ADTA in major tie up with TUI

 Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) has tied up with TUI AG – Europe’s leading travel group – to stage a three month major B2C promotion throughout Germany which aims to bring in an additional 3,000 room nights for the destination.

Unveiled at ITB Berlin, the campaign will see the windows of 220 TUI travel agencies in Germany, for a fortnight in June feature flat screen TVs running footage of Abu Dhabi, providing up to 150,000 weekly broadcasts to passing consumers.

 Up to 500 major outdoor poster slots in TUI’s portfolio will run Abu Dhabi promotional material for a week and 12,500 travel agencies up and down the country will also feature posters of the emirate.

 “The outdoor poster campaign will run in particularly high traffic areas, such as railway stations,” explained Detlef Haner, ADTA’s country manager, Germany.

 The campaign comes as inbound business from Germany shows signs of recovery from the economic downturn. In January this year, the number of hotel guests staying in Abu Dhabi’s hotels rose by 26% on the same month in 2010.

 “We want to build on these green shoots of recovery which are being realised throughout the German-speaking markets of Germany, Austria and Switzerland,” said Haner.

 Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi stakeholders report strong interest in Abu Dhabi from around Europe with the emirate now receiving 149 flights a week from the continent – an 11% rise on 2010.

 Medhat El Sisi, General Manager of BBG Hotels & Resorts Management which operates the four-star Golden Tulip Al Jazira Hotel & Resort, the Al Jazira Hotel & Resort and the Tulip Inn Al Rahba has signed a deal at ITB with online retailer JT –Just Travel, which could result in between three-seven rooms being booked on a daily basis.

 “This will also give us continuity over the summer months,” said El Sisi. “We have adapted our product away from the corporate sector to the leisure segment, are offering all-inclusive deals and promoting our product as purely for leisure and it is bringing results from the German, Austrian and Czech markets.

“The addition of a Thai-style wellness centre at the Al Jazira Hotel & Resort and a Caribbean-style beach club, complete with open-air Jacuzzis at the Golden Tulip, which opens next month, has led to increased business. We will also open our marina at the Gold Tulip in June. The move over to leisure has meant we have had to develop facilities, compromise on rates but our occupancy is consequently holding up well.”