Italy and China are at the forefront of the Abu Dhabi tourism agency’s agenda.
The Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) has partnered with 14 Italian tour operators and destination management companies to promote the emirate. Next month, a delegation is to visit Milan as part of the agency’s Europe Destination Road Show.
The emirate's hotels registered 55,619 Italian guests last year, up 19 per cent over the previous year. They stayed an average of 4.31 nights, ahead of the market average of 2.99 nights, according to TCA Abu Dhabi.
This year, after Etihad signed deals with Italy’s Alitalia, air capacity between Abu Dhabi and Italy increased 66 per cent. There are now 35 direct flights per week, and the frequency from Milan and Venice has tripled.
“There remain clear opportunities to grow the sector further,” said Mubarak Al Nuaimi, the director of promotions and overseas offices at TCA Abu Dhabi.
Outbound tourism flows in Italy increased last year to 16.14 million trips, up by 5.6 per cent over the previous year, according to Euromonitor International. Spending abroad also increased to €20.1 billion (Dh84.36bn).
That came after a year of decline because of the European economic and financial crisis affecting Italians’ available income.
In 2018, Italians are expected to make 20 million trips abroad and spend €22.2bn.
Visitor numbers from China, the other fast-growing source market, are also set for a boost.
Next week, in association with the Beijing-based China Tourism Academy, TCA Abu Dhabi will issue the academy’s Welcome Chinese certification to more than 20 hotels and attractions in Abu Dhabi.
To qualify for the basic bronze level of certification, a hotel must provide Chinese television channels, distribute the Welcome Chinese magazine in all rooms and offer special discounts and services to Chinese tourists, according to welcomechinese.com.
Abu Dhabi last year reported 120,350 guests from China, an increase of 166 per cent, making it one of the top five overseas markets. Much of the number comprised the 10,000 agents of the Chinese cosmetics company Nu Skin who visited as part of an incentive trip.
The number of Chinese tourists expected to have travelled abroad last year is estimated to exceed 100 million, up from about 99 million the previous year, according to the Centre for Aviation.
The seat capacity between China and the Middle East was low compared to other destinations. As of last July it was about 76,000, compared to 1.4 million in north-east Asia, which includes Japan and South Korea, and 217,452 in western Europe.
However, Etihad Cargo increased the capacity last March on its Abu Dhabi-Chengdu route. The capacity to and from the Chinese city grew to 40 per cent to 930 tonnes per month. The passenger service between Abu Dhabi and Chengdu also became a daily service from five times a week on an Airbus A330.
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