Abu dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) unveiled the Abu Dhabi Summer Season programme for 2015 earlier this year.
The programme, which will run from June 11 to September 5 this year, will be the UAE destination’s most exciting summer to date with headline concerts, international shows, comedy acts and children’s theatre shows.
TCA Abu Dhabi is bringing 12 major events to the emirate with 63 performances across Abu Dhabi city, Al Ain and the Western Region to entertain visitors and stay-at-home residents. The events are being complemented by emirate-wide hotel offers and promotions, regular mall activations and major raffle draws.
The 2014 Summer Season saw 786,376 guest arrivals, an increase of 20 per cent during June, July and August with the corresponding period the previous year.
Guest nights from the GCC, not including from the UAE, increased by 25 per cent, from India by 26 per cent and from Europe by 19 per cent.
“We saw significant interest in last year’s Summer Season and hotel occupancy with an additional 2,495 hotel rooms grew by a total of 7 per cent from 2013, and obviously we are aiming to improve that figure again this season,” says Sultan Al Dhaheri, acting executive director of Tourism Sector, TCA Abu Dhabi.
“Working closely with our key partners including Etihad Airways, Visa, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels, and Abu Dhabi Media we aim to deliver an unforgettable summer season for all the family with mall activations and the best summer deals around for hotels and attractions. Abu Dhabi Summer Season 2015 will also feature a mega shopping mall promotion to offer winning opportunities throughout the 12 weeks.”
Abu Dhabi-based Flash Entertainment will be bringing a weekend extravaganza of international and regional comedians to Abu Dhabi.
To help celebrate the first night of Eid Al Fitr, Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Abdo will serenade his legions of fans at Yas Island’s du Forum, while fans of Emirati singer Habeeb Alyasy will be treated to two of his performances in Al Ain and on Yas Island.
MBC Group will be bringing the much-loved children’s character Shaun the Sheep to life with a series of live shows in Abu Dhabi city and Al Ain. All the TV characters will be present in the magical, fully choreographed music and dance extravaganza.
Alchemy Project will be bringing six shows for Abu Dhabi Summer Season with a total of 44 performances in Abu Dhabi city, Al Ain and the Western Region.
YAK Events will be bringing a ‘Comedy Friday’, and Indian singing sensation Shreya Ghosal to Abu Dhabi as part of the summer season.
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Focusing inwards
A new initiative introduced by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) encourages the emirate’s tourism industry to consider wider engagement with local entrepreneurs.
“The introduction of a dedicated inward investment strategy will support the local economy and will encourage entrepreneurs to start their own tourism related SMEs and supply their goods and services to the hospitality industry,” says Sultan Al Dhaheri, acting executive director of Tourism at TCA Abu Dhabi.
According to the 2012 World Travel and Tourism Council Tourism Satellite Account, the value of purchases by tourism providers within the emirate, including imported goods, reached Dh9 billion ($2.64 billion).
The introduction of specialised visitor experiences, such as the Abu Dhabi Pearl Journey – an authentic and informative visitor experience operating from the Eastern Mangroves Marina which highlights the emirate’s pearling past aboard a traditional Jalboot dhow – operated by Emirati-entrepreneur Ali Al Saloom, are now regularly featured in tour operator programmes and recommended by hotel concierge across the capital.
Authentic dining experiences such as Mezlai, the emirate’s first fine-dining Emirati restaurant, are now regularly sourcing locally-farmed produce from the Abu Dhabi Farmers Services Centre, to the benefit of local farmers.