Abu Dhabi Hotels Surpass Growth Target By 6.5%Tuesday, January 24, 2012
 More than 2.116 million people stayed in Abu Dhabi’s hotels in 2011, beating its target for the year by 6.5 per cent, as the emirate continues to emerge as a key tourist and transit hub in the region. According to the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, or Adta, annual growth was recorded across a number of key metrics, including guest nights, which were up 22 per cent at 6.3 million; occupancy levels, which rose seven per cent at 69 per cent; revenue, which rose three per cent at Dh4.375 billion; and length of stay, which expanded five per cent at 2.97 nights. Room revenue increased by two per cent at Dh2.3 billion, though the average room rate slipped by 14 per cent, while food and beverage revenue rose by six per cent at Dh1.605 billion. “This is a highly encouraging result in a year which has seen substantial additions to our hotel and resort inventory, including several five-star beach properties opening up Saadiyat Island to guests,” said Adta chairman Shaikh Sultan nin Tahnoon Al Nahyan. “There is a clear correlation between this increase, our opening of offices in Russia and the US, our heightened focus on the Asian markets, a vibrant calendar of world-class events, increased air access with the arrival into Abu Dhabi of new carriers and the expansion of Etihad Airways’ network and a substantial increase in cross-network marketing undertaken by the arrival of major new hospitality brands.”
“It leaves us well-placed to build for 2012 for which we had initially target 2.3 million but, in conjunction with stakeholders, will now reassess to see if this too, can be stretched.” December delivered a bumper return for Abu Dhabi with some 207,723 guests checking into the emirate’s hotels — a 26 per cent rise on December 2010 and the highest achieving month of the year. “We attribute the strong December performance to people taking their seasonal festivity breaks in the emirate and staying for the lead up to the New Year’s celebrations,” Adta director-general Mubarak Al Muhairi said. Domestic tourism accounted for 39 per cent of overall 2011 arrivals with the GCC, including the UAE making up 45 per cent of hotel guests. Al Muhairi said that within the GCC, Saudi Arabia performed particularly well with guest numbers climbing by 58 per cent, making its the sixth-largest international source. “Asia’s growth was particularly influenced by increased in arrivals from India, which rose by 30 per cent to 108,170 guests and is now the emirate’s second largest international source market, and China, which was up 15 per cent to 16,795.
Russia also performed well, with guest arrivals rising 44 per cent on the year to 13,989. Europe’s growth rate was primarily influenced by: the UK, which remains Abu Dhabi’s biggest international source market accounting for 139,319 — an increase of 18 per cent. “These results should be viewed as highly encouraging when viewed against a background of world economic uncertainties which are impacting many destinations,” said Al Muhairi. “We begin 2012 buoyed by Abu Dhabi being named ‘Golf Destination Of The Year Middle East and Africa’ by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators which we hope to further leverage through our newly-launched Golf In Abu Dhabi product.” “We are also now working ever more closely with stakeholders to spur creative packaging of our products, including our events and to realize the potential held out by the Unesco Heritage site listing of attractions in Al Ain,” Al Muhairi said.Source: Khaleej Times
|
|
