Saudi Arabia is currently ranked as the 8th most productive hotel guest market for Abu Dhabi, and its largest GCC market, with the Kingdom accounting for 18,601 guests in the first five months of this year across the emirate's 116 hotels and hotel apartments - a rise of 29 percent on the same period last year, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) said on Monday. Abu Dhabi's current hotel guest profile has an 80/20 business/leisure ratio, with ADTA officials saying the equation should head toward a more balanced demographic of 60/40 by 2012 end. Abu Dhabi has strong air links with Saudi Arabia with Etihad flying to Abu Dhabi International Airport daily from both Jeddah and Riyadh. Abu Dhabi, tipped by leading travel guides Lonely Planet and Frommer's as one of the top 10 destination to visit this year, is upping its leisure tourism proposition as it readies to open Ferrari World Abu Dhabi - the world's largest indoor theme park - just ahead of November's staging of the second Formula 1 Eithad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. A delegation from the destination - which is on track to exceed its 2010 target of 1.65 million hotel guests, a 10 percent rise on last year - was in Jeddah Monday to outline its advancing leisure tourism proposition to the travel trade and media. “We're looking to do business with leisure operators and will incentivize them to create innovative packages which will encapsulate these headline events,” said Dayne Lim, Product Development director, ADTA, which organized the roadshow. “This will be a defining year for leisure tourism in Abu Dhabi which has traditionally been heavily reliant on the business tourism segment,” she Lim. “While we naturally are looking to maintain and build on our MICE business, we believe we now have the product and the service back up to increase our foothold in the leisure sector.” Lim said ADTA is looking to talk to operators to discuss incentives, such as ticket allocations, to drive forward its leisure potential. “We are looking to work with those who can see an opportunity to gain a foothold in an emerging destination of distinction. Our visitor offering is set to increase substantially as we head toward the opening of major beachfront resorts and the 2013 launch of the much anticipated Louvre Abu Dhabi,” said Lim. Abu Dhabi's leisure offering has been boosted this year by the opening of two 18-hole championship-ready golf courses. The Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, on the signature Saadiyat Island, is the Gulf's only ‘ocean' course, designed by Gary Player. The roadshow includes destination stakeholders like Abu Dhabi Motorsport Management, which manages the state-of-the-art Yas Marina Circuit home to the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix which will take place on Nov. 14 this year; Aldar, the name behind Yas Island, the emerging entertainment hub which is home to Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and its Formula Rossa - the world's fastest rollercoaster - due to open Oct. 28; Abu Dhabi National Hotels, which is building the Grand Canal Abu Dhabi, the 500-room Italian-themed resort; and Etihad Airways, the award-winning national airline of the UAE.
