Dubai hotel revenues jump by 22%

As hotel industry is rapidly expanding in Dubai, the emirate's hotels and hotel apartments played hosts to 5,027,223 guests in the first half of this year, an increase of 10 per cent over the corresponding period in 2011.

Meanwhile, guest nights of Dubai hotel facilities amounted to 19,209,370 nights in H1 this year, an increase of 18 per cent against H1 2011. Likewise, revenues of both Dubai hotels and hotel apartments in the first six months of the year amounted to Dh9,797,283,000, a rise of 22 per cent in comparison to the same period in 2011.

Khalid Bin Sulayem, Director General, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Dubai (DTCM), made the announcement at the sideline of the annual Natalie Tours Congress, the 8th in a row, which kicked off on Monday at the Atlantis Palm hotel, Dubai, with focus on the significance of the Russian market to Dubai, and the best ways to boost up tourist relationships.

The five-day conference, being run by Natalie Tours, the biggest tourist company in the Russian market, in collaboration with the Alpha Tours , is to see the participation of 250 tourist companies from across Russia.

In his inaugural speech, Khalid Bin Sulayem, Director-General, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Dubai (DTCM), said the event is a good chance to update guests' information about Dubai tourist attractions and mega projects, and best promote the emirate in the Russian market.

Present at the function, being hosted by the Atlantis Palm hotel, for the 4th consecutive year, were Natasha Vorobieva, CEO AND gm - Natalie Tours, Ghassan Al Aridi, CEO - Alpha Tours , Brett Armitage, Senior Vice President , sales, Atlantis, as well as a number of DTCM senior officials and events managers from both companies.

Hailing bilateral relationships between Dubai and Russia in terms of tourism, Bin Sulayem said Russia is one the most important tourist markets to Dubai.

Bin Sulayem indicated that DTCM has always been very keen on participating in all tourist fairs and exhibitions in Russia. "These span the Moscow Autumn Travel Industry Week or 'Leisure 2012', in which we won three awards." Echoing the same, Ghassan Al Aridi, CEO - Alpha Tours , said the event this year is quite different. "This congress, we have the pleasure to host the best of the best tourist companies promoting Dubai in the Russian market." Noting that Russia is one of the most important five markets to Dubai in terms inbound tourists and sales, Al Aridi said the Russian tourist is atop the list of the most spending tourists worldwide.

" Alpha Tours has managed to attract around 120,000 Russian tourists in the first nine months of 2012 as compared to over 75,000 in 2011." Natasha Vorobieva, CEO and GM - Natalie Tours, said :"Natalie Tours, expecting sales up to $1billion this year, attracts some 150,000 Russian tourists to the UAE on an annual basis – 65 per cent to Dubai and 35 per cent to the other six emirates."

Bin Sulayem, unveiling the key performance indicators of the emirate's flourishing hotel industry, said Dubai hotel played host, during H1 2012, to 3,982,615 guests, an increase of 10 per cent over the corresponding period in 2011 which saw 3,626,960 guests. A 9 per cent increase was reported in the guest numbers of Dubai hotel apartments, amounting to 1,044,608 in H1 of 2012 against 958,059 over the corresponding six months in 2011.

Guests of both Dubai hotels and hotel apartments amounted to 5,027,223 in the first half of this year compared to 4,585,019 in H1 2011, an increase of 10 per cent.

Dubai hotels revenues recorded AED 8,395,557,000 from January to June 2012 against Dh6,913,834,000 over the same period in 2011, a rise of 21 per cent. However, Dubai hotel apartments scooped Dh1,401,726,000 in H1 2012 as compared to Dh1,136,359,000 in H1 2011, an increase of 23 per cent.

Revenues of both Dubai hotels and hotel apartments in the first six months of the year amounted to Dh 9,797,283,000 in comparison to Dh8,050,194,000 over the same period in 2011, a rise of 22 per cent.

Similarly, Dubai hotels guestnights swelled by 16 per cent to touch 13,356,818 in H1 2012 as compared to 11,531,935 in H1 2011. Likewise, the guestnights recorded in Dubai hotel apartments rose by 24 per cent to hit 5,852,219 in H1 2012 against 4,735,739 guestnights in H1 2011.

Guestnights of both Dubai hotels and hotel apartments amounted to 19,209,037 in H1 this year against 16,276,674 in H1 2011, an increase of 18 per cent.

A 5 per cent hike was registered in the average length of stay in Dubai hotels hitting 3.4 nights in H1 2011 against 3.2 in H1 2012 whereas the average length of stay in Dubai hotel apartments recorded 5.6 nights in H1 2011 against 4.9 in H1 2012, a boost of 13 per cent.

The average length of stay in Dubai hotels and hotel apartments swelled by 8 per cent to touch 3.8 nights in H1 2012 as compared to 3.5 nights in H1 2011.

Similarly, the number of Dubai hotel rooms increased from 54,221 in H1 2012 against 52,897 in H1 2011, a boost of 3 per cent. Also, the number of hotel flats swelled by 7 per cent to reach 21,787 in H1 2012 as compared to 20,360 in H1 2011.

Witnessing a 4 per cent hike, the number of Dubai hotel rooms and flats rose from 76,008 in H1 2012 against 73,245 in H1 2011.

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