sophisticate” with “grand plans” for new museums.

“But right now, Abu Dhabi is a city in transition where you can enjoy the modern comforts of stylish restaurants and flashy beachside resorts alongside a cultural legacy shaped by the enigmatic empty desert and the Arabian sea,” wrote Olivia Pozzan, the author of the Abu Dhabi entry in the book.

Mubarak al Muhairi, director general of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), said the capital’s inclusion in the guide was “very well-deserved”.

“Abu Dhabi has worked hard for the last five years in pushing its infrastructure, developing its products and promoting itself,” he said.

“If you went to the Lonely Planet guide in 2004 or 2005, you wouldn’t see Abu Dhabi in the list.”

Because Lonely Planet guidebooks are “very well known”, being featured in the book will bring more people to the capital, Mr al Muhairi said.

“As well as consumers and travellers, travel operators look at what Lonely Planet is writing or describing,” he said.

Among the experiences the guide tells visitors not to miss are a trip to the Empty Quarter, kayaking around the emirate’s uninhabited islands and strolling along the Corniche. Lunch in a beachside hotel, a swim in the sea and a visit to the Sheikh Zayed Mosque are also recommended.

Tom Hall, travel editor of Lonely Planet, said the guide tried to highlight “up-and-coming” cities that people might not yet have considered visiting.

“Abu Dhabi has been hitting the headlines a lot with ambitious plans to build cultural attractions, and more people are flying through it with Etihad,” said Mr Hall.

“Whereas before not so many people may have known about it, we felt the time was right to say you should go and see what’s going on there.”

He said the city lacked budget accommodation, but noted that the public transport situation was improving.

Last year, Abu Dhabi attracted 1.5 million hotel guests, a figure predicted to increase to 2.3m in 2012, according to the ADTA.

By that time, the number of hotel rooms is likely to have grown from 17,700 at present to 24,000, it said.

Among the hotels due to open next year are a Rocco Forte hotel near Zayed Sports City and a Rotana near the Emirates Palace hotel.

Ferrari World, near the Yas Marina Circuit, is a top attraction opening in Abu Dhabi next year. It has already hosted concerts by some of pop music’s biggest names during the Grand Prix weekend.

Described as the world’s largest indoor theme park, it will have the planet’s fastest roller coaster, racing simulators and shops. From 2012 onward, the city’s prestige cultural attractions, including the Sheikh Zayed National Museum and branches of the Guggenheim and Louvre museums, are due to open in Saadiyat Island’s cultural district.

Despite the rapid development, Mr al Muhairi said it was important that Abu Dhabi retained its Arab character.

“One of the issues we kept in mind was how to preserve the fabric of the city,” he said.

He suggested that local character could be retained by preserving historical sites and including demonstrations of traditional activities, such as falconry, at major sporting events.



dbardsley@thenational.ae