This year’s Abu Dhabi Summer Season has seen a dramatic rise in the number of domestic, regional and overseas visitors staying in the emirate’s accommodation during the three-month-long period of entertainment and offers compared to the previous year.

During Summer Season, which ran from June 11 to September 5 across Abu Dhabi city, Al Ain and the Western Region, a total of 951,979 visitors checked into the emirate’s 169 hotels and hotel apartments, up 21 per cent over the same period in 2014.

Abu Dhabi Summer Season, organised by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) saw world famous children’s shows, star-studded concerts and international theatre performances at venues across the emirate to entertain stay-at-home residents from across the country and visitors from abroad.

The season of diverse shows combined with superb promotions and offers across Abu Dhabi’s hotels and attractions also saw 12 Mercedes-Benz cars given away as raffle prizes in a mega draw for shoppers across 12 of the emirate’s malls.

TCA Abu Dhabi said the visitors from India topped the list registering the largest increase during Summer Season, up 29.8 per cent to hit 68,618 from last year's 52,852 followed by the Americas who showed an impressive 24.4 per cent growth to hit 45,125, while visitors from Europe grew by 18.1 per cent to 125,098.

Visitors from across the GCC, not including the UAE, increased by 9.8 per cent to 79,086 from the previous year, while visitors from Oceania showed growth of 4.3 per cent to 16,471. Visitors from within the UAE also showed double digit growth over July, August and September.

“We are hugely encouraged by the number of visitors who came to the emirate to experience Abu Dhabi Summer Season this year, not only from across the GCC but from around the world. This is an annual programme and one that reaps very positive rewards in our visitor numbers during the traditionally quieter summer period,”remarked Sultan Al Mutawa Al Dhaheri, the acting executive director of tourism sector, at TCA Abu Dhabi.

“We are moving to become a year-round destination for the whole family and hope to bring even more partners on board next year for a bigger and better Abu Dhabi Summer Season to encourage a greater number of visitors to come and enjoy Abu Dhabi and its diverse range of scenery, culture and entertainment with us,” he added.

Partners and stakeholders who helped TCA Abu Dhabi in presenting this emirate-wide Abu Dhabi Summer Season were recognised at a special gala event.

The award ceremony at the Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal on Thursday night showed the Authority’s appreciation for government entities, event organisers and Summer Season associates from the private sector which supported TCA Abu Dhabi in executing a successful calendar of events and activities while encouraging tourism into the emirate.

A committee of judges at TCA Abu Dhabi selected the award winners from a range of sectors including hotels, retail and attractions based on feedback submitted to the Authority.

Winners included Millennium Hotels & Resorts for Top Hotel Contributor; Marina Mall for Top Retail Contributor and Yas Island as Top Attraction Contributor. Outstanding Contributor Awards were presented to Al Ain Municipality, Culture & Community Centre in Western Region, Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi Media, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, i General Trading and UAE-based event organisers Alchemy Project, MBC Group, Flash Entertainment and Yak Events.

“It is important what we recognise the achievements and successes of this year’s Summer Season and show appreciation to our multiple partners, which includes government entities and companies from the private sector, who worked with TCA Abu Dhabi in delivering this three-month-long event across Abu Dhabi city, Al Ain and the Western Region,” said Al Dhaheri.-TradeArabia News Service