Abu Dhabi: Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) on Wednesday said the total hotel revenues for the emirate during the first quarter of 2019 have increased by more than 16 per cent compared to the same period last year due to rise in the number of hotel guests.
In total, 1,291,482 visitors were guests of Abu Dhabi’s 169 hotels and hotel apartments in the first quarter, an increase of about 6,600 over the same period in 2018, DCT Abu Dhabi said in a statement.
There were marked increases for visitors from the USA, with a 13.8 per cent rise for the first quarter. Average length of stays for visitors from the UK, China, India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also saw an increase. There was also a 51 per cent rise in visitors coming to Abu Dhabi for leisure purposes compared to last year during the first quarter.
These numbers confirm our strong start to 2019 and that our efforts and strategic planning are proving successful. The [first-quarter] figures were without doubt boosted by visitors inspired by all Abu Dhabi offered in the first three months of the year.
“These numbers confirm our strong start to 2019 and that our efforts and strategic planning are proving successful. The Q1 figures were without doubt boosted by visitors inspired by all Abu Dhabi offered in the first three months of the year,” Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary, DCT Abu Dhabi said.
“We will continue to focus on our key markets in the second quarter of this year, promoting more world-class events. Abu Dhabi International Book Fair saw an increase of 18 per cent in visitor figures, attracting experts, authors and book fans from across the world.”
% 13.8
Increase in visitors from the United States of America“We are confident that we will build on our strong start to the year, and we look forward to seeing our metrics in positive territory as we head towards summer.”
The figures released by DCT Abu Dhabi also show a 15 per cent increase in Average Room Revenue (ARR) coupled with an occupancy rate of 79 per cent during the first quarter of 2019. F&B (food and beverage) revenues also gone up by 10.4 per cent in the first quarter.
Events such as the AFC Asian Cup, IDEX exhibition, Special Olympics World Games, and the Retail Abu Dhabi (RAD) shopping festival, alongside the popularity of new attractions including Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi, the Al Hosn cultural site and Qasr Al Watan Library all provided a significant boost to the emirate’s appeal as a tourism destination for the first three months of the year.
