Abu Dhabi looks to Disney for tourism expertise

Abu Dhabi tourism officials are teaming up with the Walt Disney empire in a bid to bolster service and management standards in the Gulf emirate's tourism industry.
The Disney Institute, a unit of the US entertainment giant, will host a series of seminars subsidised by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), covering customer service skills and leadership.
Emiratis will be offered free places on the courses, the ADTA said in a statement.
Abu Dhabi is spending billions of dollars on visitor attractions and luxury hotels in a bid to diversity its petrodollar-driven economy. Alongside the city's Formula 1 circuit and Ferrari World ï¾ the world's largest indoor theme park ï¾ Abu Dhabi plans to open a $165 million water park in 2012 and the first overseas post of the Louvre museum.
Mohi-Din BinHendi, President of UAE conglomerate BinHendi Enterprises said in May that Dubai needed an entertainment resort on the size and scale of Disneyland if it is to establish itself as a global tourism destination, stating "we need an entertainment anchor for the family, something like Disney but not Disney.
" If we have a project like this in Dubai, we have an anchor for the whole of the world.
"There is a big gap between Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disney (and) a craving for an entertainment anchor (in this region)."
Although the Walt Disney Company has been suggested as a potential partner for stalled entertainment resort Dubailand, the company has since said it has no plans to open in the region.
A Walt Disney Company spokesperson explained "we continually look for opportunities to grow our business and as a part of that process, we have conversations with many different entities.
"While Dubai is an attractive market, we currently have no plans for the region."

http://www.abudhabitourism.ae/en/news/disneytraining.asp