Ajman witnessed a 20 per cent increase in the number of guest arrivals during the first quarter of the year, generating total tourism revenue of Dh108 million ($29.3 million), a new report has unveiled.

According to tourism statistics released by the Ajman Tourism Development Department (ATDD), the total number of guests from January to March 2016 was reported as 142,404, delivering 313,724 guest nights, reflecting a hotel apartment occupancy rate of 76 per cent -up 22 percent compared to 62.4 per cent in the same period in 2015.

Total tourism revenue also increased by 20 per cent, from Dh90 million ($24.4 million) in Q1 2015 to Dh108 million ($29.3 million) in Q1 2016.

Domestic tourism within the UAE remained the primary source of guests for Ajman hotels, with 34,334, followed by 28,228 guests from Asia and African countries covering total guest nights of 60,190. Guests from Europe for the first three months reached 13,129 but delivered 56,585 guest nights.

Faisal Al Nuaimi, general manager of ATDD, said: "The report for the first quarter of 2016 is the result of our effective promotional and marketing outreach to attract different segments of visitors to Ajman. Our presence in different travel and tourism exhibitions and road shows has helped us a lot because we have seen remarkable interest from the industry when we presented the available attractions in Ajman to them, including accommodation and activities. We are pleased with the result and will continue to work hard to sustain growth throughout the year, despite the different factors affecting today’s global travel."

Guests from GCC and other Arab nationals also contributed to the growth, with total guests of 26,315 and 23,885 respectively. Other nationalities who visited the emirate are from Europe, Russia and America. - TradeArabia News Service