More than 400 tourism and cultural organisations invited to participate.
The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has launched its inaugural Visitor Experience Awards to recognise organisations and frontline professionals delivering outstanding experiences to visitors across the emirate.
More than 400 tourism and cultural organisations have been invited to participate in the first edition of the awards. The annual programme aims to raise service standards, celebrate excellence across the sector and further strengthen Abu Dhabi’s position as a leading global tourism destination.
Led by DCT Abu Dhabi’s Visitor Experience (VX) function, the awards feature eight categories recognising businesses and frontline teams.
The programme aims to celebrate achievements while encouraging organisations to enhance accessibility, embrace innovation and continuously improve the services they provide to visitors.
Two award streams
The awards are divided into two main streams:
The Business Awards will honour organisations that demonstrate excellence across key areas of visitor experience, while the Frontliner Awards will recognise employees who engage directly with visitors and play a key role in creating memorable experiences.
A total of 24 winners will be announced at a gala ceremony later this year, attended by tourism leaders and industry representatives.
Entries will be evaluated by an independent judging panel comprising leaders and experts from Abu Dhabi’s public and private sectors.
The panel will bring together expertise spanning tourism, hospitality, culture, customer experience, innovation, accessibility and service excellence.
Improving the visitor journey
Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, Director General for Tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi, said visitor experience plays a key role in shaping how travellers perceive a destination and whether they are likely to recommend it or return.
“Through the Visitor Experience Awards, we are recognising the organisations and frontline professionals setting the benchmark for excellence while inspiring continuous improvement across the sector,” he said.
“By celebrating innovation, accessibility and outstanding service, we are strengthening Abu Dhabi’s reputation as a destination where exceptional visitor experiences are delivered consistently at every stage of the journey.”
The awards are part of DCT Abu Dhabi’s wider Visitor Experience programme, which aims to foster a culture of service excellence across the emirate’s tourism sector. The programme also includes the recently launched Visitor Experience Guidelines and VX Academy, which offer additional support to tourism organisations and professionals.
Together, these initiatives aim to ensure visitors enjoy seamless, authentic and memorable experiences throughout their time in Abu Dhabi — from their first interaction with the destination to the end of their journey.
