Responsible travel

What to wear

Abu Dhabi is a destination with almost year-round sunshine, little rainfall and near-perfect winter temperatures. Lightweight summer clothing is suitable for most of the year, but something slightly warmer may be needed for the winter months.
Although the attitude towards clothing style is liberal throughout the UAE, a healthy amount of respect for local customs doesn’t go amiss, especially when shopping or sightseeing.

Tipping in Abu Dhabi

Tipping is not expected but is commonly practised in the emirate. Gratuities to hotel and restaurant staff are at your discretion.

Religion

Islam is the official religion of the UAE and is widely practised. The Islamic holy day is Friday, when some attractions may change their opening times. Abu Dhabi is tolerant of other religions with people being free to practise their religious beliefs.

Visiting Abu Dhabi during Ramadan

Ramadan is a special time in Abu Dhabi. Like always, visitors can explore and discover rich cultural experiences, with even more nighttime dining and festive traditions to choose from. Everyone can enjoy the full range of shopping, dining and attractions, with the opportunity to make deeper connections with the local culture, at their own pace.

Quick facts about Ramadan:

• Ramadan is the ninth and most important month in the Islamic calendar.
• It’s a time for prayer, reflection and community.
• During Ramadan, Muslims worldwide fast from eating, drinking, and smoking from sunrise to sunset.
• Abu Dhabi offers rich cultural experiences, with more nighttime dining and festive traditions.
• Visitors can enjoy a full range of shopping, dining, and attractions, while also connecting with local culture at their own pace.
• Acts of charity (zakat) are highly encouraged.
• There are two main meals during Ramadan... Suhoor is an early morning meal before fasting begins.
• Iftar is the meal that breaks the fast at sunset.

Your clients are warmly invited to embrace the season’s spirit, with even more to see, do, enjoy and discover in Abu Dhabi.

How to get around

Getting around the emirate is easier than ever with the Experience Abu Dhabi shuttle bus and Al Ain shuttle bus services. These free-of-charge transportation options offer comfortable seating, air-conditioning, wheelchair accessibility, and Wi-Fi access. Visitors can simply hop on at any stop, scan the QR code and enjoy the ride!

The colourful Experience Abu Dhabi shuttle bus fleet operates on eight key routes, connecting Yas Island, Jubail Island, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi city centre and the Grand Canal area. Visitors to Al Ain can now enjoy the newly launched Al Ain shuttle bus routes, connecting points of interest throughout the city including Al Ain Oasis and Al Jahili Fort – and even extending out to the Telal and Al Bada Resorts.

TTG’s responsible travel tips

By sharing these tips with your customers, you can encourage them to travel responsibly:

Before travel

• Choose a tour operator that is transparent about its sustainability initiatives. Does it hold any certifications such as B Corp? Does it use local guides? What are its climate initiatives and animal welfare policies? Does it offer positive-impact experiences such as citizen science projects or local community visits?
   
• Think about taking a longer tour in a year instead of two or more short ones to limit the number of flights you take. Always fly direct where possible.
   
• Learn as much as you can about the destination you’ll be visiting, including the language, religion, culture, rules and values. This could include tipping culture, body language, forbidden foods or drinks, or any other day-to-day behaviours. Educate yourself on what’s the norm, what’s acceptable and what’s not so you can be sensitive to any cultural differences.
   
• Pack suitable clothing. If a destination’s main attractions require covered heads or shoulders or long trousers or skirts, ensure you add plenty of options to your suitcase. It’s often considered respectable to adhere to these rules outside of attractions as well as inside, where possible.
   
• Think about borrowing any specific gear required for your holiday from friends and family. Not everything on your packing list needs to be bought new.
   
• Take part in Pack for a Purpose, an initiative that encourages travellers to bring supplies needed by local communities and projects. Check with local organizations or your accommodation to see if they participate in the initiative, then if they do pack items such as school supplies, medical supplies, or other requested items to contribute to community development projects.
   
• Pack a reusable water bottle, metal straw and reusable shopping bag (if not provided by the operator – always ask the question) so you don’t need to buy plastic bottles of water, use plastic straws or accept a plastic carrier when exploring in destination.
   
• Consider taking solid soaps and conditioner bars rather than miniature toiletries, so you don’t leave any empty bottles behind.
   
• Ensure your suncream is reef-safe. Many sunscreens contain chemicals that can harm coral reefs and marine life, so choose sunscreens labelled "reef-safe" or "marine-safe", which do not contain harmful chemicals like oxybenzone and octinoxate.

During the holiday

• Carefully consider your transport to the airport. Can you take a train instead of fly? Can you take a coach instead of a taxi? Always ask yourself these questions once in destination too.
   
• Take part in citizen science projects or positive-impact community visits your tour operator is offering. This is a small action you can take that makes a huge difference.
   
• When visiting local communities, always ask before photographing or videoing the people who live there. And be understanding if they do choose to decline the request.
   
• Shop local. If you’re visiting far-flung or rural communities, contribute to their economy (which likely depends on tourism) by eating in their restaurants when advised by tour leaders, making purchases in their markets, choosing locally-owned tour operators and accommodation, and making souvenir purchases in their shops. It’s important to make sure money funds the destinations you visit as well as the tour operators themselves, but when supporting these local businesses ensure you steer clear of products made from animals or precious resources e.g. coral, bone or teeth jewellery.
   
• Try to eat meat-free or cut down your consumption of red meat, which has high carbon emissions. Even avoiding meat for one or two days of your holiday can make a difference.
   
• Instead of visiting the top tourist attractions in a destination, seek out lesser-visited but equally-enticing options to disperse economic spend and avoid crowding.
   
• Never visit orphanages, schools or purchase trinkets from children, as these actions can contribute to child exploitation. Instead, donate to an organisation or charity that supports these youngsters, their families and their futures.
   
• Tour operators often have strict animal welfare guidelines in place so always ensure you adhere to these. Observe animals from a distance, do not feed or touch them, never take part in animal encounters where the animal cannot move away and if you do have the opportunity to visit domesticated or wild animals in captivity then do your research to make sure the facility is a reliable and respectable sanctuary. Follow guidelines provided by local tour guides. Marine wildlife should be approached slowly and calmly, and as quietly as possible, while departing wildlife should not be chased and engines should be switched off when close to wildlife. Creatures should never be surrounded.

After travel

• Uphold any commitments you made to local charities or organisations during your holiday, and think about ways you can continue your support from afar.
   
• When talking to friends and family about all the amazing experiences you had on your holiday, tell them about the positive impact you had on the local communities and environments – and why it enriched your trip. This will hopefully encourage them to do the same and therefore increase the benefits of more responsible travel around the world.

Feel free to share these responsible travel tips with clients by email, newsletter, social media, in conversation or by adding them to your website.