Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi are celebrating the exceptional growth of their Abu Dhabi Stopover programme.
The relaunch of the initiative has exceeded expectations, significantly boosting Abu Dhabi’s tourism sector.
The Abu Dhabi Stopover programme, exclusive to Etihad Airways, has seen remarkable growth since its inception. The programme welcomed 24,000 international visitors in the first half of 2024, compared to 7,000 in the latter half of 2023 – an extraordinary increase of 242%. This strong performance, coupled with growing demand and increased bookings for the second half of the year, puts the initiative on track to achieve its ambitious target of 75,000 international stopover visitors in 2024.
Travellers are embracing the opportunity to discover Abu Dhabi, with an average stay of two nights. The programme has particularly resonated with travellers from key markets including England, USA, Australia, EU countries, and India.
The programme’s popularity has been further bolstered by enhancements to the booking process. A new, user-friendly landing page on etihad.com has driven a 43% increase in web traffic from potential visitors seeking information about Abu Dhabi.
Travellers booking flights with Etihad can easily add a stopover and select a complimentary hotel stay for one or two nights from a range of premier hotels across the city. This seamless process allows travellers to turn their transit into an enriching Abu Dhabi experience, exploring the emirate’s world-class hotels, stunning beaches, vibrant dining scene, and exhilarating entertainment.
Building on this success, Etihad Airways and DCT Abu Dhabi are exploring ways to further enhance the programme, aiming to provide even more value and unique experiences for visitors.
Etihad connects 80 worldwide destinations through its home at the state-of-the-art Zayed International Airport. Located conveniently at the edge of the city, the airport makes it easy for stopover visitors to explore Abu Dhabi before seamlessly connecting to their onward destinations.