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RECORD: Dubai welcomes 10 million visitors

Dubai, March 7, 2013

 

Visitor numbers to Dubai increased by 9.3 per cent in 2012, with the city welcoming more than 10 million visitors over a one year period for the first time in its history.
 
The results were announced today by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM). 
 
Increases in key indicators including hotel guest numbers, nights, average length of stay and hotel revenues, demonstrate Dubai’s strengthening position as one of the world’s most popular destinations, said Helal Almarri, director general of DTCM.
 
“For the first time in our city’s history we have crossed the 10 million threshold in visitor numbers. This continual year-on-year growth is due to a number of factors including the coordinated city-wide destination management strategy; our world-class infrastructure; our location at the crossroads of East and West; and our unrelenting efforts to enhance our already diverse and compelling tourism offer.”
 
Key indicators of Dubai’s success in attracting visitors in 2012 include:
Hotel guests and cruise passenger numbers rose to approximately 10.16 million – an increase of 9.3 per cent on 2011 figures
Hotel Guests numbered 9.96 million – up 9.5 per cent compared with 9.1 million in 2011
Guest Nights increased by 14 per cent, numbering 37,445,453 in 2012, compared to 32,848,190 in 2011
Hotel Revenues increased by 17.9 per cent at Dh18.82 billion.
 
The status of Dubai as a location of choice for hotel operators is demonstrated by an influx of new hotel openings during 2012, with the number of hotel establishments increasing from 575 to 599. 
 
Openings in 2012 included five-star properties such as Jumeirah Creekside, Fairmont The Palm and the JW Marriott Marquis, and a range of new Hotel Apartments with rooms in the latter category increasing by 10 per cent to more than 23,000. 
 
However the additional supply has not had an adverse effect on room rates with the Average Room Rate climbing from Dh563 in 2011 to Dh588 in 2012, the report said.
 
Combined with the sharp increase in hotel revenues and a growth in the Average Length of Stay, this is likely to see more hotel operators choose to build in Dubai and a number of new properties are slated to open during 2013 including Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa and The Oberoi Dubai on Sheikh Zayed Road.
 
Arab markets continue to provide a significant percentage of Dubai’s overall visitor numbers and 2012 saw 30 per cent more visitors from Saudi Arabia, which is the city’s number one source market. Europe contributed over a quarter of the city’s hotel guests and the past year saw a substantial 54 per cent rise in the number of Russians coming to Dubai. 
 
The top 10 source markets for Dubai tourism were: Saudi Arabia - 1.13 million visitors; India -760,000 visitors; UK – 690,000; US -510,00; Russian -  390,000; Iran – 320,000; Germany -310,000; Kuwait -290,000; Oman -290,000 and China – 250,000
 
A significant increase in Chinese visitors coming to the city has been seen, with a 28 per cent rise in the period demonstrating the appeal that the city has to the burgeoning middle class of China, the DTCM said. 
 
The Chinese market will continue to be a key focus of Dubai’s marketing efforts as the city looks to capitalise on the Dh202 billion that Chinese travellers spend per year worldwide, DTCM said. – TradeArabia News Service
 



Tags: Dubai | hotels | tourists | visitors |

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