The world’s financial meltdown looks set to have little effect on Abu Dhabi’s great summer getaway according, to local travel officials.

Written by: Patrick Hill

For the capital’s travel agents are setting their sights on a bumper year for summer travellers, as they launch the fifth Annual Travel & Tourism Exhibition in the capital.

Thousands of visitors to the exhibition being held at the Abu Dhabi Mall until 25th April are expected to book their travel tickets and holidays for their summer vacations, and early indications predict that this year could see record results.

But this year’s target destinations for local residents hoping to escape during the summer months are expected to witness a dramatic change, with holidaymakers choosing to visit more local resorts and countries rather than venturing further afield.

A record 21 travel agents from Abu Dhabi and numerous airlines are attending the exhibition, organised by the Abu Dhabi Travel & Tourism Agencies Committee. The event aims to give the estimated 35,000 daily visitors to the Mall an opportunity to choose what’s best for them from some of the deals in the marketplace.

“At the moment, the travel industry does not seem to have been affected by the current economic problems,” explains Mr. Hani Khorsheed, Secretary of ATTAC. “We don’t have any trouble in the industry. People will still be heading away during the summer months, especially after the schools break up for their long vacations, and we are not expecting any downturn in that this year.

“And it is not simply expatriates that head away. Our research shows that those choosing to travel come from all corners of the population, and all nationalities.”

Last year, some 50,000 visitors attended the exhibition – with over 7,000 actually booking their summer holidays on the spot.

“The exhibition is a great success story,” added Mr. Khorsheed “And we think that this year’s will be the best yet.” But the travel destinations of last year have seen a dramatic switch in popularity. While recently it was Malaysia, Turkey, Egypt, Australia and the United Kingdom that were prime destinations, travel agents are predicting a change in patterns. For whilst Malaysia and similar destinations such as Thailand, Singapore and Australia are still popular with Abu Dhabi customers, other, nearer locations, are enjoying a surge of popularity.

“We are already seeing that people are happy to go to much nearer destinations for their holidays, such as Jordan, Syria, Egypt and Cyprus,” adds Mr Khorsheed. “It seems that people do not want to travel too far for their holidays, combined with the fact that destinations such as the UK and Europe are now very expensive, whether it be because of hotel prices or the general cost of living. Also, the weather is likely to be more uncertain!”

Originally published in Abu Dhabi Week vol 2 issue 15