Etihad Airways to launch DMC

Etihad Airways is to launch its own destination management company (DMC) to provide a diverse range of leisure and business activities for visitors to Abu Dhabi and the UAE, the airline said. Etihad is currently in discussion with local tourism partners and has plans, which include tours and desert safaris, event management, bespoke experience packages and VIP services. Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways' Chief Commercial Officer, said: "Abu Dhabi continues its growth towards becoming a key global business and leisure destination and Etihad's destination management company will be a central part of achieving these ambitions. "The new DMC will work closely with Etihad Holidays, which will publish its first dedicated Abu Dhabi and UAE brochure in April. It will also have strong Emirati representation with more than 50 per cent of tourism professionals in the company set to be UAE nationals," he said. The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority revised its annual hotel guests projection for the coming five years. According to Adat's five-year plan for 2008-2012, the projected annual hotel guests is 2.7 million by the end of 2012 – a rise of 12.5 per cent over initial projections made in 2004. These visitor numbers will be driven by Abu Dhabi's growing role as a regional centre for business, as well as its many new visitor attractions under development. These include the Yas Marina Formula One racetrack, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the eco-friendly Saadiyat Beach Golf Course, designed by golfing legend Gary Player as the Arabian Gulf's only 'ocean' course with several beachfront holes. These new developments will boost demand of hotel rooms in Abu Dhabi.