IN the crowded lobby lounge of Abu Dhabi's elite Jumeirah at Etihad Towers hotel, overlooking the Persian Gulf, cigar smoke hangs thick in the air as the world's most powerful tourism bosses cut deals. Geoffrey Kent, co-founder of the luxury British tour operator Abercrombie & Kent, is there. So is The Travel Corporation's Brett Tollman, who controls brands such as Contiki, AAT Kings and Trafalgar Tours.