6m tourists visit Abu Dhabi, Dubai in first three months
ABU DHABI, June 25, 2019
Abu Dhabi and Dubai received a total of 6.04 million international tourists during the first three months of the year, up 1.8 per cent year-on-year, said a report.
Dubai received 4.75 million from January to March against 4.65 million in the comparable period last year, with tourist arrivals to Abu Dhabi having increased from 1.28 million to 1.29 million during the same period, said a report in WAM, citing figures released by the Central Bank of the UAE.
Fifty-two per cent of the tourists who visited Dubai during the period stayed in the emirate's hotels, with those staying in the capital's hotels up 0.5 per cent during Q1 against the corresponding period last year, the report said.
Despite the increase in the number of tourist arrivals in Dubai from January to March as compared to the same period last year, hotel revenues declined per room as a result of the constant discounts and offers provided by the emirate's hotels.
Tourists coming in from some source markets increased, with Omanis coming on top with a 27.1 per cent growth, France (up 17.5 per cent), China (up 13.2 per cent), Germany (up 5.2 per cent), and US (up 3.3 per cent). Arrivals from Russia, India, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Pakistan decreased during the three month period.
Most of the Dubai-bound tourists came from GCC states, Middle East and North Africa, accounting for 27 per cent, 17 per cent, and 10 per cent, respectively, of the emirate's total foreign arrivals, with West Europe, and North America, comprising 23 per cent and 7 per cent respectively, while South Asian visitors represent 16 per cent.
US tourists who came to Abu Dhabi in the three-month period rose by 13.8 per cent, followed by Egyptians (up 9.7 per cent), Jordanians (up 8.2 per cent), and Pakistanis (up 6.5 per cent) against the same period last year.
Some international events that took place in Abu Dhabi during the first quarter of 2019, such as AFC Asian Cup 2019, Idex/Nadex 2019, and Special Olympic Games attest to a vibrant strategy to attract international guests, the report said.
