A senior official from the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) said all 16,000 hotel rooms are booked at 100 percent occupancy because of the Formula One race this weekend. The ADTA has set up new visitor centers at the race track and in shopping malls, and the ADTA now has a permanent site at the Abu Dhabi International Airport. ADTA’s strategy and policy director, Lawrence Franklin, said they have introduced substantial new visitor ‘collateral’ such as postcards of tourist’s sites and cultural attractions, and a new official visitor guide. Travel buyers arriving from the United States, Asia, and Europe, will be given guided tours of Abu Dhabi by the ADTA.
Franklin said the Formula 1 race spurred a great deal of infrastructure development, bringing a major strength to Abu Dhabi as a tourism destination. He said “A world class, unique major motorsport venue, corporate venues, seven hotels on Yas Island alone, and major new road infrastructure are all examples.”
