The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi has taken its “Welcome to Abu Dhabi” promotional roadshow to three major Indian cities, stepping up efforts to strengthen the emirate’s profile in a key source market and attract more visitors through new experiences and direct air links.
Held from 13 to 17 July in Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Chennai, the tour brought together Abu Dhabi tourism partners and travel professionals from three of India’s most important outbound markets. It was designed to keep partners updated on the destination’s latest developments, new tourism products and the tools available to help encourage more Indian travellers to choose Abu Dhabi.
In each city, travel agents and tour operators met a delegation of representatives from hotels, attractions, destination management companies and other tourism partners in Abu Dhabi. The sessions highlighted the emirate’s newest cultural institutions, family attractions, hotel openings, events and a wide range of tourism experiences.
Expanding the visitor offer
The roadshow comes as Abu Dhabi continues to broaden its visitor experiences, supported by what it says was its strongest tourism performance to date in 2025. The emirate has been adding major cultural institutions, launching world-class projects, opening new hotels and hosting large-scale events, all of which are helping to enrich the experience for international visitors.
Last year, Abu Dhabi received 26.6 million visitors, while hotel sector revenues rose 19.5 per cent compared with the previous year. Cultural institutions across the emirate recorded 8.6 million visits.
Visitors from India will soon be able to explore the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, which is set to open later this year, alongside a number of recently announced projects, including Disney Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, and the planned expansion of Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, which will include a dedicated Harry Potter-inspired zone.
The tour also coincided with Air India Express launching its first direct service between Navi Mumbai and Abu Dhabi on 15 July, further improving travel options for visitors from India alongside the extensive network offered by Etihad Airways, the UAE’s national carrier, and other airlines.
Growing interest in the Indian market
Abdullah Yusuf, Director of International Operations at the department, said: “India is one of the most important international source markets for Abu Dhabi, and we are continuing to work with our partners across the country to strengthen the emirate’s presence in this vital market. As major Indian cities continue to play a central role in the growth of visitor numbers to the emirate, we are seeing increasing interest from promising Indian cities where demand for travel is rising rapidly.”
He added: “This roadshow gives our partners the chance to learn about the latest tourism assets and experiences Abu Dhabi has to offer, strengthening their ability to share them with greater confidence with their clients. The continued expansion of air connectivity between India and Abu Dhabi is also making it easier for Indian travellers to visit the emirate and improving their overall experience.”
The roadshow featured one of the largest tourism delegations Abu Dhabi has sent to these markets, bringing together 27 tourism partners, along with representatives from the Abu Dhabi Convention & Exhibition Bureau, the wedding tourism team, and the Al Ain and Al Dhafra teams. The delegation represented different parts of Abu Dhabi’s tourism sector, including hotels, attractions and destination management companies, while more than 300 travel professionals took part across the three city stops.
The programme included destination briefings, business networking opportunities and practical sales tools, giving attendees a deeper understanding of Abu Dhabi’s evolving tourism landscape and its varied visitor experiences. Participants also learned about the “Welcome to Abu Dhabi Experts” training platform, which provides detailed destination materials, the latest tourism product updates and learning modules to support year-round promotion of the emirate.