16 SPECIAL FEATURE
16 SPECIAL FEATURE CULTURAL TOURISM Culture in Abu Dhabi The prestigious emirate has so much more to offer than the glitz and glamour of the city Hall 2.2 / Stand 200 Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) is spearheading a large delegation of more than 50 of the emirate’s leading hotels, tour operators, attractions and destination management companies at ITB Berlin, to help build on last year’s record number of visitors. Among TCA Abu Dhabi’s primary objectives at ITB Berlin is to develop strong partnerships and marketing initiatives with leading tour operators to further grow the emirate’s presence internationally and leverage the destination’s cruise appeal while building awareness around the Authority’s global destination campaign. One of the key attractions for the emirate is that of culture, and visitors to ITB Berlin will learn a great deal about the destination’s cultural attractions. Al Ain National Museum QASR AL HOSN EXHIBITION OPENS TO THE PUBLIC TCA Abu Dhabi announced the opening of the Qasr Al Hosn Exhibition to the public on 8th March. The exhibition offers visitors a journey through the story behind Abu Dhabi, as well as the history of the region surrounding Qasr Al Hosn, and highlights the restoration and conservation development project that includes Qasr Al Hosn and its surrounding area. The Qasr Al Hosn master plan was launched on Monday by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and it is expected to be completed by 2018. Moving through the various zones of this lasting cultural icon, Qasr Al Hosn Exhibition presents a rich collection of oral testimonies, historical photographs, and other materials that highlight the history of the region, and the vital role of Qasr Al Hosn within Abu Dhabi as a beacon of heritage, culture, and Emirati tradition. The exhibition also relates the extensive history of Abu Dhabi and the story of its development through to the modern era. The newly renovated cultural destination underpins the everlasting vision of late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE, and his invaluable initiatives to integrate culture into the identity of the emirate of Abu Dhabi. His vision inspired the concept behind the new design of the exhibition as an active hub for education, culture, and entertainment, as well as a window through time that presents both a rich history and a bright future. The exhibition includes nine exhibition zones that collectively narrate the 450- year old story of Abu Dhabi from its establishment to the present. TRAVEL THROUGH EMIRATI TRADITIONS WITH TCA ABU DHABI AND AL AIN NATIONAL MUSEUM TCA Abu Dhabi and Al Ain National Museum have organized a unique public tour for both residents and tourists alike to experience Emirati culture first hand. The tour, Travel Through Our Traditions, will run its first instalments on March 15 and March 22. Visitors will be able to spend time with Emirati women and families in their homes and farms, giving them an insight into the traditions and customs of Emirati life. Travel Through Our Emirati Traditions aims to offer the larger UAE community intimate settings to know more about Emirati culture, customs and traditions. The tour will begin at 10am departing from Souq Al Jabra and will pass through the old central market, concluding at the Women’s market in Oasis Hospital. These markets and souqs represent the essence of traditional life in Al Ain and are known for products like Bakhour, Henna, and local Emirati clothes. Participations will also get a chance to visit the homes of Emirati women, and experience Emirati hospitality, while discussing tales of the past. The hosts will also discuss topics of daily life and symbols of Emirati Heritage including the traditional burqa, what it represents in Emirati culture, the role of Henna art and patterns in Emirati traditions; and an in depth look into traditional Emirati embroidery and how it is made Al Ain National Museum ITB BERLIN NEWS • Friday 10 th March 2017 www.itb-berlin-news.com
SPECIAL FEATURE CULTURAL TOURISM 17 ITB’s MUSEUMSWELT Showcases European Culture - and Football For the first time ever, ITB Berlin 2017 welcomes MUSEUMSWELT [World of Museums], a stand representing 123 museums from Germany, Austria, Greece, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland. The internet portal museum.de. inspired the idea of uniting a diverse array of European museums in one single ITB location. Founded in 2008, museum.de allows cultural institutions from all over the world to publish their exhibition information, pictures, news and audio guides for free. “We want to give museums an opportunity to better communicate with visitor,” explains Uwe Strauch, who runs the project. “A major issue for museums is to be able to communicate internationally or even beyond their own region. They mostly lack financial resources to do so and our initiative at ITB Berlin is to give them an opportunity to reach a global audience.” Located in Hall 10-2, visitors are welcomed by an impressive landscape of museums, with postcards showing pieces being exhibited in the 123 participating institutions. “Response has been very good from museums, especially as we charged a minimal fee for their presence,” says Strauch. There are also real exhibition objects being shown at ITB MUSEUMSWELT, the highlight being the 2014 Uwe Strauch CEO, Museum.de FIFA World Cup trophy that is normally held in the German Football Museum in Dortmund. Hall 10.2 / Stand 112 26 New Books Help Germany Discover Lithuania’s Culture When Lithuania and the other Baltic states first received special attention at the international Leipzig Book Fair in 1997, only 5 Lithuanian authors’ books published in German were presented. This month, in the 2017 edition, there 26 books are at the epicentre of this celebration, which attracts book lovers from around the world. They will serve as 26 windows onto Lithuania’s cultural historical landscape, which will soon be celebrating its 100th anniversary, and 26 invitations for German readers to brighten and enrich their mental map of a country they share so much in common with. A broad cultural program has also been planned that emphasises Vilnius’ traditions as a multilingual, cosmopolitan city and explores Lithuania’s relationships with its Polish, Russian and German neighbours. The country’s cultural links to Germany will also be at the centre of attention during Lithuania’s presentation at Leipzig, including the figures of Thomas Mann and Johannes Bobrowski and the cultural and historical legacy of Eastern Prussia. There are about 50 events planned for the book fair and the Leipzig Reads (Leipzig liest) festival, including readings, discussions, and debates on relevant political issues Hall 18 / Stand 126 Press Conference at Lithuanian Embassy in Berlin last week. ITB BERLIN NEWS • Friday 10 th March 2017
