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Front row, from left to right: Sultan Al Dhaheri, Acting Executive Director Tourism TCA Abu Dhabi, Peter Baumgartner, Chief Commercial Officer Etihad Airways, Mohamed Al Zaabi, Chief Executive Officer Miral Asset Management Back row, from left to right: H.E Hamad Al Shamsi, Vice Chairman Etihad Airways, H.E Mohamed Al Mubarak, Chairman TCA Abu Dhabi |
UAE. Etihad Airways has signed up to a major partnership deal which seeks to promote Abu Dhabi as a year-round tourist, business and cultural destination.
The airline has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with both the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) and Miral Asset Management (Miral), which oversees the development and management of a range of hospitality, sports, entertainment, retail and leisure destinations on Yas Island.
The partners are aiming to drive the growth of inbound destination and stopover tourism to Abu Dhabi, and will seek to closely collaborate on strategic activities such as co-branded marketing and communication, market intelligence and data exchange, loyalty and affinity programmes, global events and roadshows, tourism product development and distribution services, and cruise business development.
Etihad Airways Chief Commercial Officer Peter Baumgartner said the parties were committed to making “Abu Dhabi the best destination brand in the world” with the partnership boosting Abu Dhabi’s image “exponentially”.
The airline says it will coordinate more closely with TCA Abu Dhabi across a range of disciplines and targeted B2B and B2C programmes, and will continue to grow the established “˜Essential Abu Dhabi’, “˜Abu Dhabi Now’ and “˜Access Abu Dhabi’ trade and consumer programmes.
The agreement with Miral will see a “destination-driven” relationship form in which Hala Abu Dhabi, the airline’s destination management subsidiary, will provide a range of tourism, marketing and distribution services, including product development, global distribution and digital capabilities.
Miral Chief Executive Officer Mohamed Al Zaabi said: “Miral’s collaboration with Etihad Airways and TCA Abu Dhabi signifies our commitment to growing inbound tourism and long-haul stopovers to Yas Island.
“Together, we will increase in-market trade cooperation, international branding exercises, media and loyalty programmes, as well as education and PR strategies. This will increase passengers on Etihad Airways and visitor numbers to Yas Island, providing an immeasurable benefit to all travellers wanting a unique and authentic holiday experience.”
