Abu Dhabi is offering coronavirus vaccines from Pfizer Inc. and China’s Sinopharm to tourists, a move that may help attract visitors from countries that have supply constrains.
The vaccines are only available for holders of a visa issued by Abu Dhabi or holders of passports eligible for visa on arrival, according to the sheikhdom’s health care provider Seha’s phone application.
Bruno Trenchard, senior manager – Hotels and Hospitality, CBRE Middle East, told Arabian Business it could open up a door for the emirate to promote vaccine tourism, but cautioned he did not expect to see a huge increase in regular tourists.
He said: “There had been some considerations by some Abu Dhabi investors to develop wellness or medical tourism destinations in or around Abu Dhabi in the last years; maybe vaccination tourism could be a start for this in the capital.
“However, we don’t anticipate this to bring a major push to tourism as Abu Dhabi is still relatively difficult to access for many tourists who need to quarantine on arrival, having both time and financial implications that not everyone can afford.
“As such, the incentive of the vaccine would be appealing mostly to well-off travelers from countries where the vaccine – Pfizer especially as it makes international travel easier while Sinopharm doesn’t – is not easily available yet.”
The United Arab Emirates, of which Abu Dhabi is a part, has one of the fastest Covid-19 vaccine rollouts in world, with more than 14.5 million shots administered to its population of about 10 million.
Dubai, another emirate in the UAE and home to Emirates Airline, hasn’t so far announced any plan to provide vaccines to tourists.
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