The tourism authority wants to see less of the Middle East and more of the Arabian Peninsula when referring to Abu Dhabi’s location in the world.
Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) is calling on travel industry professionals to help influence consumer travel habits by changing the way they refer to the location of Abu Dhabi.
The tourism authority wants to see less of the Middle East and more of the Arabian Peninsula when referring to Abu Dhabi’s location in the world.
A recent TCA Abu Dhabi survey to determine if people would be more inspired to visit Abu Dhabi if it was described as being in the Arabian Peninsula or Middle East, found that 62% felt more inspired by the Arabian Peninsula to just 4% support for the Middle East. Some 34% of people felt geographical renaming didn’t matter.
“The Middle East is a vast region with a range of associations and the Arabian Peninsula encapsulates the exotic and captivating nature of Abu Dhabi and a more appropriate sense of place,” said Ola Kay, TCA Abu Dhabi country manager.
“We are calling on all travel professionals, from agents through to content creators of OTA and travel websites, to consider changing their terminology to the Arabian Peninsula.
“Perception is a powerful driver of decision and we believe that a more inspiring name may have a significant impact in travel to Abu Dhabi.”