Abu Dhabi stopover scheme sees 76%...

UAE capital attracted 25,000 bookings in Q1 2025 with flight plus free hotel stay package

Abu Dhabi's Stopover Programme has seen visitors surge 76% as more passengers take advantage of the transit opportunity.

The programme, backed by Etihad Airways and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), saw 25,000 bookings in the first four months of 2025, up 47% on the same period in 2024, while visitors rose to 44,000 compared to 25,000.

This growth reflects the growing appeal of Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital, which welcomed 1.4 million overnight guests in the first quarter of 2025, an increase of 4% on the same period last year, which was also a record.

International stopover visitors in 2024 to Abu Dhabi reached 85,000 and this is expected to increase to 130,000 this year.

The opportunity to encourage stopovers is clear when you see Abu Dhabi attracted 3.2 million international overnight guests in 2024 (28% higher than 2023), but Zayed International Airport (AUH) handled 29.4 million passengers in that time.

Visitors who have a connecting flight in Abu Dhabi can book a stopover and get a complimentary two-night stay at one of the city's hotels – effectively turning one holiday into two.

This has proved particularly popular with long-haul passengers from the US and Canada, as well as traditional key markets in the UK, Germany and France.

Stopover visitors can also use the new Abu Dhabi Pass to get discounts at key attractions, including Ferrari World and Louvre Abu Dhabi, and free public transport.

Museums and cultural attractions are playing a key role in the capital's tourism success, with the Louvre Abu Dhabi recording more than 1.4 million visitors in 2024, its highest attendance since opening in 2017.

Louvre Abu Dhabi

"With the success of our stopover programme, we aim to strengthen partnerships and broaden our global reach, ensuring our unique cultural identity remains central to our long-term tourism vision,” said His Excellency Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, Director General for Tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy 2030 aims to attract 39.3 million overnight and same day visitors by 2030, with plans to contribute US$16.9 billion to the emirate’s economy in 2025, up 13% on the previous year, and US$24.5 billion by 2030.

For more information, visit www.etihad.com and dct.gov.ae/en

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