SWOT about Abu Dhabi Heritage Village - Case Study Example

Introduction According to Lonely Plant Travelers, an organization that deal with marketing of tourist destinations in United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi heritage village is ranked in the eight position out of 44 most attractive tourist sites in Abu Dhabi. It is considered as an important site tourists will always desire to explore when in Abu Dhabi. The heritage village is set in an attractive place characterized by lovely and trickling fountains and lush gardens which gives people/tourists a comfortable environment and space to spend their morning before it becomes steamy. Part one SWOT analysis Strengths -Abu Dhabi heritage village provides an educational environment where the visitors learn in a nutshell the local people used to live in their traditional rural environment, their arts and their lives. - It provides visitors with a break of having traversed modern gigantic buildings because the village is located in the middle of Abu Dhabi. Hence, visitors are treated to a totally different phenomenon or experience once they reach the heritage village. - The barasti house, the traditional mosque, the Bedouin encampment with camel and goat hair tent provide visitors with an opportunity to explore the historical pre-oil days that characterized the traditional life of Abu Dhabi people. -Inside the heritage village visitors are treated to more experiences such as learning how to make pots, beating brass, blowing glass, and weaving looms. - The heritage village provides visitors with more physical experiences such as riding on camels and shopping on traditional market which enables the visitors to reconstruct how life was in Abu Dhabi before the oil era. - The village museum located in the heritage village provides tourists with an understanding of the type of garments, jewellery, coins, irrigation systems, weaponry and diving equipments used during the ancient times by the Abu Dhabi people. Visitors are therefore able to reflect on the cultural background of the Abu Dhabi people since every society has its cultural and traditional roots which fade with time. - The heritage village is located in an island and it is linked by bridges to the city of Abu Dhabi. This location provides visitors with a relaxing space and environment away from the noise of the city and thus it is a comfortable and relaxing site. Weaknesses -The texts provided on different sites inside the village are aimed at people with an understanding of Arabic language. Hence, the texts are not understandable and therefore visitors without an understanding of Arabic language get confused easily. - Most of the things in the heritage village symbolize the desert way of life experienced during the ancient days. For example, coffee pots with camp fire, camel and goat hair tents, and a traditional irrigation system. However, visitors are not likely to understand these symbols without the help of an interpreter and thus these symbols remain irrelevant if the visitors are not meant to understand what they stand for. - Enough information is not provided about the functions of different equipments and tools found in the heritage village. For example, there are a wide range of dried herbs inside the heritage village but there is insufficient information about the type, the composition and the type of diseases the dried herbs were used to treat. Opportunities -The Abu Dhabi heritage village is located in an attractive environment away from the noise of the city. This makes it an attractive place which can attract numerous visitors both locally and internationally. - As compared to other tourist destinations in Abu Dhabi such as the dhow harbor, Volcano Fountain, Abu Dhabi ice Rink, the heritage village has the potential for growth and netting numerous visitors who come to the destination for educational purpose due to the wide range of cultural and traditional equipments found in the village. - The heritage village has the potential for attracting both the adults and the little children because it provides activities that can be enjoyed by both the adults and children such as camel riding. Hence, through effective marketing, the heritage village can net a wide range of audience. - The heritage village has the required space and environment for more experiences such as traditional dances, and cultural demonstrations. If all these are incorporated in the heritage village, then visitors may take more time in the village interacting with traditional dancers and engaging in cultural and traditional activities, thus making the visitors experience more physical. -It is evident that travelling to and out of the heritage village especially for people travelling in buses is a major problem because the bus has to wait for long hours until it gets more passengers. Additionally, those traveling in cabs have to pay extra for cab drivers to wait for them because once it leaves, it is hard to find another cab. The heritage village has the opportunity to record high number of visitors once the travelling problem is resolved. Threats -Increased competition from other tourist destinations in Abu Dhabi. For example, women’s handcraft’s center is a major competitor because it provides visitors with firsthand knowledge of both traditional ancient and modern handcrafts made by women in Abu Dhabi. Al Ain national museum is also a major competitor because it provides a collection of ancient equipments, items and traditional artifacts just like the heritage village. - Travelling problem for people using cabs and buses is a major threat given that heritage village is located in an island and visitors take a shorter time to complete their visit in the village. Without effective transport system, visitors may relocate to others tourist destinations which have effective transport systems. Part two Turing weaknesses into strengths In order to enhance the understanding of the visitors, the texts provided in the site should be written in local and foreign languages. For example, the management should determine the languages spoken by different visitors in the heritage village and provide texts in those languages. The physical environment should comprise of more physical experiences for the visitors. For example, more demonstrations as well as traditional dances should characterize the visitors’ experiences. This is important in order to increase the time taken by the visitors in the village. Since, the heritage village is located in an island from the city, the physical environment should comprise of more relaxing phenomenon such as camel riding, boat riding, spaces for visitors to sit and relax and less of traditional artifacts. Visitors should also be provided with ample information regarding the roles, purpose and use of the different things they find in the heritage village. This would increase the understanding of the visitors regarding the cultural heritage of Abu Dhabi people. Turning threats into opportunities Travelling is major threat because visitors desire to enjoy each moment of their travel to their desired tourist destinations. The heritage village should increase the frequency of cabs in and out of the heritage village. Additionally, the heritage village should also increase the frequency of buses in an out of the heritage village. This would make travelling easier for the visitors. By making the heritage village livelier with increased demonstrations, engaging visitors in physical interactions with the traditional lifestyles of Abu Dhabi people, it will be easier to overcome the competition from other competitors. Hence, the management of the heritage village should explore ways of making the village experience lively for the visitors. Furthermore, the management should also enrich the physical environment in the heritage village with items found in other competitors’ environment in order to increase the time visitors spend in the village as compared to other tourist destinations. References Middle East Hub. Heritage Village Abu Dhabi. http://www.middleeasthub.com/abu-dhabi/tourist-attractions/heritage-village.html Read More