Etihad Airways is launching a range of leisure and business activities to entice more visitors to Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The national airline's new destination management company (DMC) will promote tours of the region, desert safaris, bespoke experience packages and special events in collaboration with local tourism groups. It will also be closely linked to the airline's vacation offshoot - Etihad Holidays.

Etihad Airline's chief commercial officer Peter Baumgartner said: "Abu Dhabi continues its impressive growth towards becoming a key global business and leisure destination and the DMC will be a central part of achieving these ambitions.

"We look forward to launching this one-stop inbound tourism shop in close cooperation with our destination partners and tourism services providers across all seven emirates."

Despite the economic slump, the number of tourists staying in Abu Dhabi's hotels are projected to increase from 1.45 million in 2007 to around 2.7 million per annum by the end of 2012, according to the latest figures released by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA).

The potential influx of tourists will find numerous new visitor attractions, including the Yas Marina Formula One racetrack, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and Louvre Abu Dhabi art galleries and the Saadiyat Beach Golf Course.