Abu Dhabi’s tourism sector delivered a strong performance in 2025, recording steady growth, higher international arrivals, and sustained investor confidence. Abdullah Yusuf, Director – International Operations, Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, outlines how targeted market strategies, enhanced air connectivity, and a dynamic events calendar are driving demand.
TT Bureau
For Abu Dhabi, Spain has emerged as a priority source market, supported by expanded seat capacity, trade engagement, and joint marketing initiatives. With occupancy levels exceeding 80 per cent and double-digit growth in international visitors, the destination is now focusing on market sustainability, cultural tourism, and seasonal experiences such as Ramadan to deepen engagement and encourage repeat visitation.
Abu Dhabi closed 2025 with solid tourism indicators, reflecting what Yusuf described as “a robust and proud moment for the way we have developed tourism in the emirate”. He noted that overall visitor numbers grew by 3 per cent year-on-year, with international arrivals exceeding 10 per cent growth, driving hotel occupancy to above 80 per cent and ADR up by more than 20 per cent. “This performance ensured stakeholders, investors, and visitors were all satisfied with the strength of our year-round calendar,” he said.
A major contributor to this growth has been focused source-market development. Spain was identified early under Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy 2030, and the destination has invested consistently in trade education, representation, and partner engagement. “We opened our representation office three years ago, launched Fam trips, e-learning programmes, and strengthened communication with partners to enable them to sell Abu Dhabi more effectively,” Yusuf explained. Participation in leading trade platforms and collaboration with the Confederation of Spanish Travel Agents has further strengthened distribution.
Connectivity has been a decisive enabler. “Seat capacity between Abu Dhabi and Spain increased by more than 29 per cent, which resulted in a 51 per cent growth in visitor numbers from the Spanish market,” Yusuf revealed. He added that aligning air access with joint B2B and B2C marketing campaigns has made travel planning easier and improved conversion. Trade engagement remains central to the strategy. The Abu Dhabi delegation hosted more than 70 Spanish partners at a dedicated networking event to share product updates, including new cultural openings such as the Al Ain Museum.
