Abu Dhabi in showcase at Berlin tourism conference

Al Ain and Western Region also in the spotlight as interest in tourism from Germany increases.

Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and the Western Region are set to woo the travel market at next week’s global tourism trade fair in Berlin.

The Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) will showcase the destinations at the five-day ITB Berlin that starts on Wednesday.

Apart from the capital city, both Al Ain and the Western Region have received increased attention on the tourism front as Abu Dhabi tries to diversify its non-oil economy.

While Al Ain has been gaining traction as a sports city, the Western Region has been promoted for its desert getaways.

“We want to encourage visitors to get out into the wider emirate to experience our heritage, captivating landscape and myriad of activities,” said Mubarak Al Nuaimi, the director of promotions and overseas offices at TCA Abu Dhabi.

ITB Berlin, where tour operators, hotel groups and tourism agencies converge, is considered a platform to showcase the emirate to German tourists, who are known to prefer traditional tour packages, and the wider European market.

The mid-range Tilal Liwa Hotel at the edge of Rub Al Khali Desert in the Western Region reported a 35 per cent year-on-year jump in its German guests last year.

It expects to double the growth this year, said Ayman Ashor, the general manager at Tilal Liwa.

“The German market is important for us. They stay long – for seven nights – and we have been working with German tour operators for the last two-and-a-half years,” Mr Ashor said. “At this year’s ITB Berlin, we want to increase our visibility and work with more local operations of the international tour operators.”

The Anantara properties in Western Region, which include Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara, Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Al Yamm and Al Sahel Villa Resort, will also be at the trade show to highlight the destination.

“We have always experienced high traveler numbers from European guests, specifically those from Germany who stay around 10 days to two weeks throughout the winter months,” said Sharon Garrett-Otter, the area director of marketing and communications for Anantara. On average, the percentage of German guests is 12 per cent at Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort, 6 per cent at the three resorts on Sir Bani Yas Island and 3 per cent at the Eastern Mangroves Hotel and Spa in the city.

Tourism in Egypt, Tunisia and Syria has been hit hard by the Arab Spring, but with people still looking to experience Arab culture the UAE has been gaining popularity as a safe alternative, he said.

Trade ties, too, between Germany and the UAE have grown over the past couple of years. The trade was valued at €10.57 billion (Dh53.04bn) in 2012, a 24 per cent jump over the previous year, according to the German Embassy. The UAE’s main imports were cars, machinery and chemical products.

With the expansion of existing air connectivity, the ties are set to strengthen.

Airberlin will add a second daily flight between Berlin and Abu Dhabi from October 26 that would increase its seat capacity to 8,344 seats each week. With the expansion of a codeshare agreement between Etihad Airways and airberlin to India, Etihad passengers from Germany can book flights to six Indian destinations through Abu Dhabi.

“This opens up huge new stopover opportunities for us,” Mr Al Nuaimi said.

Germany is the third-largest source market for tourists for the emirate. Last year 119,590 German tourists – a 30 per cent year-on-year increase – checked into Abu Dhabi’s hotels and stayed on average 4.87 nights.

About 64 per cent of German visitors to the emirate like to shop, and 66 per cent took tours and visited attractions, according to TCA Abu Dhabi’s destination visitor survey.

The Sharjah Investment and Development Authority is also heading to the trade fair to promote the emirate as an investment destination in travel and tourism, transportation, environment and healthcare sectors.

There are an estimated 1,000 German companies in the UAE, while about 12,000 German nationals live in the country.