Abu Dhabi’s biggest-ever tourism offering will be in the spotlight at this year’s Arabian Travel Market, running in Dubai early May.

Over 45 Abu Dhabi tourism stakeholders will fill a pavilion organised by Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority with more than 80 products – some being rolled out for the first time.

“The product line-up reflects the destination’s expanded offering and includes transports suppliers, hotel operators, major attractions, hospitality management companies, travel agents, tour operators, an international sports resort, MSC Cruises as well as desert, island, beach and golf resorts,” explained Mubarak Al Nuaimi, international promotions manager, ADTA.

New to Abu Dhabi’s line-up are: Al Forsan International Sports Resort, the UAE capital’s latest multi-faceted destination which features a wide variety of leisure and extreme sports activities; Ayla Hotels & Resorts Management which is making its international exhibition debut at Arabian Travel Market and which recently opened the 153-room, four-star Ayla Hotel in Al Ain and Five Continents Hospitality, which manages the Mourouj Hotel Apartments in the UAE capital.

Al Forsan International Sports Resort in the UAE

The pavilion will also feature some of the soon-to-open hotels in Abu Dhabi including the Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort & Spa and the Jumeirah@ Etihad Towers, the first Jumeirah hotel in the UAE capital while Al Marfa Pearl Hotels Management will be launching its new rooms and watersport facilities at its Mirfa Hotel in Abu Dhabi’s Al Gharbia Western Region.

“The range of new business opportunities and partners means a visit to the Abu Dhabi pavilion is essential to regional operators wishing to expand their business within the emirate,” said Al Nuaimi.

This year marks Abu Dhabi’s eighth showing at Arabian Travel Market where the emirate’s tourism industry looks to forge stronger links with the GCC trade.

“The GCC market is extremely important to us because it is a market on our doorstep characterised by a strong propensity for travel,” explained Al Nuaimi.

“Last year, the GCC, with the exception of the UAE, accounted for over 102,000 hotel guests to Abu Dhabi, which was a 19 per cent rise on 2009.

“In the first two months of this year, the GCC market showed further signs of growth delivering over 20,000 hotel guests – a 14 per cent rise on the same period in 2010.

“Of these markets, Saudi Arabia is proving the most prolific. In 2010, some 38,633 hotel guests from the Kingdom were welcomed into Abu Dhabi’s hotels – a rise of 26 per cent on the previous year.

“The trend continued in the first two months of this year with some 9,645 Saudis staying in our hotels – a 61 per cent rise on the same period in 2010,” said Al Nuaimi.

Last year Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority was recognised as the World’s Leading Tourist Board by the World Travel Awards.