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Abu Dhabi hotel guest target on track

Abu Dhabi remains right on track to attain its 2012 hotel guest target of 2.3 million with figures just-released by Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, or TCA Abu Dhabi, showing a 15 per cent guest arrivals increase in the first eight months of this year compared to the same period in 2011.

From January to the end of August, 1,551,888 guests stayed at Abu Dhabi’s 130 hotels and hotel apartments accounting for 4,393,820 guest nights — a rise of 10 per cent on last year’s comparative period — and a three per cent uplift in total hotel revenue to Dh2.8 billion ($770 million).

“We are well-placed to again achieve our annual target as we have a series of major events to come, including EidFest Abu Dhabi, the F1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and Abu Dhabi Art,” said Mubarak Al Muhairi, director-general of TCA Abu Dhabi.

“December will also see the launch of the destination’s next major power draw — the Yas Waterworld Aqua Park — which is already attracting worldwide attention and promises to deliver a significant year-end boost for Abu Dhabi.”

The destination benefitted from its best August performance to date with a 58 per cent increase in guest arrivals when compared to the same month last year, a 27 per cent climb in guest nights to 519,610, a four per cent uplift in occupancy levels to 55 per cent and a 19 per cent rise in total hotel revenue to Dh255 million ($61.6 million) — a result TCA Abu Dhabi attributes to the Eid Al Fitr holiday that fell at the end of the month.

“The GCC, including domestic tourism from within the UAE, was our strongest growth market during August with guest arrivals from the region climbing 128 per cent on last year — there was particularly strong growth from Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia — which suggests that our campaign of there’s much more now to see and do in Abu Dhabi is taking hold within our neighbouring countries,” said Al Muhairi. “We are quietly confident of expanding the length of stay with new leisure product coming on line and plans to increased activation of the existing product portfolio nearing completion.”

— business@khaleejtimes.com