Abu Dhabi plans India tourism roadshows

Abu Dhabi tourism chiefs are set to embark on a five-city roadshow to India in a bid to boost visitor numbers in 2013.

Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) will lead a delegation to the country, which is now the emirate's second largest international hotel guest source market.

The authority, together with its trade partner Lama Tours, will lead a 12-member industry delegation.

The roadshow will take in New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai from January 7-11, a statement said.

"This is the first time we have included Ahmedabad and this is to leverage the recent launch, by Etihad Airways, of a daily flight from this largest Gujarat city to Abu Dhabi," said Mubarak Al Nuaimi, international promotions manager, TCA Abu Dhabi.

"Improving air access is key to the Indian market and now with Abu Dhabi receiving 124 flights a week from the country, we have capacity to leverage," said Al Nuaimi.

From January to the end of November this year some 125,180 Indian guests stayed in Abu Dhabi's hotels and hotel apartments.

This represented a 30 percent increase on the first 11 months of last year.

Indian visitors also accounted for 496,581 guest nights in the UAE capital, which was up 34 percent rise on the same period in 2011.