Dubai: Abu Dhabi saw hotel guest numbers grow by 14 per cent in the first nine months of this year compared to 2012, according to a statement released by Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) on Tuesday.
The city attracted 1,981,732 guests from January to September, and 226,002 guests in September, up 19 per cent compared to the corresponding time last year.
“Although obviously pleased with the increase in guest numbers, particularly given we now have 13 per cent more rooms available than this time last year, we are also greatly encouraged by an increasing trend towards longer stays by individuals with the average-length-of-stay now reaching 3.16 nights – which is a 6 per cent rise on September last year,” Mubarak Al Muhairi, director general of TCA Abu Dhabi said in the statement.
Hotel revenues in the first nine months of the year rose by 18 per cent to Dh3.7 billion. Food and beverage income contributed Dh1.5 billion, up 17 per cent. In addition, revenue per available room (RevPAR- a benchmark for performance) grew by 6 per cent to Dh285.
Meanwhile, average room rates for the same period dropped 2 per cent on last year, standing at Dh419.
Additionally, guest nights stood at 6,195,319, rising by 25 per cent year-on-year, while average length of stay was up 10 per cent to 3.13 nights, and occupancy climbed 8 per cent to 68 per cent.
India is Abu Dhabi’s largest international source market for hotel guests, with 121,763 Indians staying at the emirate’s hotels in the first nine months of the year, up 24 per cent year-on-year, followed by the UK and Germany. Gulf countries continue to be ranked in the emirate’s top 20 international source markets, including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait.
The emirate currently has 148 hotels and hotel apartments, with 25,671 rooms, and aims to attract 2.5 million hotel guests by the year-end.
