Abu Dhabi partners with Sojern to boost tourism recovery

Hotels in Abu Dhabi increased direct bookings following the successful pilot programme

Sojern, a provider of digital marketing solutions for the travel industry, has announced an extension of its partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) to drive more travellers into the emirate using its Co-Op Marketing Programme.

The hospitality industry has been heavily impacted by the pandemic but DCT Abu Dhabi has worked closely with the UAE government to launch a series of stimulus initiatives to support tourism’s recovery.

Hotels in Abu Dhabi were able to increase direct bookings following the successful pilot of the joint marketing programme that reached more than 3 million people through a highly targeted advertising campaign. The programme is a prime example of Destination Marketing Organisations (DMOs) and their partners combining resources to directly reach customers with multichannel digital advertising strategies across video, display, native, Facebook and Instagram.

DCT Abu Dhabi  Executive director of Tourism and Marketing Ali Hassan Al Shaiba said: “We were looking for ways to support the hospitality industry and navigate the economic challenges presented by the pandemic, and the partnership with Sojern helps us do just that by supporting hotels in Abu Dhabi to drive direct bookings and improve room profitability.

“DCT Abu Dhabi is committed to collaborative efforts between the private and public sectors within the local tourism industry to continuously support and drive tourism growth to the capital. Our efforts are aligned with the overall strategic objectives and vision to support the evolution of Abu Dhabi into a world-class destination, while also reinforcing the capital’s position as a forward-thinking tourism destination.”

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The Co-Op Marketing Programme is designed to help DMOs and their partners increase the effectiveness of their marketing initiatives through collaboration and drive revenue for the travel industry at scale.

Sojern managing director of MEA Stewart Smith said: “Hotels in Abu Dhabi were looking to improve their direct booking volumes and reduce commission from Online Travel Agencies through these challenging times. As such, we are delighted to have worked with DCT Abu Dhabi, hotel partners, and Spark Foundry to design, build and deliver successful campaigns.”

DCT Abu Dhabi has expanded its partnership with Sojern through to the end of 2021 including rolling out the initiative to all eligible hotels in the city. This second phase will further support properties across Abu Dhabi and aims to attract incremental direct bookings from both domestic and international tourists.