Virtuoso® Luxury Travel Network Chairman’s Recognition Event arrives in the UAE for the first time

Abu Dhabi and Dubai, U.A.E; The UAE opens its doors to 70 of the top producing and most engaged member agencies from the exclusive Virtuoso® luxury travel network, in a bid to boost high value tourism to the region.

Following a competitive pitch process, Arabian Adventures, the Gulf’s leading Destination Management Company and part of the Emirates Group, secured the opportunity to manage the entire on-ground operations for the visitors. As well as the logistical arrangements in the Emirates, the close association with Emirates airline was used to bring the majority of the specially invited group to Dubai International Airport to begin the six-day tour.

Thierry Antinori, Emirates’ Executive Vice President said this of the visit; “Working with an elite association such as Virtuoso® is a very advantageous way of promoting Emirates’ services and our home city, Dubai, to the agencies that form the network. Emirates has been operating flights to and from the US for ten years. Our nine gateways across the country, plus Toronto, Rio de Janeiro, São Paolo and Buenos Aires means that travellers can not only visit the UAE, but connect to one of the many destinations we offer including Australia, Asia and Africa. We welcome this opportunity to showcase to Virtuoso what we can offer, and provide these industry leaders with a memorable first-hand experience that they might share this with their customers.”

The bespoke itinerary has been specially developed with the respective tourism bodies of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, plus key hospitality partners Jumeirah and Emirates Palace, and implemented by the highly knowledgeable team at Arabian Adventures. These significant partnerships have ensured exclusive access to some of the most sought after attractions, excursions and hotels in the U.A.E. Included in this itinerary is a private tour of the ‘Seeing Through Light’ exhibition at Manarat Al Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi, which features selections from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi collection ahead of the museum’s 2017 opening, meaning the Virtuoso guests will see the very best the two emirates have to offer.

Itinerary Highlights

As well as the exclusive tour of the pre-opening Guggenheim Abu Dhabi collection, the itinerary planned for the Virtuoso group includes time at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque – the UAE capital’s most visited landmark, plus the ancient Al Jahili Fort in Al Ain, the emirate’s second city and home to numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Sultan Al Dhaheri, Acting Executive Director Tourism, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority said: “It’s truly a great pleasure to be able to welcome the Virtuoso agents to Abu Dhabi and to our heritage heartland of Al Ain. I want to express my thanks to Virtuoso agents who are currently tipping the UAE as one of the top five destinations to travel across a number of different platforms and firmly believe that once they have experienced our multi-faceted destination for themselves, they will be even more resolute in their recommendations.”

In Dubai, the itinerary takes the group to The Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding in Old Dubai, where guests will experience a taste of the UAE’s rich heritage and culture.

On the other end of the spectrum, the guests will be welcomed at two of the most spectacular hotels in Dubai – the iconic Burj Al Arab and The Armani Hotel in the Burj Khalifa.

Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation of Tourism and Commerce Marketing said, “We are proud that the UAE has won the bid to host this event and we are looking forward to welcome our Virtuoso guests in Dubai and have them discover the unforgettable experiences offered by our city. Dubai aims to become the world’s leading family destination and to welcome 20 million annual visitors by 2020 – events like Virtuoso ensure that more travellers from around the world are made aware of the strength of our tourism offerings, and our rich cultural experiences.”

The Virtuoso Chairman’s Event takes place from 13 to 19 November 2014 and the itinerary incorporates Dubai and Abu Dhabi.                                                                                  

For media information contact:

Hannah Burden-Hamer at Emirates

Hannah.BurdenHamer@Emirates.com 

About Emirates

Emirates was founded as an airline in 1985. It now flies to 147 destinations in 84 countries across six continents, providing air services that enable trade and travel to its home base in Dubai and beyond. Emirates also connects millions of people on the ground each year through its other operations including Emirates Holidays, its destination marketing arm, and tour operator Arabian Adventures.  Seamless trade connections are supported through Emirates SkyCargo, its cargo division.

A multinational and multicultural employer with over 160 nationalities working together, Emirates is committed to connecting people around the globe, and helping them to discover, enjoy and share new experiences together.  This commitment is reflected in its wide portfolio of international sports and cultural sponsorships.

About Arabian Adventures

Arabian Adventures is the Middle East’s leading destination management company (DMC), creating memorable experiences for visitors to the UAE. It provides a complete range of professional, high quality, destination management services to customers and partners including the world’s foremost tour operators, incentive houses, meeting organisers, local corporate businesses and cruise lines.

Part of the Emirates Group, Arabian Adventures has been in operation for 25 years providing a quality product and service and unparalleled access to hotel inventories. Arabian Adventures has offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Fujairah on the East Coast of the UAE and works with partner associates in Oman, Qatar and Bahrain. The company boasts a network of travel shops and desks in a number of UAE major hotels. It has overseas representatives in the UK, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, the USA and a dedicated sales team based in China and Russia.

For further details visit www.Arabian-Adventures.com

About Virtuoso

Virtuoso® is the industry’s leading luxury travel network.  This by-invitation-only organization comprises over 340 agencies with more than 8,900 elite travel specialists in 20 countries in North and South America, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand, as well as over 1,700 of the world’s best travel providers and premier destinations.  The network’s member agencies generate over $12.5 billion annually in travel sales, making the group the most powerful in the luxury travel segment.  Their relationships with the finest travel companies provide the network’s affluent clientele with exclusive amenities, rare experiences and privileged access. For more information, visit www.virtuoso.com. To view Virtuoso’s latest videos, go to www.youtube.com/user/VirtuosoTraveler. 

About Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi)

The 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. TCA Abu Dhabi 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.

www.tcaabudhabi.ae

About Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM)

With the ultimate vision of positioning Dubai as the world’s leading tourism destination and commercial hub, Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing’s (DTCM) mission is to increase the awareness of Dubai to global audiences and to attract tourists and inward investment into the Emirate.

DTCM is the principal authority for the planning, supervision, development and marketing of Dubai’s tourism sector. It markets and promotes the Emirate’s commerce sector, and is responsible for the licensing and classification of all tourism services, including hotels, tour operators and travel agents. Brands and departments within the DTCM portfolio include Dubai Convention and Events Bureau, Dubai Calendar, and Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (formerly known as Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment). In addition to its headquarters in Dubai, DTCM operates 20 offices worldwide.

For DTCM media enquiries please contact:

ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Dubai, UAE

Tel: +971-4-4507600

dtcm@bm.com