Abu Dhabi’s ADNEC acquires Etihad Holidays

The Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) has acquired Etihad Holidays to expand their footprint in the tourism space, it announced on Thursday.

Tourism 365 – ADNEC’s tourism promotion business – will operate Etihad Holidays, scaling it from a locally-focused platform 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 regarding hotels, transfers and attractions, a statement said.

Etihad Holidays will offer packages to key destinations including cities in the UAE, Thailand, Seychelles, and Maldives, among others.

Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, managing director and group CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company, said: “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 decision further reinforces our commitment to investment in growth opportunities which will deliver long term returns to the Group. ADNEC Group has wide-ranging experience in overseeing successful tourism and hospitality assets and will bring the same insights and strategic focus to ensure the continued success of this important entity.”

“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,” adds Roula Jouny, executive director of Tourism 365.

Last month, ADNEC said that it would expand its existing facilities in both London and Abu Dhabi.

Read: ADNEC launches expansion plans in London and Abu Dhabi