ABU DHABI
accommodation: Beit Shaar, lodgings based on nomadic tribes’ woven tents; Beit Al Barr, modern updates on traditional desert mud houses; and Beit Al Bahr, rooms designed to mirror Abu Dhabi’s original palm frond beachfront houses. Ocean racing: Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, which brought the Volvo Ocean Race to the Arabian Gulf for the fi rst time last year, has announced its return in 2014. Operators: Premier Holidays is
working with Anantara to promote new properties Eastern Mangroves and Anantara Al Yamm villas.
Tourism talk “January 2013 saw the UK deliver 12,218 guests, making it our top European
source market. They are staying longer, accounting for 57,273 guest nights that month, a year-on-year rise of six per cent. We believe our strong message that there is so much to see and do in Abu Dhabi is taking hold. We are moving in the right direction, and the late January opening of Yas Waterworld and Yas Beach, and the impending debuts of major new hotels
Clockwise from left: Aloft hotel; The impressive Corniche skyline; Yas Island; Ferrari World
“Abu Dhabi’s hotels are all very different in style and location, so agents need to determine exactly what their clients are looking for”
TARA TAYLOR, PRODUCT MANAGER ARABIAN GULF AND MIDDLE EAST, ELEGANT RESORTS
and resorts, is inspiring confi dence so we can further expand the time visitors spend in Abu Dhabi.” Mubarak Al Muhairi Director General, Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority
Where to book it FUNWAY HOLIDAYS –0844 5573 3131
Four nights at the three/four-star Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort are from £625 for departures in September. A similar-length stay at the four-star InterContinental is priced from £899. Flights are with Qatar Airways.
funway4agents.co.uk
GOLD MEDAL – 0800 014 7777
A three-night break at the fi ve-star Yas Viceroy Hotel on Yas Island, from May 16 to July 15, leads in at £789. Included are Etihad fl ights from Heathrow, airport transfers and all taxes. Upgrades to a deluxe suite cost from £69pp.
goldmedal.co.uk COSTA CRUISES – 0845 351 0552
A seven-night cruise aboard the Costa Fortuna, starting and ending in Dubai and calling at Muscat and Khasab, Oman, Fujairah, UAE, and Abu Dhabi, leads in at £599 for an inside cabin in late December.
costacruises.co.uk
David Kevan, Partner, Chic Locations
Is Abu Dhabi’s popularity holding up in 2013?
I revisited Abu Dhabi in
November and was so impressed I immediately added the destination to our selection. We concentrate on the St Regis and Park Hyatt hotels, both on Saadiyat Island with a super beach. Offshore you see dolphins in the sea rather than in the aquarium; plus it is just a 10-minute drive into town.
What selling tips should agents use to clinch the deal?
Abu Dhabi is more proudly conservative than Dubai and whilst it does have some
shopping and dining, it would not be a selling point, and
nightlife is limited. But use that as a positive not a negative. We fi nd it easier to sell Abu Dhabi to our up-market clients because it is understated; you sense their excitement, they feel they are experiencing something new. We fi nd Abu Dhabi easier to promote than Dubai.
What would you recommend away from the beaches? Drive into the desert and
experience some of the highest sand dunes in the region. Try to stay two nights at the fantastic Qasr Al Sarab desert resort.
Marvel at the incredibly designed Sheikh Zayed Mosque. Visit Al Ain desert oasis town with its camel market or Ferrari World and the newly-opened Water Park.
Sample Package Chic Locations offers seven
nights at the Park Hyatt from £888 pp, B&B, including
breakfast, transfers and fl ights with Etihad.
chiclocations.com
20 May 2013
www.sellinglonghaul.com
Meet the Operator
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