Hotel officials: This reflected positively on occupancy and visitor spending in the emirate
The average stay of international tourists in Dubai increased to 4.6 nights during 2021
The return of entertainment and business events is a major contributor to the recovery of the tourism and hospitality sector.
Photography: Ashok Verma
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Officials of hotels and travel agencies said that the average stay of international tourists in Dubai witnessed a noticeable increase during 2021, which reflected positively on hotel occupancy and visitor spending, compared to levels before the “Covid-19” pandemic.
They told «Emirates Today» that the tourism sector witnessed a significant increase in occupancy rates during 2021 and the first five months of 2022, with the trend towards long stays and an increase in the average number of nights, noting that the significant increase in the number of hotel nights, offset the effects caused by the pandemic. .
Data issued by the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai revealed that the average length of stay for international tourists in the emirate increased to 4.6 hotel nights during 2021, compared to 3.4 nights in 2019.
average stay
In detail, data issued by the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai showed that the average length of stay for international tourists in the emirate increased to 4.6 hotel nights during 2021, compared to 3.4 nights in 2019 during the period before the “Covid-19” pandemic, with a percentage of Growth exceeded 35%.
According to statistics, the number of booked rooms (overnights) during 2019 recorded about 32.11 million nights when Dubai received 16.73 million visitors, compared to 31.47 million nights spent by 7.28 million international tourists in 2021.
Long stays
Haitham Matar, head of the InterContinental Hotels and Resorts Group in the Middle East, Africa and India, said that the tourism sector witnessed a remarkable rise in occupancy rates for 2022 with the trend towards long stays and an increase in the average number of nights, noting that the significant increase in the number of hotel nights spent Visitors The effects caused by the "Covid-19" pandemic were offset by the number of visitors, and were positively reflected on hotel occupancy and visitor spending.
Dubai procedures
Matar added that the demand for the tourism sector in Dubai has continued to gradually rise since the emirate opened its doors to international tourism traffic following the pandemic, noting that with Dubai launching the virtual work program (remote work from Dubai) for foreign professionals, a large number of visitors chose to come and work. From Dubai, from various countries of the world, especially those that have faced closures for a long time, which was reflected in a significant increase in the average hotel nights as well.
Group Hotels
He explained that the various performance indicators in the group's hotels in Dubai, including hotel occupancy, average prices and return, exceeded pre-pandemic levels, noting that the occupancy rate during 2021 reached about 75%, and rose to 80% during the first quarter of 2021. Occupancy rates sometimes reached 90%, which is one of the very high rates.
He said that the great success of Expo 2020 Dubai, and the return of entertainment and business events after a two-year hiatus, is a major contributor to achieving these results.
He stated that the group, which operates 26 hotel facilities in the UAE market, aims to open 11 hotels during the next five years, including six hotel facilities in Dubai.
sector recovery
In turn, the commercial chief of "Kreisner International", Brett Armitage, agreed that the tourism sector in Dubai witnessed a significant increase in occupancy rates for the year 2022, with a trend towards longer stays and an increase in the average number of nights.
He said: "In general, the tourism sector in the UAE has rebounded very quickly this year, as a result of the efforts made by the state to manage the repercussions of the health pandemic, and to give tourists the confidence to return to it again, and the great success achieved by (Expo 2020 Dubai), and the return of events Entertainment and business events after a two-year hiatus, is a major contributor to achieving these results.”
Britt pointed out that the revenues of the brand, which operates three hotel facilities in Dubai, exceeded during the first quarter of this year pre-pandemic levels, expressing his confidence that the performance indicator will witness continuous growth, as it is expected to rise in numbers in conjunction with the strategic growth of the brand, which aims to open three Hotels over the next two years in Dubai, including Atlantis The Royal, Bab Al Shams Resort, the first desert resort under the newly launched Rare Finds portfolio, as well as the first urban resort: One&Only One Zabeel.
strong performance
In the same context, Guy Hutchinson, President and CEO of Rotana Hotel Management Company, said that the hotel market in Dubai witnessed strong performance rates, which were reflected in the high average hotel nights spent by visitors in Dubai during the “Covid-19” pandemic, pointing to the The performance indicators were good during the last two quarters of 2021 and the first of 2022.
He added that the exhibitions and major events sector encouraged the influx of tourists to the city, with the increase in the number of major international markets that reopened their borders and eased travel restrictions, pointing out that "Rotana" operates about 70 hotels in international markets, including 36 hotels in the UAE market.
• 7.28 million international tourists spent 31.47 million nights in Dubai in 2021, compared to 16.73 million visitors who spent 32.11 million nights in 2019.
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