All India, 15th October 2013 : Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA), jointly with Indigo Airlines recently conducted their first four day familiarisation trip to the ‘emirate of distinction’ – Abu Dhabi. Twelve travel agents from North India experienced the culture and the hospitality of Abu Dhabi.

The tour was a detailed portrayal of the different shades of culture & heritage, major attractions, sprawling golf courses along the coastline and the islands of the fascinating emirate. The guests experienced the archipelagic beauty of the emirate, which has a plethora of natural islands along its coastline and explored the treasure of Abu Dhabi city, which is the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

The guests stayed at the luxurious, beachfront Shangri-La Hotel and Traders hotels on Abu Dhabi’s Khor Al Maqta which offers fabulous Abu Dhabi Canal views and overlooks the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque – named by Tripadvisor as one of the world’s Top 25 landmark attractions. The conducted tour included a detailed inspection of the emirate’s expanding hotel stock and some adrenaline rushing water sports at Yas Waterworld– named by the World Travel Awards as the Middle East’s Leading Attraction. The world’s only Ferrari theme park –  Ferrari World Abu Dhabi -provided exhilarating rides for the visitors. The state-of-the-art Yas Marina Circuit opened its gates for the guests to actually experience the F1 track by being taken for a drive on it! The shopaholics also discovered their den at The Galleria and the Al Wahda Mall.

Food and beverage are a significant attraction in this exotic city. The visitors feasted on an assortment of Indian, Arabian, Lebanese and Continental food and especially appreciated the ‘Dal Makahani’, available at the ‘Rosewater’ restaurant at the landmark Jumeirah at Etihad Towers.

The tour gave an insight to Abu Dhabi as a family leisure/MICE destination which the travel agents can now offer with added zest and support to their clients. With this, they are better educated about the location and can guide their customers in shaping their itinerary according to their budget and areas of interest.

The travel agents hosted by TCA Abu Dhabi were Ms Samina Munshi from N Chirag Travels, Mr Ranjit Vig from Caair Travels, Ms Sucheta Nagpal from Travstarz Holiday & Destination Pvt Ltd, Mr Ashwani Gupta from Dove Travels (Amritsar), Mr Aveek Ghosh from AA Travelwings (Kanpur), Mr Manish Mehra from Excel Network, Mr Mayank Maheshwari from Rainbow Vacations (Jaipur), Ms Ranjana Sharma from Trav-n-tours International, Ms Priyanka Bahukhandi from TUI India Pvt Ltd, Mr Teddy Mukkattukunnel Thomas from Oasis Express, Mr Manheer Singh Sethi from Sahibji Travels, Mr Ritesh Kumar Sharma from Sheraton Travels along with Mr Manish Marwah & Mr Subham Gulati from Indigo and Mr Bejan Dinshaw from TCA Abu Dhabi.

About Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority

Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority conserves and promotes the heritage and culture of Abu Dhabi emirate and leverages them in the development of a world-class, sustainable destination of distinction which enriches the lives of visitors and residents alike. The authority manages the emirate’s tourism sector and markets the destination internationally through a wide range of activities aimed at attracting visitors and investment. Its policies, plans and programmes relate to the preservation of heritage and culture, including protecting archaeological and historical sites and to developing museums, including the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. The authority supports intellectual and artistic activities and cultural events to nurture a rich cultural environment and honour the emirate’s heritage. A key authority role is to create synergy in the destination’s development through close co-ordination with its wide-ranging stakeholder base.

Ashwani Gupta, Ranjit Vig, Bejan Dinshaw, Mina Ibrahim, Sucheta Nagpal, Samina Munshi, Priyanka Bahukhandi, Ranjana Sharma at Shangri-La Hotel	Maheer Singh Sethi, Ritesh Kumar Sharma, Ranjit Kumar Sharma, Mr Shubham Gulati, Maneesh Marwah, Sucheta Nagpal, Ranjana Sharma, Manish Mehra, Sameena, Priyanka Bahukhandi, Ashwani Gupta at Sheikh Zayed Mosque
Ashwani Gupta, Ranjit Vig, Shubham Gulati,Manish Mehra, Ritesh Sharma, Aveek Ghosh, Mayank Maheshwari, Manish Marwah, Manheer Sethi, Sucheta Nagpal, Sameena Munshi, Priyanka Bahukhandi , Ranjana Sharma,Teddy Mukkattukunnel Thomas & Bejan Dinshaw at Rosewood Hotel	Shubham Gulati , Ritesh Kumar Sharma, Manish Mehra, Sameena, Rashed Alhemeiri, Sucheta Nagpal, Ranjana Sharma , Priyanka Bahukhandi, Bejan Dinshaw, Mayank Maheshwari, Manish Mehra at Yas Marina Circuit