Abu Dhabi Unleashes New Tourism Era With First Visitor Experience Awards Celebrating Service Excellence

Written By: Ankita Sarmah

Ankita Sarmah

A passionate storyteller and aspiring journalist, Ankita Sarmah is currently pursuing a Master’s in English at DU while exploring the evolving landscape of journalism. With two years of practical experience, she has developed a strong ability to transform ideas, observations, and experiences into engaging narratives that connect with readers. Her journey combines academic knowledge with real-world reporting, allowing her to explore diverse fields such as culture, travel, and lifestyle through a creative and insightful perspective. Driven by curiosity and a passion for meaningful storytelling, Ankita strives to create fresh, authentic, and impactful content that informs, inspires, and leaves a lasting impression. For her, every story is more than words — it is an experience crafted to engage, connect, and resonate with audiences.

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August 18, 2026 2:28 PM

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Abu Dhabi hosts “Visitor Experience Awards” to promote tourism excellence and innovation. Abu Dhabi has announced the establishment of Visitor Experience Awards, the emirate’s first-ever awards program that will recognise tourism entities and their staff for demonstrating excellence in their services to both residents and visitors. The newly launched scheme, unveiled by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), is set to drive standards, encourage innovation and boost accessibility as a means to enhance the emirate’s status as a preferred global destination.

The inaugural awards programme has invited more than 400 tourism and cultural organisations to participate. The initiative will become an annual platform celebrating excellence across Abu Dhabi’s visitor economy while supporting continuous improvement in the way travellers experience the emirate.

New Awards Programme Sets Higher Tourism Service Standards

The Visitor Experience Awards have been created as part of Abu Dhabi’s wider focus on enhancing the quality of visitor journeys. The programme recognises that every interaction, from arrival to departure, contributes to how travellers view a destination and influences their decision to return or recommend it to others.

Led by DCT Abu Dhabi’s Visitor Experience function, the awards include eight categories designed to highlight achievements across different areas of the tourism sector. The programme focuses on organisations and individuals that demonstrate outstanding commitment to creating smooth, engaging, and memorable experiences for visitors.

Through the awards, tourism businesses are encouraged to improve their services, introduce new ideas, adopt inclusive practices, and continue developing solutions that meet the changing expectations of travellers.

The initiative reflects Abu Dhabi’s broader ambition to build a tourism environment where quality, creativity, and customer-focused services remain at the centre of destination growth.

Business and Frontline Categories Highlight Tourism Excellence

The awards are divided into two major streams: Business Awards and Frontliner Awards.

The Business Awards recognise tourism and cultural organisations that demonstrate strong performance in delivering high-quality visitor experiences. These awards focus on businesses that successfully create welcoming environments, provide innovative services, improve accessibility, and maintain strong standards across their operations.

The Frontliner Awards celebrate employees who directly engage with visitors and play a vital role in shaping their experiences. Frontline professionals working across tourism and hospitality sectors often represent the first point of contact for travellers, making their contribution essential to building positive impressions of Abu Dhabi.

By recognizing both organisations and individuals, the awards highlight the importance of teamwork in creating a destination experience that is consistent, authentic, and memorable.

A total of 24 winners will be announced during a special gala ceremony later this year. The event will bring together tourism leaders, industry representatives, and professionals from across Abu Dhabi’s visitor economy.

Independent Judging Panel to Recognise Innovation and Service Quality

The winners of the first Visitor Experience Awards will be selected through an independent evaluation process. A judging panel made up of experts from Abu Dhabi’s public and private sectors will assess submissions based on key areas linked to visitor satisfaction and service excellence.

The panel will include specialists with experience in tourism, hospitality, culture, customer experience, innovation, accessibility, and service development.

This approach ensures that participating organisations and professionals are recognised for measurable achievements and meaningful contributions to improving visitor experiences.

The awards also encourage tourism businesses to examine their own services, identify opportunities for improvement, and adopt practices that support long-term growth within Abu Dhabi’s tourism sector.

As global travellers increasingly seek personalised, accessible, and high-quality experiences, destinations are focusing beyond traditional attractions and infrastructure. Service quality has become a key factor in destination competitiveness, and Abu Dhabi’s new awards programme aims to place visitor experience at the heart of tourism development.

Abu Dhabi Expands Visitor Experience Strategy for Future Tourism Growth

The Visitor Experience Awards form part of DCT Abu Dhabi’s wider Visitor Experience programme, which is designed to create a culture of service excellence throughout the emirate’s tourism industry.

The programme includes initiatives such as Visitor Experience Guidelines and VX Academy, which provide additional support, resources, and training opportunities for tourism organisations and professionals.

The Visitor Experience Guidelines help businesses understand expected service standards and provide direction on improving visitor interactions. Meanwhile, VX Academy supports professionals by developing skills and knowledge needed to deliver stronger customer experiences.

Together, these initiatives aim to create a more connected and visitor-focused tourism ecosystem across Abu Dhabi.

The emirate continues to expand its position as an international destination by combining cultural attractions, hospitality offerings, entertainment experiences, and modern infrastructure with a strong focus on quality service delivery.

Abu Dhabi recently announced the first-ever Visitor Experience Awards, which recognize tourism excellence and thank those responsible for making Abu Dhabi an attractive destination for millions of tourists.

The opening of the Visitor Experience Awards marks a new era for the development of the Abu Dhabi government, which is intended to appreciate the efforts of the local tourism industry and attract more visitors to the emirate. Organizing the event allows the government to recognize the achievement of the industry in delivering pleasant visitor experiences, providing excellent customer service, and contributing to the overall success of tourism.