Abu Dhabi hotel revenues hit $1bn so far in 2013

Abu Dhabi tourism chiefs said on Tuesday that just short of two million hotel guests visited the UAE capital in the first nine months of this year.

Figures released by Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) show that last month, the destination received 226,002 hotel guests - a 19% rise on September last year, with guest nights achieved rising 26% to 714,577.

Hotel revenues in the first nine months jumped by 18% to AED3.7bn ($1bn) while revenue per available room (RevPAR) rose 6 percent to AED285 ($114).

Mubarak Al Muhairi, director general, TCA Abu Dhabi, said: "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.

"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 fell two percent to $114, the figures also showed.

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, received 1,981,732 guests - a 14 percent increase on 2012.

"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.

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 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.

Germany ranks in third place for source market prominence.

"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," said 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."