Abu Dhabi sees a 15 per cent growth in the number of business travellers entering the emirate which will take the total tourist number to 1.5 million by the end of this year, said the emirate's tourism board.

The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) forecast comes ahead of the emirate's hosting of largest Gulf Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings exhibition from March 28 to 30.

The tourism officials expect the business visitors numbers to increase by 200,000 from last year to 1.5 million – some 225,000 of which are likely to be in the destination as part of the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (Mice) segment.

“Business related tourism will continue to deliver lion’s share of demand in 2011 growing to 1.5 million hotel guests. Mice tourism which includes both international and domestic visitors, estimated at 225,000 hotel guests will deliver around 15 per cent of this demand,” said Lawrence Franklin, director strategy and policy ADTA.

'Last year, the travel for business as a percentage of Abu Dhabi hotel guests was 72 per cent or approximately 1.3 million of the 1.8 million who stayed in the emirate’s 115 hotels and hotel apartments. Of this, some 215,000 guests arrived specifically for Mice activities,' Franklin stated.

ADTA, along with 26 of its destination stakeholders, will exhibit at GIBTM, presenting a range of new venues and products.

“The line up will present Abu Dhabi’s expanding Mice capabilities from new hotels and resorts to destination management and ground handling facilities,” said Mubarak Al Nuaimi, international promotions manager, ADTA.-TradeArabia News Service