Says Mubarak
Rashed Al Nuaimi, Director of Promotions and Overseas Office,
Department of Culture and Tourism, explains the reason behind the
'Abu Dhabi Week' taking place at Kochi
By
Shevlin Sebastian
When
Mubarak Rashed Al Nuaimi looked down through the plane window, as the
plane headed towards the Kochi International Airport, he began
smiling. “It was so green,” says the Director of Promotions and
Overseas Office, Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi. This
was Mubarak's first visit to Kerala and he had come to celebrate the
start of the second edition of the 'Abu Dhabi Week', which is taking
place outside the Nehru stadium at Kaloor, Kochi.
“We
decided to hold the 'Abu Dhabi Week' in India and especially Kochi
because there is a lot of tourism potential,” says Mubarak. “Last
year, we had 3.2 lakh hotel guests from India. This was an 11 per
cent increase, as compared to 2016. The visitors comprised of
individuals and families. Many Indian weddings also took place in Abu
Dhabi. After Kochi, we will be going to Kolkata on February 23. And
later, to other parts of India.”
Mubarak
says there are lakhs of visitors from India, who don't stay in
hotels. Instead, they stay with relatives and friends. “Amongst
this group, the largest are from Kerala, because Malayalis form the
biggest group among the expatriates from India,” he says.
The
aim of the show is to highlight the various attractions of Abu Dhabi.
One of the best places to go is the Yas Island. On it, you can see
the Ferrari World, which is the world's first Ferrari-themed park,
the Yas Waterworld which comprises the size of 15 football pitches
and has 43 rides and a tornado waterslide. Then there is a
world-class golf course, beautiful beaches, and the Yas mall.
“This
is the ideal place for a family,” says Mubarak. “Children can
roam around with absolute safety.” Apart from this, there is the
stunning Louvre Abu Dhabi, an art and civilization museum, the Sheikh
Zayed Grand Mosque, and the Al Ain Oasis.
“There
are many beautiful places in Abu Dhabi,” says Mubarak. “And the
flight time is four hours only. We always welcome Indians and
Malayalees because they are nice people. We love them. They are
warm-hearted and they respect people. And India has such a good
culture.”
(The
New Indian Express, Kochi)
No comments:
Post a Comment