Abu Dhabi prepares for a real and fresh era of global tourism

Business Bureau, Gulf Today

Abu Dhabi announces the launch of its strategy for the tourism sector, which has been created in anticipation for the return of tourists worldwide. The capital has been gradually easing stay-at-home measures after its proven success in curbing the spread of COVID-19. Hotels within the emirate have been undergoing rigorous sanitation from the beginning of March, leading to the reopening of the properties after they receive clearance and certification from DCT Abu Dhabi.

Amongst the initiatives launched by DCT Abu Dhabi to address the need for elevated standards of health and safety is the Go Safe Certification, a unique programme that aims to enforce global standards of safety and cleanliness at hotels, attractions, and venues across the emirate.

“Abu Dhabi is setting a new standard for best practices in tourism, following the high praise that the UAE has received for the proactive approach through which the government has addressed the current situation,” said Ali Hassan Al Shaiba, Executive Director of Tourism and Marketing at DCT Abu Dhabi. “As we look forward to reviving tourism in the capital, we aim to not only meet, but to exceed all existing international benchmarks through a strategy that promotes consumer safety in every step of the way; from the moment they land at our airports to their eventual departure. The launch of Go Safe goes hand-in-hand with the efforts of the Abu Dhabi government to combat the spread of diseases, which include widespread testing, city-wide sanitation, social distancing, and enhancing healthcare services.

“Being the first of its kind in the region, the programme is the initial step in our new tourism approach - one that puts consumer priorities and concerns at the forefront. We will be announcing other initiatives and programmes that were created with the help of the Abu Dhabi government to complement this strategy and ensure the safety of our visitors and residents alike. We would like to thank our partners for their extraordinary cooperation and support towards reopening our beautiful emirate’s doors to the world once again.”

Go Safe will focus on hotels and entertainment establishments to ensure that they are in the best shape to receive visitors. W Hotel is the first hotel in the emirate to be certified. The certification will move on to cover six additional hotels, four attractions, two theme parks, two malls and a public beach.

Go Safe is then set to be rolled out across all attractions within the capital including malls, restaurants, theme parks and other public spaces.

The first step of the programme is guided self-assessments which destinations will undergo as per guidelines and checklists provided by DCT Abu Dhabi, encouraging destinations to take responsibility for the cleanliness of their own facilities in order to carry out similar operations independently in the future.

The self-assessments will then be verified through thorough site-inspections conducted by dedicated teams to ensure the compliance of destinations to the highest standard of cleanliness.

Destinations that meet the requirements will be awarded the Go Safe Certificate, which signals to consumers its readiness to receive visitors and maintain hygiene throughout.

The Department of Culture and Tourism conserves and promotes the heritage and culture of Abu Dhabi emirate and leverages them in the development of a world-class, sustainable destination of distinction, which enriches the lives of visitors and residents alike.

The organisation manages the emirate’s tourism sector and markets the destination internationally through a wide range of activities aimed at attracting visitors and investment. Its policies, plans and programmes relate to the preservation of heritage and culture, including protecting archaeological and historical sites and to developing museums, including Zayed National Museum, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, and Louvre Abu Dhabi.

DCT Abu Dhabi also supports intellectual and artistic activities and cultural events to nurture a rich cultural environment and honour the emirate’s heritage.

A key role is to create synergy in the destination’s development through close co-ordination with its wide-ranging stakeholder base.

Earlier the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (Adnec), a subsidiary of ADQ, celebrated Global Exhibitions Day.

This year, organisations are globally participating in the day in a series of interactive online campaigns and activities. The day highlights the importance of business tourism as a pivotal driver of economic activity, increasing national income, and contributing to achieving sustainable economic development.