At the now-running World Travel Market in London, Abu Dhabi is back in the limelight throughout the event again, scooping the coveted 'Best Stand Award' at the world event - a global recognition which proves that the UAE capital is taking jumbo leaps in the travel industry with an ever growing range of tourist attractions to match the emirate’s rich heritage.

Mubarak Al Nuaimi, Director of Promotions and Overseas Offices, Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, told Emirates News Agency, WAM, on the sidelines of the world event which will draw to a close tomorrow that the department’s stand is witnessing a consistent stream of visitors, with people keen to learn more about the UAE capital’s myriad tourism developments.

"2017 has been an immensely successful year, with a lot to look back on with Pride. The icing on the cake is tomorrow's opening of Louvre following 10 years of inter-governmental discussions, planning and collection of 600 exhibits."

"During WTM 2017, we’ve managed to communicate to our visitors all our new attractions, notably the inauguration of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, this month, as well as the launch of some stunning hotels and theme park attractions in the capital."

"Lots of people from the industry have talked to us about the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Grand Prix, and Golf tourism in Abu Dhabi, and are aware of our packed calendar of events in the coming months. We are holding several business meetings as a result of people approaching the stand. We’ve also met with several tour operators who are taking groups of travel agents to Abu Dhabi in the near future."

On how Abu Dhabi performed so far in 2017, Al Nuaimi said "The 2017 figures have been so encouraging. Up to 3,520,782 hotel guests have stayed in Abu Dhabi during 2017 until September.

"The UK remains the leading European market with arrivals for 2017 standing at 173,103 until the end of Q3. China is the top overseas nationality with 270,379 visitors up to September 2017. India is the second top overseas nationality with 256,418 visitors. The top 10 inbound markets from January to September 2017 are UAE, China, India, UK, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, USA, Germany and Jordan."

On prospects of growth for the culture tourism, Al Nuaimi said the opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi within days and the start of the Saadiyat Island Cultural District growth will create a significant momentum in this sector. "In addition, DCT continues to drive visitors to Al Ain to discover the heritage offerings there as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site."

"We will continue to develop Abu Dhabi as a cultural tourism destination. We will celebrate the reopening of Qasr Al Hosn following its renovation. We will raise further awareness of the museums, forts and UNESCO World Heritage sites of Al Ain. Efforts will continue as well to develop regional tourism within Abu Dhabi, ensuring that the regions of Al Ain and Al Dhafra are promoted alongside Abu Dhabi City. Within this context, we will introduce the concept of Emirati Experiences which is bookable tours that will show visitors the authentic side of Abu Dhabi."

He added that the emirate will continue to invest in hosting world-class sporting events like the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and the Formula 1 Etihad Airwys Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

"During 2018, we look forward to welcoming Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, a planned indoor amusement park in the capital that is expected to increase visitor numbers to Yas Island from 25 million in 2015 to 30 million in 2018."

He highlighted plans to open two new mega malls in 2018, one of which will boast the world’s largest indoor snow part.

On the UK market, Al Nuaimi said that toward the end of 2017 and through to March 2018, "We will be working on a joint campaign with Etihad Airways, promoting the destination to consumers through advertising in print, digital, radio and on TV. We will continue our focus on agent training, touring the country to visit agents and tour operators. We are planning to increase the number of joint marketing partnerships we have in place for 2018."

On how does Abu Dhabi stand out from other destinations in the region, Al Nuaimi said "Our commitment to culture really sets us apart, as can be seen with the opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi. The UAE capital offers world class-culture experiences that both celebrate the Arabian traditions of the past and embrace a more globalised future. The opening of Louvre demonstrates our ambition to become a distinctive cultural tourism destination. In the meantime, our visitors can relish the architectural beauty of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, which came second this year in TripAdvisor’s list of the world’s top 25 landmarks."