The Visitor Experience Academy uses AI-powered training to improve service standards across hotels, attractions, cultural sites, airports, and other tourism touchpoints.
Abu Dhabi has launched the Visitor Experience (VX) Academy, a destination-wide training initiative designed to strengthen service standards across the emirate’s tourism sector.
Launched by the Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), the academy uses AI-powered learning to equip tourism frontliners with practical skills, destination knowledge and a deeper understanding of Emirati hospitality.
The programme has already onboarded 38,643 learners from 260 organisations across Abu Dhabi’s tourism ecosystem. Participants include employees from 149 hotels, 27 attractions and 18 cultural sites.
Academy Covers Abu Dhabi’s Wider Tourism Ecosystem
The VX Academy is designed to create a more consistent visitor experience across multiple points of the tourism journey.
The initiative covers 11 visitor touchpoints, including airports, hotels, attractions, cultural sites and shopping destinations.
Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, Director General for Tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi, said the people interacting directly with visitors play an important role in shaping their experience of the emirate.
He said the academy is designed to give tourism frontliners the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to deliver hospitality, service and cultural understanding consistently across Abu Dhabi.
The programme forms part of Abu Dhabi’s wider Tourism Strategy 2030 and its efforts to strengthen the emirate’s position as an international tourism destination.
AI-Powered Training for Tourism Workers
A key element of the VX Academy is its use of AI-driven e-learning modules.
Rather than providing identical training to every employee, the platform offers role-specific professional development designed around the responsibilities of different frontline workers.
The training is intended to help tourism organisations improve operational efficiency while maintaining consistent service standards.
It also provides employees with greater knowledge of Emirati culture and hospitality, helping them better understand the destination they represent when interacting with visitors.
Building a Shared Visitor Experience Standard
The VX Academy is the first major implementation of DCT Abu Dhabi’s wider Visitor Experience programme.
Earlier this year, the department introduced Visitor Experience Guidelines designed to establish common standards across Abu Dhabi’s tourism ecosystem.
The guidelines and academy work together to create a shared approach to visitor service, covering different stages of a traveller’s journey through the emirate.
This includes the first interaction at an airport, stays at hotels, visits to cultural and entertainment attractions, and experiences at shopping destinations.
Supporting Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy 2030
The initiative comes as Abu Dhabi continues to develop its tourism infrastructure and visitor economy.
By focusing on the people who interact directly with travellers, DCT Abu Dhabi aims to make service quality a consistent part of the visitor experience across different businesses and locations.
With more than 38,000 learners already enrolled, the VX Academy has established an initial training network spanning hundreds of organisations.
As the programme expands, it will remain focused on professional development, Emirati hospitality and culture, operational effectiveness, and consistent service delivery.
The academy ultimately gives Abu Dhabi’s tourism sector a common training platform while supporting the emirate’s broader ambition to strengthen its visitor experience through 2030.
The VX Academy is the first major implementation of DCT Abu Dhabi’s wider Visitor Experience programme, following the launch of Visitor Experience Guidelines earlier this year.
Supplied/ Gulf News
