Dubai: The UAE's tourism industry generated Dh22 billion in revenues last year, according to the National Council for Tourism and Antiquities (NCTA), the federal government's tourism regulatory body.
Hotels and hotel apartments served 14.5 million guests last year, generating 44.3 million guest nights, 15 per cent higher than the level of 2010 as the hotel occupancy rate rose to 70 per cent.
The Arabian Travel Market which got under way yesterday was inaugurated by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
He was accompanied by Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates airline and Group, and Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways, and other dignitaries.
Huge interest
The four-day event is expected to welcome about 23,000 visitors and over 2,400 exhibitors from 87 countries.
Following the opening, Shaikh Mohammad viewed the latest statistics on the UAE's hotel industry in 2011.
European guests topped the list followed by Asians, citizens from GCC countries. North Americans came in fourth place.
Shaikh Mohammad hailed the achievements of the government and private establishments who seek to promote tourism and attract more foreign investments and tourists.
He expressed confidence in the national material and human resources and underscored diversification of the sources of national income through a modern and diversified tourism industry.
The UAE, he noted, is now a favourite destination for foreign investors and tourists.
Mohammad Khamis Al Muhairi, Director General of the NCTA, said, the country's tourism industry grew 15 per cent to 14.5 million guests in 2011.
Europeans were the leading in guest nights by 10.5 million followed by Asian at 9.3 million and GCC national by six million, he remarked.
"The tourism sector's contribution to the UAE GDP reached 7 per cent in 2011 and we expect it to grow further this year," Al Muhairi said.
Hotel room capacity is expected to reach 20,000 rooms by 2015 and 70 per cent of these hotels are located in Dubai, he added.
However, tourism sector's contribution to Dubai GDP reached 31 per cent last year, the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) said yesterday.
Khalid Bin Sulayem, Director-General of DTCM said that they are expecting 10 per cent rise in hotel guests in 2012 against the previous year's 9.3 million hotel guests and cruise passengers.
