Abu Dhabi's hotel guest numbers reach 1.2 million in Q2 2019

Abu Dhabi’s hotels have posted remarkable year-on-year growth in the 2^nd Quarter of 2019, with hotel guest numbers reaching a record 1.2 million for the April to June period, a 6.8% increase from the same period in 2018.

The latest report from the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) also shows that total hotel revenues for the 2nd Quarter were up to AED 1.2 billion, a rise of 3.7% from the previous year.

Year-to-Date (YTD) metrics for 2019 also show strong improvement, with hotel guest numbers reaching 2.5 million, a rise of 3.5% from 2018, and hotel revenues of AED 2.9 billion, a remarkable 10.6% rise. For 2019 so far, the statistics also show double digit growth in other key indicators, including an increase in Room Revenues of 17.6%; Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) rising by 10.7%; and Average Room Rate (ARR) rising by 10.2%.

The figures also show that the emirate’s key attractions have had a successful year, attracting the highest number of sightseers and thrill-seekers than ever before. Visits to key attractions were up 50% in the 2nd Quarter of 2019, primarily due to a 62% increase in visitors to theme and leisure parks, in addition to a 21.5% growth at cultural and historical sites and a 22% increase at museums.

“These impressive results, both in the 2nd Quarter and the year as a whole, are a result of the hard work and dedication of every stakeholder, entity and trade partner involved in Abu Dhabi’s tourism value chain, with DCT Abu Dhabi underpinning this drive for excellence with its implementation of a structured and diversified calendar of world-class events,” said HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary of DCT Abu Dhabi.

“These results for the year have been underpinned by some truly exceptional results in June. For example, our guest numbers in June were up 24.6% compared to the same month last year, while our RevPAR was also up 23.8%.

"Aside from  our promotional campaigns that highlight what makes Abu Dhabi such a unique and extraordinary destination, we can also point to the events and deals we have implemented for the summer months, the exciting programme of city-wide activities over the Eid Al-Fitr holidays, and the stopover promotions we are offering alongside our airline partners, as factors that have contributed to a record-breaking year so far in terms of hotel guest numbers.”

In the 2nd Quarter of 2019, there was an impressive increase in hotel guests from several key international markets, with guest numbers from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia up 23.6%, India rising by 15.8%, and other key markets such as the UK and USA also showing positive growth.

Underpinning the increases was the strong growth in various regions of Abu Dhabi, with the statistics showing hotels in Al Dhafra Region performing particularly well in the 2nd Quarter, seeing a 10.3% increase in guest numbers, an 18.7% increase in RevPAR, and a 12.3% increase in ARR. Additionally guest numbers in the 2nd Quarter in Al Ain were up 9.9%, and 6.4% in Abu Dhabi.

Of the various districts of Abu Dhabi, hotels in the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) area were among the best performers, recording 73% Occupancy in the 2nd Quarter of this year, a rise of 11.9% from last 2018, while guest numbers were up 10.2%. These were boosted by an increase in the number of key international visitors, such as a 31% increase from China, a 29.8% increase from India, and a 20.1% increase from Saudi Arabia. In ADNEC’s hotels in the YTD, Occupancy reached 81%, up 11.3%, guest numbers rose 15.9%, and Revenues were up even further by 26%.

Saadiyat Island’s hotels have also performed exceptionally well this year. Here, guest numbers rose an astounding 83.5%, Occupancy Rates were up 26.1%, Revenues by 73.4% and RevPAR by 30.9% in the 2nd Quarter. In the YTD, guest numbers were up by 105% and Revenues by 71.3%. During this time, visitors from Russia were up 242.8%, the UK by 144.5% and Kazakhstan an astounding 1,595%. 

“While summer is traditionally a quieter time in the region’s tourism industry, we are hopeful we can continue to increase our visitor figures this year with promotions like RAD Summer Season’s amazing discounts in malls, and Tastes of the Capital, which offers brilliant deals at restaurants in Abu Dhabi,” said HE Ghobash.

“We are also gearing up for an activity-packed second half of the year, so we are confident that standout events like the UFC 242 mixed martial arts championship and the accompanying Abu Dhabi Showdown Week, the return of the F1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and other world-class leisure, cultural and business events will continue to drive the growth of our tourism footprint and lead to even more visitors choosing to stay in Abu Dhabi hotels.”