Abu Dhabi's hotels receiving 2m guests

Abu Dhabi hotel guests rise in first 9 months of this year Abu Dhabi - Arab Today Abu Dhabi has received just short of two million hotel guests in the first nine months of this year after a stellar September which saw year-on-year increases across a number of key performance indicators. Figures just released by Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) show that last month, the destination received 226,002 hotel guests - a 19 percent rise on September last year, with guest nights achieved rising 26 percent to 714,577. "Although obviously pleased with the increase in guest numbers, particularly given we now have 13 percent more rooms available than this time last year, we are also greatly encouraged by an increasing trend towards longer stays by individuals with the average-length-of-stay now reaching 3.16 nights - which is a 6 percent rise on September last year," said Mubarak Al Muhairi, Director General, TCA Abu Dhabi. "We have focused strongly this year on convincing visitors that there is now much more to see and do in Abu Dhabi emirate - as evidenced by a slew of resort and attractions openings this year and we will continue to build on this proposition as we target an average-length-of-stay of over the four night mark." Average room rate in Abu Dhabi in the first nine months of this year has fallen 2 percent on last year and now comes in at AED419 (US $114). The September guest intake means that in the first nine months of this year, Abu Dhabi, which now has 148 hotels and hotel apartments offering 25,671 rooms throughout the emirate, received 1,981,732 guests - a 14 percent increase on 2012. Guest nights achieved from January to September end came in at 6,195,319 - up 25 percent year-on-year. Average-length-of-stay for the first nine months has risen 10 percent to 3.13 nights while occupancy rose 8 percent to 68 percent . Hotel revenues in the first nine months jumped by 18 percent to AED 3.7 billion (US $1 billion) of which f'&'b income contributed AED1.5 billion (US $395.9 million) - an increase of 17 percent . Revenue per available room (REV PAR) moved up 6 percent to AED285 (US $114). "We look forward to strong returns from October when hotels benefitted from the Eid Al Adha break and, of course, from the final quarter overall as we approach a hectic season of major events, including the headline Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and a range of events and attraction offerings planned for the UAE National Day weekend," added Al Muhairi. Guest arrivals from within the UAE inched up 3 percent in the first nine months delivering a 27 percent increase in guest nights to 1,586,875 and a 23 percent increase in length-of-stay to 2.3 nights. "We still have a way to go in convincing domestic visitors of the sheer diversity of our offering and that there is much to discover in the wider emirate - and with planned additional attractions due to come on line in both Al Gharbia and Al Ain, we hope to begin to rectify this," said Al Muhairi. "We have also introduced attractive packaging around our major events - including December's Al Ain Aerobatic Show and January's Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship whereby guests staying in hotels in the emirate gain free entry to both." India is now the destination's largest overseas source market for hotel guests with 121,763 Indians checking into the emirate's hotels in the first nine months - a year-on-year uplift of 24 percent . In all Indian guests delivered 490,175 guest nights - which is up by 30 percent while their average-length-of-stay crept up 5 percent to just over four nights. The UK is now the emirate's second largest overseas source market with 109,330 Britons checking into Abu Dhabi hotels in the first nine months of this year - a 10 percent rise on 2012. The British guests accounted for 518,571 guest nights - an increase of 21 percent year-on-year with an average-length-of-stay of 4.74 nights - again up 10 percent on the year. Germany ranks in third place for source market prominence. The 83,694 Germans who stayed in Abu Dhabi's accommodation from January- to September end this year represented a rise of 25 percent year-to-date. They delivered 405,496 guest nights - which is up 35 percent on the comparative period and stayed, on average, 4.84 nights - which is up 7 percent . The GCC is performing well for Abu Dhabi with Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait all ranking among the emirate's top 20 international source markets. "A rising trend is also South Korea which has now made it to our top 25 market listing recording a 27 percent increase in arrivals year-on-year, a 44 percent increase in guest nights and with a 13 percent rise in the average-length-of-stay," explained Al Muhairi. "We are quietly confident of reaching our year-end target of 2.5 million hotel guests anticipating a busy final quarter boosted by seasonal advantages, an increase in MICE and convention business and arrivals attracted by the destination's back-to-back events programme." Source: WAM