AN OUTSTANDING performance by Abu Dhabi’s hotels and hotel apartments in November has taken the destination to within a whisker of its 1.65 million hotel guests target for 2010.
November results released by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) show a 27 per cent increase in hotel guests compared to the same month in 2009 with some 169,001 staying in the emirate. Guest nights surged by 42 per cent to 544,753. This made November the second highest performing month after February.
Occupancy levels rose by 18 per cent to 77 per cent, average length of stay increased from 2.88 nights to 3.2, while monthly revenue climbed by 24 per cent to Dh509 million (US $139.4 million) – the first such growth recorded in 11 months.
November’s results took Abu Dhabi’s hotel guest performance for the first 11 months of 2011 to 1,646,799 coupled with a 17 per cent increase in guest nights to 4.6 million.
“There is no doubt that the staging of the Formula One Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and it being the finale to the season, had a strong positive influence on November’s hotel statistics,” said Lawrence Franklin, strategy and policy director, ADTA. “The impact of the Grand Prix, the recently opened Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and the Yas Island Show Weekends, mean it is now certain that we will surpass our annual target.”
Domestic tourism for November grew 19 per cent, while North America proved a strong market growing by 48 per cent in hotel guests. Europe recorded double digit growth of 29 per cent for the first time in 2010 with particularly strong performances from the UK, which increased by 62 per cent, Germany (up 24 per cent) and France (up eight per cent) - all strong F1 markets.
“Room revenue in November achieved growth of 24 per cent of the back of increased numbers of guests and strong room rates. Average room rate growth slowed by only -6 per cent year-on-year as compared to an average of -26 per cent for the rest of the year,” said Franklin. “Food and beverage revenues meanwhile notched up their highest growth, achieving a 30 per cent increase.”
The UK remains Abu Dhabi’s top performing overseas market delivering some 108,554 British hotel guests to the emirate in the first 11 months of 2010 and accounting for some 483,091 guest nights. China has also crept into the emirate’s top 20 overseas market rankings lying in 19th place with some 13,586 guests staying in Abu Dhabi during the year – a 27 per cent rise 2009 –accounting for some 34,691 guest nights.