Department of Culture and Tourism invites over 400 entities to compete across eight categories celebrating service standards and frontline professionals.
ABU DHABI, August 18, 2026:The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi has launched its first Visitor Experience Awards, an initiative designed to honor hospitality organizations and frontline staff who raise service standards across the emirate.
More than 400 tourism, cultural, and hospitality entities have been invited to participate in the inaugural edition. The awards scheme, managed by DCT Abu Dhabi’s Visitor Experience division, will run annually to boost service delivery and reinforce Abu Dhabi’s standing as an international destination.
Eight distinct categories have been created across two main streams: the Business Awards, which evaluate organizational performance in visitor delivery, and the Frontliner Awards, which highlight individual workers delivering direct customer care.
Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, Director General for Tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi, emphasized that overall visitor sentiment directly dictates return visitation and global destination appeal.
“Through the Visitor Experience Awards, we are recognizing the organizations and frontline professionals setting the benchmark for excellence while inspiring continuous improvement across the sector,” Al Geziry said. He noted that celebrating innovation and accessibility helps ensure high service standards remain consistent across every stage of a traveler’s journey.
An independent judging panel composed of public and private sector leaders in hospitality, culture, accessibility, and customer service will evaluate submissions. A total of 24 winners will be announced at a official gala ceremony later this year.
The awards initiative integrates into DCT Abu Dhabi’s wider Visitor Experience framework, which includes the recently introduced Visitor Experience Guidelines and the VX Academy, both designed to standardize training and service quality across the emirate.
