Abu Dhabi Hotel Guest Numbers Rise 6% During June

More than 2 million people have visited the emirate so far in 2018, a 5% increase in half-yearly numbers compared to 2017 

All India, 2nd August 2018:The latest figures released by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) for the emirate’s hospitality sector show the number of hotel guests staying in Abu Dhabi during June rose by 6% compared to the same month a year ago.

Completing a record-breaking first half of the year, June’s results reveal the Department’s plans to exceed 2017’s record-breaking numbers of guest arrivals, when close to five million people stayed in the emirate, are on track.

In total 339,592 visitors were guests of Abu Dhabi’s 162 hotels and hotel apartments during June, an increase of more than 19,000 over the previous year. For the first six months of 2018, the figures show Abu Dhabi upping the total number of hotel guests to the emirate by 5% on the year, with 2,413,230 guests in total arriving.

Visitor numbers were robust for all the key markets, with India taking top spot for June with more than 29,900 Indian guests arriving, that being a 3.7% lift on the year. This contributed to an increase of 19% YTD for that particular country.

The UK also posted a 14.5% increase for the month, a 12.9% increase for the first six months of 2018.

HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary, DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “These numbers confirm a strong position at the halfway stage of 2018 and that the Department’s strategies and hard work are steadily paying off. June’s figures are for certain a reflection of visitors inspired by all Abu Dhabi offered during the Holy Month, but we are also confident other attractions played a part, including the ongoing Abu Dhabi Summer Season, which began on June 21st.”

“For the year-to-date position, we are showing just over 5 per cent growth, indicating that we are on track to achieve our targets of consecutive record-breaking years. We will continue to focus hard on our key markets for the second half of the year, with milestone events, such as the Etihad Airways Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and Abu Dhabi Art, and new world-class attractions opening, in the shape of Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, we are confident we will finish the year as robustly as we began it.”

All three regions of the emirate recorded year-on-year increases in hotel guests for June, with Abu Dhabi up 5.6%. Al Ain Region, up 7.6% and Al Dhafra Region up 15.3%, and Occupancy Rates were also up in all three regions (6.4%, 8.5% and 22.2% respectively).

HE Sultan Al Dhaheri, Executive Director of the Tourism Sector for DCT Abu Dhabi, added: “We are delighted to see hotel guest numbers and occupancy rates in positive territory for all three of Abu Dhabi’s distinct regions. As pleasing as it is to see visitors from both Saudi Arabia and the US arriving in such numbers, we will continue to strongly focus on all of our key markets for the second half of the year, promoting our latest tourism and cultural assets alongside the diverse range of offerings we already showcase.”

The second half of the year is traditionally a strong period for attracting tourists, with marquee events such as the Etihad Airways Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Abu Dhabi Art, and Abu Dhabi Food Festival still to come.

ENDS

About The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi:
The Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi conserves and promotes the heritage and culture of Abu Dhabi emirate and leverages them in the development of a world-class, sustainable destination of distinction that enriches the lives of visitors and residents alike.  The Department manages the emirate’s tourism sector and markets the destination internationally through a wide range of activities aimed at attracting visitors and investment.  Its policies, plans and programmes relate to the preservation of heritage and culture, including protecting archaeological and historical sites and to developing museums, including the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Zayed National Museum and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.  The Department of Culture and Tourism supports intellectual and artistic activities and cultural events to nurture a rich cultural environment and honour the emirate’s heritage.  A key role played by the Department is to create synergy in the destination’s development through close co-ordination with its wide-ranging stakeholder base. http://tcaabudhabi.ae/en 

For more information please contact:
Dharini Mishra
PR and Brand Executive
Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi
Mob.:  +91 8860954324 | Tel.: +91 11 23737348 | Fax: +91 11 23350270
Email: Dmishra@dctabudhabi.ae