Business | Tourism
Dubai hotels brace for robust demand
Hotels and tourism companies will have no need to announce special packages as the busy tourism season follows Ramadan and rates return to their normal levels.
- By Nadia Saleem, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:02 October 5, 2008
- Some hotels in Dubai say European traffic slowed in the summer, but most expect visitor numbers to increase as Dubai hosts various exhibitions beginning this month and as the winter season sets in.
- Image Credit: Gulf News archive
Dubai: Hotels and tourism companies will have no need to announce special packages as the busy tourism season follows Ramadan and rates return to their normal levels.
The next few months will see major exhibitions being held in Dubai and ensure high occupancy rates in local hotels.
"The month [October] has started with Eid holidays and [the] leisure segment looks very promising," said Shujaat Yar, Area Director of Sales and Marketing at Starwood Hotels and Resorts.
"Business will continue to grow in the next few weeks as several events and exhibitions create additional demand," he added.
The Golden Tulip Hotel in Al Barsha is bracing for strong demand. While the hotel had special promotions during Ramadan, normal rates will be in place in the winter season.
"Because of exhibitions in October, we are already full. It's a very high season and it will continue like this in the next few months," said Marcela Bizachi, sales manager of the hotel.
Occupancy rates at Golden Tulip was about 85 per cent during Ramadan. The hotel now expects rates to increase to 90 to 100 per cent, Bizachia said.
Walid Al Awa, Director of Sales and Marketing, Tamani Hotel, said he expects corporate business to start flowing in after October 8.
Tamani saw lower occupancy rates in Ramadan and projections are that these will now rise to 75-85 per cent.
Comparing this year's hotel traffic to previous years, Dilip Waghaye, resident manager at Ramada Hotel, said occupancy rate in hotels in Dubai in the summer has been the lowest in many years.
He added that the month of Ramadan particularly saw fewer guests.
Hotels in Dubai continue to receive guests from the region, but European traffic has slowed.
Al Awa expects more European visitors for the exhibitions.
Bizachi said Golden Tulip receives a good mix of visitors from over the world.
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