Abu Dhabi has found its place among the fastest-growing destinations of the world with overnight visitors registering a double-digit growth in recent times. Abu Dhabi’s compound annual growth rate (CAGR) was 19.81% between 2009 and 2016, which places it alongside major upcoming destinations like Osaka and Chengdu and above established hubs like Tokyo, Riyadh and Taipei.
To quote Saif Saeed Ghobash, director-general, Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), “The outstanding results offered in this year’s Global Destination Cities Index Report reflect Abu Dhabi’s ongoing successes in achieving global recognition as a leading international destination.” The UAE capital was one of only three Arabian Gulf cities to make it into the top 50 overall rankings for destination cities in the world.
Abu Dhabi displayed record-breaking results in 2016, with more than four million guests checking into the emirate’s 168 hotel and hotel apartments in the first 11 months of the year. It also hosted world-class events like Abu Dhabi Summer Season, Abu Dhabi Food Festival, the Qasr Al Hosn Festival and a comprehensive list of events to celebrate New Year in the city as well as successes in the MICE sector. Abu Dhabi also opened the Al Ain Oasis World Heritage Site. Its cruise sector also showed impressive growth with the opening of the region’s first-ever cruise beach.
