taking part in 16 exhibitions and eight road shows across 18 countries between February and November. Te tour includes first-time participation in the IMEX America business


tourism and incentive exhibition, and the Riyadh Travel Fair, as well as new- to-market stakeholder road shows in Australia, China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia and the Ukraine. Te gruelling promotional tour is aimed at supporting ADTA’s 2012 hotel guest target of 2.3 million – a 15 per cent rise on 2011’s target. And according to the “Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2011”


from the World Economic Forum, the UAE ranked first for marketing itself as a global destination last year. Development of the emirate from a tourism point of view is prolific. While some projects have very publically ‘slowed down’; and the global financial crisis caused a shuffling of the finances of certain projects, with the UAE’s biggest developer, Aldar, announcing Q4 profits, the bounce-back is clear to see, and the air is positive across not only Abu Dhabi but the whole country.


Tireless work Master development company, Tourism Development & Investment


Company (TDIC), has been tirelessly working to create stunning environments in two zones – Saadiyat Island and Desert Islands. Desert Islands comprises eight natural islands, including Sir Bani Yas island (the Emirates’ biggest natural wildlife reserve), and hoistoricla Dalma island. Te islands lie eight kilometres off the coast of Abu Dhabi’s Al Gharbia (Western Region) and Jebel Dhanna. Saadiyat is a natural island, 500 metres off the coast of Abu Dhabi. Te 27 square kilometre island project is due for completion by 2020; and designed around an environmentally sensitive philosophy with a special low-density master plan. Saadiyat will eventually be home to an estimated 145,000 residents, with leisure and tourism facilities, as well as civic and


cultural institutions, including museums such as the Louvre (opening in 2015), the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi (slated to open in 2017), the Zayed National Museum (opening its doors in 2016), a maritime museum and a performing arts centre. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has just opened its first St. Regis


hotel in the Middle East, with the opening of the highly anticipated St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, a 377 room beach-side resort framed by the Gary Player-designed Saadiyat Beach Golf Course. Summing up the vision for Saadiyat, in early 2012 HE Sheikh Sultan bin


Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of TDIC, said: “Saadiyat Cultural District will create a cultural destination that will repeatedly attract visitors from the world of arts and culture. Te museums will facilitate the development of cultural leaders and experts through education and employment, creating fulfilling career opportunities for UAE Nationals. In turn this will integrate culture and arts into the daily life of the community, assisting to value, sustain and preserve the cultural heritage.” Clearly, Saadiyat represents the cornerstone of Abu Dhabi’s tourism vision, - on top of the stunning Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit, the Ferrari World theme park and the unforgettable architecture of the Yas Hotel. Yas Island, with a number of hotels, golf course, yacht club and leisure


facilities, has now become a destination in its own right. A strong focus in the last few years on the award-winning Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Tai-based hospitality group Anantara, and Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara, has increased overall tourism to the emirate. Both resorts manage to combine traditional Arabic bedouin heritage with five star luxury; and both have made an impressive impact on the international tourism destination list. Anantara is also operator of the new five star Eastern Mangroves


Hotel & Spa. Te hotel is part of the Eastern Mangroves development - an integrated hotel, marina, retail and residential destination. Eastern Mangroves occupies a prime position along a 1.2 kilometre stretch of Abu


APRIL 2012 I CITYSCAPE I 43


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