The break you deserve is in the UAE

Dubai - Nation welcomes you with open arms as hospitality sector poised for growth

New attractions and establishments, a growing hotel inventory, as well as an aggressive tourism strategy by several government authorities have continued to put the UAE on the international map when it comes to preferred tourism destinations.
Experts have noted that the UAE's efforts to tap into new markets and segments, and expand its current portfolio of hospitality offerings, have helped the emirates attract a growing number of visitors each year. According to the latest data by Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), a total of 15.79 million tourists visited Dubai last year, setting a new record for the emirate.
Dubai recorded a 6.2 per cent year-on-year increase in international overnight visitation in 2017, accelerating the five per cent growth witnessed in the previous year and propelling the emirate's momentum towards its 2020 goal of welcoming 20 million visitors per year by the start of the next decade.
Mark Fernando, general manager at Ramada Downtown Dubai, noted that this momentum would carry over into the new year. "Dubai has set its sights on establishing itself as a top tourist destination, and global business hub, and has already been regarded as one of the most visited cities in the world in 2017; and this trend will continue, even after the World Expo. The ever-increasing room inventory indicates that demand for rooms is on the rise, and the hospitality sector is poised and looking into tourism trends and projections past 2020."
Fernando also highlighted that Dubai Tourism continues to strengthen its presence in Dubai's key feeder markets, including Saudi Arabia and the rest of GCC, India, the UK, and China. He noted that the emirate's tourism and hospitality sectors benefit from the department's various initiatives, including visa on arrival for Russian and Chinese visitors, as well as the new routes launched by Emirates and other UAE-based carriers.
"Dubai will also have new attractions and landmarks, plus a full calendar of events, which will attract new and return visitors," Fernando said. "With all these factors at hand, we are confident that 2018 will be a busy and profitable year for Dubai's tourism sector."
Similarly, Rudi Jagersbacher, president for the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey regions at Hilton Worldwide, noted that Hilton had "a very strong 2017".
"While trading was challenging in Abu Dhabi, generally speaking we have seen good results across the board," Jagersbacher.
Data by HotStats for December 2017 showed that Abu Dhabi bucked its own 2017 trend of falling revenue and profit levels to record a 15.9 per cent increase in gross operating profit per available room. The growth in revenue was led by a nine per cent increase in revenue per available room to $117.33, as hotels in Abu Dhabi successfully recorded an increase in both room occupancy and average room rate.
The encouraging climate across various sectors has led many brands to feeling more comfortable about new hotel openings.
"We have seen significant growth in the mid-market scale, and continue to see great demand in that segment," said Jagersbacher. "In addition to this, we will be introducing our Hampton by Hilton brand to Dubai later this year... we now have 23 hotels in the UAE pipeline and expect to have almost 50 hotels in the country in the next three to five years."
Iftikhar Hamdani, cluster general manager at Ramada Hotel & Suites Ajman, Ramada Beach Hotel Ajman, and Wyndham Garden Ajman Corniche, also noted that the brand will be busier in 2018.
"We have already received inquiries and interests for filling the rooms, and we are confident that our occupancy and revenue for 2018 will increase in spite of the growing competition," he said.
"Ajman is on an upward trend to become the UAE's preferred leisure and business destination, with the opening of new attractions and establishments, which will help boost the tourism and hospitality sector. The hotels are also working closely with the Ajman Tourism Development Department to tap new markets and segments."
- rohma@khaleejtimes.com