With the declaration of the easing of limitations and quarantine provisions for all nations beginning in July, Ali Hassan Al Shaiba, Executive Director of the Tourism and Marketing Sector at the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, affirmed the resuming of tourism activities in Abu Dhabi.

During the Arab Travel Market 2021, Al-Shaiba told Gulf Today that specific travel processes and regulations will be devised for high and low-risk nations.

He went on to say that this move will promote the tourist industry, especially with the commencement of the summer season, and that it would be an impetus for sector partners to pursue certain markets throughout the vacation period.

He said that secure travel channels present a chance for the tourism business to penetrate the markets, particularly because they enable travel between both nations.

According to Al-Shaiba, the emergence of new airlines such as Air Arabia Abu Dhabi and Wiz Air represents an improvement to the aviation industry in Abu Dhabi in general and a significant potential for the tourism industry to penetrate new markets and target a new category of travelers.

"We are working alongside our aviation partners to advertise Abu Dhabi through new destinations and Etihad Airways' primary destinations, as the two airlines contributed to delivering extra seat capacity and expanding Abu Dhabi's market share in the number of seats," he added.

He went on to say that a summertime campaign will be released, and that the schedule of events in Abu Dhabi for 2021 would be unveiled, with the intensity of activities peaking in the fourth quarter, and that there would be many surprises.

He predicted that the tourist market in Abu Dhabi will see a steady increase in foreign visitor traffic over the summer, peaking in the fourth quarter of this year, showing that the regulations, processes, and safety measures in place guarantee safe vacations for travelers.

He stated that in preparation for opening the market to internal tourist movement, advertising campaigns would be launched, concentrating on various elements that we specialize in, such as tourism deals and packages, in collaboration with our allies from airlines, agencies, and hotel operators.

He stated that domestic tourism helped to boost the tourism sector in Abu Dhabi, as hotel occupancy rates ranged from 65 to 70 % in the previous year, and 63 to 65 % in the first quarter of this year.

He emphasized that the department has prioritized health and safety since the outbreak's inception, which has led to a better and safer comeback, saying that the department has implemented several programs to improve the sector and help its partners, in addition to earning the trust of investors and visitors, both worldwide and regionally.

 He stated that around 3 to 5 thousand hotel rooms are now in the development and building stages and that they are projected to reach the hotel market within the next three years, stressing out that investment in the hotel industry and tourism is growing steadily.

In addition to leisure tourism in resorts and luxury hotels, he stated that there would be an emphasis on establishing medium-sized hotels in Abu Dhabi in the framework of attracting middle-income visitors and tourists, and focusing on producing hotel goods to fit diverse segments of visitors and their needs.