Abu Dhabi Doubles Down on Global Partnerships to Power Tourism Growth

This sponsored content was created in collaboration with a Skift partner.

Abu Dhabi is scaling its tourism strategy by focusing on the world’s most trusted booking tool: a well-informed travel professional. The emirate is building a global network of travel trade partners through its Experience Abu Dhabi Experts e-learning platform, expansive roadshows, and a slate of joint marketing programs. With over 5,000 travel agents trained across 13 languages and 70+ city activations, Abu Dhabi is creating a trade-led model for tourism growth that’s both scalable and built for long-term impact.

SkiftX spoke with Abdulla Yousuf, Director of International Operations at the Department of Culture and Tourism — Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), to learn how the emirate is leveraging travel trade partnerships to drive sustainable destination growth.

SkiftX: What factors or insights led DCT Abu Dhabi to make the travel trade a core pillar of its tourism growth strategy?

Abdulla Yousuf: Today’s travelers face decision fatigue as booking technology gets faster and smarter, turning what should be exciting trip planning into a maze of endless options. In a world of algorithms and flash deals, a trusted expert who can cut through the noise is becoming more valuable than ever.

The demand for specialist guidance is clearly reflected in market data. In the US, travel agencies are responsible for one in five customer bookings. Furthermore, travel agent employment, having remained stable for over a decade, is now on the rise, as detailed in the Skift State of Travel 2025 Report.

There is a growing opportunity for agents to offer personalized expertise that simplifies complex planning. DCT Abu Dhabi empowers travel industry players globally by equipping them with the products, local knowledge, and PR and marketing support to provide high-value advice and support to their customers. The travel trade plays a vital, agile role in driving Abu Dhabi’s compelling growth story as a destination.

How is the travel trade contributing to Abu Dhabi’s plan to attract 39.3 million visitors by 2030?

The 39.3 million target is a cornerstone of Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy 2030 and represents a significant increase from our baseline figure of approximately 24 million visitors in 2023. Tourism Strategy 2030 is our blueprint for positioning Abu Dhabi as one of the fastest-growing global destinations for international visitors. 

We will reach our goals with support from travel professionals fully activated as an extended sales force. The results of our travel trade agreements and engagements were recently demonstrated through strong tourism performance. Abu Dhabi welcomed 4.4 million hotel guests so far this year, with the number of international visitors increasing by 8% year-to-date compared to the same period in 2024.

Travel trade professionals create tailored itineraries that convert interest into bookings based on the comprehensive knowledge and tools we offer. Our strategy follows the understanding that when a travel professional recommends Abu Dhabi, it carries weight and credibility. They understand customers’ needs and can match them to key experiences in our destination across areas like culture, culinary, adventure, nature, wellness, and history, as well as special events such as Ramadan taking place in February 2026. Notably, the Saadiyat Cultural District continues to expand, with the much-anticipated openings of the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi on November 22 and the Zayed National Museum on December 3, 2025. These institutions will offer travel professionals incredible new cultural assets to build compelling itineraries around, from the story of life on Earth to the rich history of the UAE.

Tell us more about the Experience Abu Dhabi Experts platform. What is its purpose, who is it designed for, and how does it support Abu Dhabi’s broader trade strategy?

Our Experience Abu Dhabi Experts e-learning platform delivers certified knowledge to the global travel trade, providing travel agents and tour operators with the expertise to effectively showcase Abu Dhabi’s rich cultural heritage, iconic landmarks, diverse attractions, and accommodation options. The platform is incredibly accessible and available in 13 languages, presented in an engaging video and quiz format. This year, we’re improving it further with new modules on Ramadan and the Abu Dhabi Pass, so our partners receive the most current, practical, and helpful information to promote our emirate.

What travel platforms or companies has DCT Abu Dhabi collaborated with recently, and what did those partnerships focus on?

DCT Abu Dhabi collaborates with key online travel agencies, global distribution platforms, airlines, and hotels to mirror current travel patterns such as the demand for flexibility, customization, and digital ease. We actively collaborate with partners to co-create joint marketing campaigns, enticing stopover programs, and performance-based incentive models. We’re setting new benchmarks for seamless, secure, and inspiring travel experiences through ongoing investment in infrastructure, guest services, and digital accessibility. Moreover, expanded route networks, seamless biometric access, and strategic destination–airline co-investment models strengthen Abu Dhabi’s connectivity.

Our support to trade partners guides them from initial engagement through full activation. This includes thorough onboarding, detailed destination briefings, assistance with product curation, collaborative co-branded campaigns, and both B2B and B2C marketing activations. Additionally, partners receive access to premium destination content, digital toolkits, and media support to boost their visibility and conversion rates.

What has DCT Abu Dhabi learned from working with trade partners across different markets, and how has that shaped its approach?

Working with trade partners worldwide has reinforced one key lesson: one size never fits all. Tailored strategies remain essential — both market and demographic differences dictate varied traveler preferences, outreach methods, and local trade challenges and opportunities. Input from our global offices and partners is crucial for navigating these shifting conditions. This understanding shapes our overarching long-term strategy, which emphasizes an integrated value proposition, combining our culture-powered year-round experiences with strong connectivity, ground mobility, hotel availability, and easy visa processes, to seamlessly move visitors from awareness to advocacy.

What does long-term resilience in tourism distribution look like to you, and what should destinations be building now to prepare?

DCT Abu Dhabi drives sustainable growth and ensures the sector’s long-term resilience by curating unique, tailored experiences that appeal to diverse global audiences and by continuously innovating. This is built upon three key pillars, with the first being education. We empower travel trade partners with comprehensive and accessible destination knowledge to build confidence and ensure consistent, accurate messaging. The Experience Abu Dhabi Experts platform and our direct engagements through roadshows, workshops, familiarisation trips, and major trade shows such as Arabian Travel Market, ITB Berlin, and World Travel Market demonstrate this commitment.

The second pillar is connectivity. We continue to boost seat capacity and enable a seamless visitor experience from arrival to departure, as seen with initiatives like Zayed International Airport’s biometric touchpoints and rapid curb-to-gate transitions, and the Abu Dhabi Stopover program we launched with Etihad Airways in 2024 to offer complimentary hotel stays for stopover visitors.

Finally, the third pillar is facilitation. We’re continuously seeking novel ways to improve our partner support and the visitor journey through digital solutions, unique product development, and adaptability to evolving traveler preferences. The Abu Dhabi Pass is a prime example of this. It offers access to over 70 attractions and experiences across the emirate, including cultural sites, leisure destinations, and local experiences. With our recently launched reseller portal, travel agents can manage transactions and track performance through a live sales dashboard for the pass, providing wholesale pricing without requiring high-volume commitments.

We’ll continue to strengthen our resilience by expanding our highly collaborative ecosystem through these pillars and moving beyond mere transactions to genuine partnerships.

To learn more about Abu Dhabi, click here.

This content was created collaboratively by DCT Abu Dhabi and Skift’s branded content studio, SkiftX.