Capital lowers tourism forecast

The Abu Dhabi Government has lowered its tourism growth forecast in the wake of the global financial crisis, although it still sees the sector as a major driver of the emirate’s economy.

Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon, the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), said the capital’s tourism sector would still experience more than 50 per cent growth on current visitor levels to reach 2.3 million guests by 2012, down from the ADTA’s previous forecast of 2.7 million visitors.

The industry was a key component in the capital’s economic diversification strategy, Sheikh Sultan said.