The Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC), a global business and leisure tourism management and development firm, is moving forward with its diversification strategy by taking over Etihad Holidays, the tourism business unit of Etihad Airways.
With the acquisition of Etihad Holidays, ADNEC aims to expand its footprint in the tourism sector. The acquisition will also support the UAE’s tourism sector, given ADNEC’s extensive experience and capabilities across the tourism industry.
Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri MD & Group CEO ADNEC
“ADNEC is proud to welcome this important business entity into its portfolio. We hold a long-term investor perspective in identifying and acquiring key assets in developed markets. This move will strengthen the Group’s competitiveness and will increase direct and indirect economic contributions to the UAE’s tourism sectors. This decision further reinforces our commitment to investing in growth opportunities that will deliver long-term returns to the Group.”
ADNEC’s Tourism 365 will operate Etihad Holidays, taking it from a platform focused on the local market to a fully-fledged tour operator supplying online and traditional travel agencies with Etihad network holiday packages from key source markets.
Capital Experience, Tourism 365’s destination management arm, will be the exclusive supplier of Etihad Holidays across the UAE when it comes to hotels, transfers and attractions.
Ms. Roula Jouny, Executive Director of Tourism 365, commented, “We are thrilled with this move. This new development solidifies our strategic role in strengthening Abu Dhabi’s position as a destination and bolstering the incredible efforts of the UAE’s wider tourism industry. This asset transfer will significantly expand Etihad Holidays’ presence in key source markets especially from a B2B tour operator standpoint.”
