Abu Dhabi extends partnership with Sojern after successful pilot campaign

First phase of a joint marketing programme reached over three million people

Co-operative travel marketing platform Sojern has extended its partnership with Abu Dhabi to drive demand for the Emirate as travel re-opens.

The renews deal with the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) comes as the country announced an end to all COVID-10 quarantine for visitors.

The partners ran a successful first quarter pilot of the joint marketing programme which has reached more than three million people.

This saw Abu Dhabi hotels increase direct bookings through a targeted, digital display and social media advertising campaign, Sojern said.

The positive impact of the campaign has prompted Aby Dhabi to expand the partnership 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 this year.

Ali Hassan Al Shaiba, executive director of tourism and marketing at DCT Abu Dhabi, 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.”

Sojern’s Co-Op Marketing Programme is aimed at Destination Marketing Organisations (DMOs) and their partners to increase the effectiveness of their marketing and drive revenue at scale.

“Hotels in Abu Dhabi were looking to improve their direct booking volumes and reduce commission from Online Travel Agencies through these challenging times,” said Stewart Smith, managing director of MEA at Sojern.

“As such, we are delighted to have worked with DCT Abu Dhabi, hotel partners, and Spark Foundry to design, build and deliver successful campaigns.”