The number of hotel guests staying in Abu Dhabi during August rose by 10.5 per cent compared to the same month in 2017, with double-digit growth in most key source markets underpinning the upward trend, said a report.

With the emirate’s popularity with visitors boosted by the annual Abu Dhabi Summer Season, August’s results show that the Department’s targets of improving upon 2017’s record-breaking numbers of guest arrivals, when close to five million people stayed in the emirate, are firmly on track, said a report in WAM citing figures released by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.

In total, 477,606 visitors enjoyed stays at one of Abu Dhabi’s 162 hotels and hotel apartments during August, an increase of more than 45,000 over August 2017. For the first eight months of the year, the figures show Abu Dhabi has recorded more than 3.31 million guests, a 5.8 per cent boost in the total number of hotel guests to the emirate compared to last year.

Double-digit growth was recorded across most of Abu Dhabi’s top international visitor markets during August, with only the number of hotel guests from Germany declining during versus 2017.

The Chinese market recorded a strong improvement during this month, up by almost nine per cent compared to August 2017 and on a year-to-date basis, China is still Abu Dhabi’s number one source market – up about 13 per cent in total compared to 2017.

Significant growth was also recorded in the number of Indian hotel guests, with 22 per cent growth during the month of August compared to the previous year. Saudi guests increased for a third consecutive month during August, recording a growth of about 24 per cent compared to August 2017. This translates to 6.1 per cent growth year-to-date.

In addition, the US market also continued to perform extremely well, with the number of American guests increasing by almost 35 per cent in August. For the year-to-date, American hotel guests were up almost 26 per cent compared to 2017.

The UK posted a more modest 3.6 per cent increase for the month, but despite this, for the year-to-date, visitors from the UK are up by eight per cent, the report said.

Saif Saeed Ghobash, under-secretary, DCT Abu Dhabi, said, "The latest report gives us confidence that we are on track for another record-breaking year. The performance for these first eight months of 2018 has been boosted by the enduring popularity of Abu Dhabi Summer Season, which ran from June into August. The hard work we are putting in to promote the emirate as a year-round destination in all our key markets is reaping dividends."

"For the year-to-date, we are showing almost a 6 per cent growth compared to the same period in 2017. Our focus is still firmly fixed on the ultimate goal for 2018 – another record-breaking set of numbers. With marquee events still to come - The Etihad Airways Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, our annual art and food festivals, the end-of-year celebratory events – as well as the growing appeal of our latest attractions such as Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi, we are in a strong position to achieve our targets," Ghobash said.

All three regions of the emirate recorded a year-on-year increase in hotel guests for August -  Abu Dhabi up 11.2 per cent, Al Ain Region, up 2.8 per cent and Al Dhafra Region up 22.5 per cent, with occupancy rates also up in Al Ain and Al Dhafra, 5.6 per cent and 8.4 per cent respectively.