ETIHAD PASSENGERS TO RECEIVE FREE STOPOVERS TO SEE SIGHTS OF CAPITAL

▶ Accommodation offer to promote new attractions and increase visitors from the Middle East, Africa and Pakistan

Etihad is offering passengers a free stopover in Abu Dhabi as part of plans to promote new attractions and boost the number of visitors to the capital.

The airline is offering one night’s free accommodation in Abu Dhabi to all passengers flying economy class from a range of destinations in the Middle East, Africa and Pakistan, from now until September 15.

Etihad has stepped up the number of offers it has extended in recent months to coincide with the opening of new attractions in the city, including Louvre Abu Dhabi. The city’s latest attraction, the theme park Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi, will open in July.

“Etihad Airways is delighted to invite guests to experience Abu Dhabi, a city that has so much to offer every type of traveller, especially during a short stopover,” said Mohammed Al Bulooki, Etihad Airways’ executive vice president commercial.

“Abu Dhabi recorded 5 million guest arrivals last year, proving that the emirate continues to attract greater numbers of leisure visitors each year.”

Mais Alnuaimi, the founder and chief executive of Mundana, a boutique travel agency in Dubai, said the offer made sense given the increasing number of tourist attractions that are opening in Abu Dhabi.

“Since Etihad is government owned it would make sense to want to promote Abu Dhabi,” Ms Alnuaimi said.

“It’s a good promotion and it gets the word out there about the city.”

Countries included in the deal are South Africa, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Nigeria, Kuwait, Tanzania, Kenya, Bahrain, Oman, Sudan and Lebanon.

Saj Ahmad, chief analyst with StrategicAero Research, agreed that the deal made sense as part of a strategy to win favour with transit passengers in some of its strongest markets but he was surprised to see that India was not included as part of it.

“India is a key gateway and with their partnership through Jet Airways, I was surprised not to see India included,” Mr Ahmad said.

“That aside, it’s evident that Etihad is keen not just to harness the strength of Abu Dhabi and showcase it to its guests but it’s also trying to carve out a niche so that if the uptake of this offer is successful, it could well be extended for other destinations across Asia and even Australia or the US.”

The aim is clearly to build customer loyalty and increase revenues, he said.

“If Etihad can get good numbers out of this, they’d be crazy not to extend and expand it.

“It’s a winner for passengers who may in future decide to break up their travel plans with a stop in Abu Dhabi.”

The company is offering one night’s free accommodation to all passengers in economy class until September 15