Abu Dhabi Pass combines transport and discounts on top attractions

Aiming to enhance visitor experiences, Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) has introduced a digital travel pass offering free SIM cards, unlimited transport and discounts on top attractions.

Offering exclusive discounts on popular attractions, activities, transportation and accommodation, the official Abu Dhabi Pass comes as part of a calculated effort to boost tourism and improve visitor experiences.

Authorised by the DCT and backed by Etihad Airways, the digital travel pass was announced last month at ITB Berlin, the largest tourism trade show in the world.

The Abu Dhabi Pass removes the need for multiple reservations or paper tickets, turning the visitor experience into a completely digital adventure.

To use the pass, passengers on Etihad Airways will receive an email with a link to access the pass via a special website - and there will be no need to download an app or pay extra.

Benefits aimed at improving tourists' ease and experience include:

Connectivity: By enabling communication and access to digital resources, a tourist SIM card with 10GB of data ensures visitors stay connected during their trip.

Transportation: Visitors may easily and freely explore the city with 24-hour unlimited rides on the hop-on-hop-off tourist bus network and unlimited access to Abu Dhabi's public bus network.

Attraction Discounts: Pass members receive exceptional pricing at Yas Island's entertainment attractions, including Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, SeaWorld Yas Island and Yas Waterworld, in addition to exclusive 15 percent savings at prestigious cultural sites, such as Qasr Al Watan and Louvre Abu Dhabi.

Dining and Experiences: The pass enhances the entire visitor experience by giving access to discounts at more than 200 eateries throughout the emirate and saves money on well-liked activities like guided city tours and desert safaris.

Eyes On Tourism Strategy 2030
The launch of the Abu Dhabi Pass is in line with Abu Dhabi's Tourism Strategy 2030, which aims to increase connectivity and provide outstanding offers to visitors. The strategy's lofty objectives include bringing in 39.3 million tourists, adding almost 200,000 new tourism jobs and boosting Abu Dhabi's GDP by AED90 billion (US$24.5 billion) by 2030.

Enhancing Stopover Programs
Based on Etihad's successful stopover program, which saw 85,000 foreign tourists in 2024, as opposed to 12,000 in 2023, the Abu Dhabi Pass is anticipated to increase these figures even more. The airline expects to accommodate over 1,30,000 stopover passengers in 2025, which is a more than 50% increase from the previous year.

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Image: Zip line attraction at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi.