FTI Touristik, a market-leading tour operator for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, will bring 150 of its top selling German travel agents to Abu Dhabi this December for a sales appreciation incentive and educational workshop programme.

 

The workshop, the company’s first outside Europe, will celebrate FTI Touristik’s 30th anniversary and comes as the company looks to grow package sales to Abu Dhabi by 60 per cent this year.

 

“The workshop will give our top sellers a fantastic opportunity to experience first-hand the destination we now want them to focus on selling,” said Ralph Schiller, chief commercial officer of FTI Touristik. 

 

“There has been significant tourism infrastructure development, particularly with relevance to leisure, in Abu Dhabi recently and it is crucial that these important client-facing bookers are fully up-to-date with the destination’s expanded offering.”

 

The three-day workshop incentive, signed at the recent ITB Berlin travel and tourism fair under the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) and Etihad Airways joint ‘Access Abu Dhabi’ marketing programme, comes after FTI turned in a 152 per cent increase in sales to Abu Dhabi last year compared to 2011. 

 

“The workshop is part of an expanded ‘Access Abu Dhabi’ sales promotion programme agreed with FTI which will also see the company provide destination point-of-sale material to 5,000 travel agents across its operating territories, instigate online B2B2C promotions, initiate targeted TV advertising and stage a dedicated B2B travel agency road show across Switzerland,” said Mubarak Al Nuaimi, director promotions & overseas offices, TCA Abu Dhabi.

 

The UAE currently ranks among FTI Touristik’s top five destinations. 

 

“As a co-initiator, together with TCA Abu Dhabi, of the ‘Access Abu Dhabi’ initiative Etihad Airways is delighted to support the FTI Touristik workshop programme this December,” said Peter Baumgartner, Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad Airways. 

 

“The workshop will help to increase significantly the travel agents’ knowledge of Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways, and the important ties we have with our strategic partner, airberlin which will deliver more visitors to our destination; and it is great to see that the programme is already delivering tangible commitments and results to the benefit of all tourism stakeholders.” – TradeArabia News Service