Abu Dhabi achieves 15 per cent rise in hotel guests in first eight months

HOTELS and hotel apartments in Abu Dhabi achieved a six per cent rise in guests in August compared to August 2009 with some 122,475 guests staying in properties throughout the emirate.

The increased performance took the number of hotel guests staying in the emirate in the first eight months of this year to 1,196,768 – an increase of 15 per cent over the same period last year.

Figures released by Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) show that the number of guest nights achieved rose 10 per cent on August 2009 with a four per cent increase in the average length of stay which rose to 2.92 nights.

“This is a particularly heartening result given that August is traditionally a slow month being one of the hottest and which this year also coincided with Ramadan,” explained Mubarak Al Muhairi, director general, ADTA.

“Year-on-year we are two-thirds of the way to achieving our annual target of a 10 per cent increase in hotel guests to 1.65 million and this is without the pull of our headline attraction, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, which will open the month and our flagship event, the Formula One Grand Prix, which takes place November.”

The number of guest nights achieved by Abu Dhabi’s hotels in the first eight months of the year is 3,199,662 – a 13 per cent increase on the same period in 2009.

Domestic tourism remains buoyant and shows a 15 per cent year-on-year increase. The UK continues to be Abu Dhabi’s top international market producing an 18 per cent rise with some 75,565 British nationals staying in the emirate’s hotels in the first eight months.

The GCC is proving resilient with significant increases in the number of hotel guests, with some 686,981 GCC nationals staying in Abu Dhabi properties in the first eight months – a 20 per cent rise on the same period last year. Growth was particularly strong from Saudi Arabia with figures showing a 23 per cent year-on-year increase.

“We are looking to have a permanent ADTA presence in Jeddah by the end of this year to further nurture this important regional segment,” said Al Muhairi.

The director general said additional room capacity is continuing to drive down overall occupancy levels which slipped 21 per cent to 51 per cent in August this year with a knock-on effect on average room rates which were down 24 per cent.

“We are now a competitive destination after having previously been criticised by the trade and meetings planners for being too expensive, a more realistic balance is now being sought between the needs of investors and those of the consumer, which we would see at a more healthy occupancy of around 65 to 75 per cent,” he said.

Food and beverage revenue throughout Abu Dhabi’s hotels is now making an increasing contribution accounting for 35 per cent of overall revenue as opposed to 30 per cent a year ago.

“Food and beverage revenues have experienced solid growth of 14 per cent in the last eight months as more outlet choice tempts more people to eat out,” said Al Muhairi.