capital to be region’s second top sector performer over coming year
The UAE capital, Abu Dhabi has been tipped as one of the Arabian Gulf’s high fliers over the coming year for the lucrative meetings industry, according to the first Gulf Meetings & Incentive Industry Research.
Following the research, carried out by the industry event GIBTM jointly with the trade publication MICE International and research consultant The Right Solution, the UAE capital will be the region’s second top meetings industry performer over the coming 12 months – having soared into the top five destinations for the first time.
Some 368 buyers and 192 suppliers took part in the survey which produced a bullish prognosis for the Gulf’s meeting industry in the year ahead.
Some 58% of respondents ranked Abu Dhabi among the anticipated top performers.
“If you look at the way the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority has promoted itself over the last 12 months and created increased awareness of Abu Dhabi these results will come as no surprise,”said Paul Kennedy MBE, Group Exhibition Director, Meetings & Incentive Events, Reed Travel Exhibitions, which organizes GIBTM, which ran for the first time this week at the new Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).
The research also showed that, on average buyer events in the Gulf attract around 245 delegates who stay 4.3 days with the event being organized in a lead time of 6.5 months.
“This is excellent news for Abu Dhabi which is making huge progress on the international meetings scene with ADNEC next year looking to host 50 events,” said Mubarak Al Muhairi, Director General, ADTA.
“The good news also brings its own challenges in ensuring we live up to expectations with the right infrastructure, service and deliverables and we are consistently working to meet these demands.
“Abu Dhabi has a long-term vision for the meetings industry and we are confident we can create products which will differentiate us on the international stage and attract repeat and sustainable business. We believe the meetings and business tourism segment will, by 2015, account for at least half of our projected target of 3 million visitors a year by 2015.”
