ANALYSIS / EMERGING MARKETS
We’ll present Yas Marina Circuit as a pre-eminent venue for business, offering a turn-key solution for corporate meeting and events
_ Nick McElwee, Director of Sales and Marketing for Yas Marina Circuit TCA Abu Dhabi also unveiled a new website in June
to showcase the emirate’s key offerings, hotel availability and deals. The site is available in eight languages, including Chinese and Japanese. While there’s little doubt India and China are growing
markets for the UAE, DMCs elsewhere in the GCC are singing a different tune. Qatar destination managers report the bulk of their business continues to be generated regionally or from traditional feeder markets such as Europe and the US. A spokesperson for the recently opened Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) said the company planned to build its brand locally, drawing in meeting bookings from the Gulf and wider Middle East, before eyeing the Asian markets for business. “We’re just not seeing much meeting and incentive
The UAE’s tourism authorities have also done their part
to woo mainland Asian business visitors. Both Dubai and Abu Dhabi’s tourism authorities host regular delegations from China and India to lure outbound tourism, alongside running roadshows to bolster their destination profiles. Abu Dhabi’s most recent five-city tour in China in April attracted more than 800 travel consultants and is set to become an annual event. Speaking at the time, Mubarak Al Nuaimi, International Promotions Manager at the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), says the emirate hoped to capitalise on the rising cost of domestic tourism in China to entice travellers abroad. “The prospects from China remain strong,” he says.
“The Chinese are getting richer, but their cost of living is also getting higher so they find it attractive to holiday. We’re looking to tap into this increased desire to travel. Abu Dhabi can offer the Chinese traveller a more affordable destination to engage with luxury and culture.” The emirate is also hoping its line-up of top sporting and
entertainment events will position it as a prime destination for incentive travel. Nick McElwee, Director of Sales and Marketing for Yas Marina Circuit, home of the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, says attracting meeting and event business is a top priority. “We’ll present Yas Marina Circuit as a pre-eminent
venue for business, offering a turn-key solution for corporate meeting and events,” says McElwee, who was among 11 DMCs and hotel brands taking part in the China roadshow.
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business yet from China or India,” agrees Walid Jaouni, Manager for Qatar International Tours. “I think these are markets that will grow in the future, but at the moment it is slow growth.” Oman is also seeing little evidence of the Asian markets’ massive purchasing power. DMCs have tracked a trickle of incentive bookings from corporates in China and India, but not the expected flood. In part, this reflects the closer business ties already in place between the UAE and its Asian neighbours, says Euromonitor’s Popova. “The UAE has established trade links with both these
markets and that has opened the door to business travellers,” she says. “Some 85 percent of the UAE’s expatriate population is Indian – that has been significant in fuelling demand. It’s not necessarily the case for other Gulf states.”
Above: Yas Marina Circuit
Right: Qatar National Convention Centre
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