Abu Dhabi focuses on high-spending Saudi tourists

TCA Abu Dhabi is tapping into the high-spending Saudi Arabian travel market to boost length of stays.

Abu Dhabi officials are showcasing Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque to Saudi tourists. Ravindranath K / The National

Abu Dhabi’s tourism agency is tapping into the high-spending Saudi Arabian market to increase the length of stays in the emirate.

On the heels of a visit by Chinese tour operators, the emirate shifted its attentions to host 12 Dammam-based outbound tour operators last week, showcasing Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Yas Island and luxury hotels.

Saudi Arabia ranks eighth as an international tourism source market for the emirate, but it’s the largest in the Arabian Gulf region in terms of number of guests and their average length of stay.

“The Abu Dhabi market is primarily a business destination, but over the last two years it is increasingly getting known as a leisure destination because of the promotions from [Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority],” said Francis Dharmai, the regional general manager for Saudi Arabia’s Al Tayyar Travel Group. “It is good for shopping and families.”

Currently, 15 per cent of Al Tayyar’s traffic from Saudi Arabia to the UAE heads for Abu Dhabi. Mr Dharmai expects that to increase to around 20 per cent in a year. His company offers four to five-night packages there besides having tourists who spend at least a night in the emirate while vacationing in Dubai. He said Yas Island with its Ferrari World and waterpark is the big draw.

Naser Al Nasr, the general manager at Dammam’s Nesma Travel and Tourism, recently paid a visit having last visited Abu Dhabi in 1996.

“Around 4 per cent of my business is currently to Abu Dhabi, but by the end of the year we believe we can grow that to around 10 per cent,” he said after touring the city.

In July, the length of stays in Abu Dhabi declined by 5 per cent even as the total number of tourists increased by 26 per cent to 215,286 year-on-year.

In the first six months, the number of Saudi guests rose by 21 per cent, to touch 48,708, staying for an average of 2.18 nights.

The emirate is connected to the kingdom through 78 flights a week with Etihad Airways, Saudi Arabian Airways and Jet Airways.

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