The number of tourists of various nationalities visiting Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ras al-Khaimah increased by 9.9 per cent during the first half of the current year compared to the same period in 2016, reflecting the attractiveness of the three emirates to international tourists.

During the first six months of the current year, the average period of stay per guest increased by five per cent while the hotel occupancy rate increased by one per cent, reported Wam, the Emirates official news agency, citing statistics from the Central Bank of the UAE.

The number of foreign tourists from the major markets witnessed considerable growth and the number of Russian tourists visiting Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ras al-Khaimah multiplied during the first half of the current year while the number of tourists from China, India and the Philippines also rose.

The number of visiting British tourists also registered an increase, despite the rising exchange value of the Dirham against the Pound.

The number of tourists in the emirate of Dubai increased by 10.9 per cent during the first half of the current year, while Abu Dhabi and Ras al-Khaimah recorded a 7.2 per cent and 6.5 per cent growth, respectively.

The number of tourists from GCC countries to Dubai increased by 19 per cent during the first half of the current year, while tourists from the Middle East rose by 12 per cent, 21 per cent from Western Europe and the USA and 97.5 per cent from Russia. There was also an increase of around 54.7 per cent Chinese tourists who usually represent over five per cent of the total number of tourists in the emirate.

As for the emirate of Abu Dhabi, the number of tourists from China increased by 55.4 per cent by the end of the first half of 2017, while the number of tourists from the Philippines grew by 10.4 per cent. Indian and Jordanian tourists increased by eight per cent and 2.6 per cent, respectively.

Ras al-Khaimah saw an 83.7 per cent increase in tourists from Russia, 223.2 per cent from Poland, 80 per cent from China, 20.8 per cent from the UK, 21.7 per cent from India, 20 per cent from the USA and 16.2 per cent from Kazakhstan, during the first half of the year.