Welcome Back to Abu Dhabi: Etihad and Zayed International Airport Launch Cultural Journey for Returning Families

Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi Airports and the Culture Sector of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) have launched a joint arrival campaign, "Welcome Back to Abu Dhabi", at Zayed International Airport (AUH), aimed at families returning from summer holidays as the new school year begins. The activation offers specially designed cultural boarding passes, QR-code itineraries, children's giveaway keepsakes and free access for children and senior citizens to selected museums within the Saadiyat Cultural District. The programme will run throughout the back-to-school season and forms part of a wider series of community-centred initiatives the three partners plan to roll out during the year.

"turning the journey home into an introduction to museums, heritage sites and cultural experiences across the emirate."

The arrival experience is positioned to encourage families to extend their holiday curiosity into local cultural exploration. Families arriving at Zayed International Airport will encounter a dedicated welcome-back activation that targets both children and parents. As part of the activation, travellers receive cultural-themed boarding passes directing them to curated cultural experiences and events across Abu Dhabi. A QR-code journey is embedded in the campaign to provide access to family-focused itineraries, museum highlights and event listings tailored to returning residents.

Key elements of the campaign include:

• Specially designed cultural boarding passes handed to arriving families to guide them to cultural attractions and events across the emirate.
• A QR-code journey linking to curated family itineraries, museum highlights and cultural events.
• Children's giveaway items that carry the campaign story and act as keepsakes encouraging further exploration.
• Free access for children and senior citizens to a selection of museums in the Saadiyat Cultural District, accompanied by educational guides on Abu Dhabi's cultural and historic sites.

Organisers framed the campaign as a way to convert the back-to-school period into an opportunity for local discovery. The airport activation is expressly part of a wider programme delivered by Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi Airports and DCT Abu Dhabi that is designed around key moments in the community calendar and showcases the emirate's cultural and tourism offerings to both residents and visitors.

The initiative highlights Abu Dhabi's museum network and heritage locations, placing the Saadiyat Cultural District at the centre of the offer. Free entry for children and senior citizens at selected Saadiyat museums lowers the barrier for family visits and supports educational engagement with the emirate's cultural assets.

Outlook

The campaign is scheduled to operate across the back-to-school season, with the QR-code experience acting as the gateway to additional family-focused offers and programming. As passenger volumes at airports increase during this period, the activation aims to reach a high number of returning families and convert airport arrivals into cultural visits. The collaborative model between a national carrier, airport operator and the culture sector could be used as a template for future activations tied to other community calendar moments, broadening awareness of Abu Dhabi's cultural destinations among residents and inbound travellers alike.