Abu Dhabi Welcomes 1.3 Million Hotel Guests for 3rd Quarter of 2019 Boosting Room Revenues by 6%

01 Nov, 2019

Figures released by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) have revealed that the number of hotel guests staying in the emirate during the 3rd Quarter of 2019 exceeded 1.3 million, an increase of 1.7% compared to the same period in 2018, while in the Year-to-Date in 2019 there have been almost 3.8 million hotel guests, a 2.9% increase on 2018.

The latest report from DCT Abu Dhabi also shows that total Hotel Revenues for the 3rd Quarter were up to AED 1.1 billion, a rise of 1.7% from the previous year; Hotel Occupancy was up 4% to 69%; while Average Length of Stay (ALOS) was up 5.6% to 2.5 nights.

These figures were spearheaded by impressive visitor number statistics from key markets, with
hotel guests metrics from India, the UK, Oman and Saudi Arabia all showing solid increases for the July to September period. Indian guests increased by 8.1%, UK guests by 5.3%, and guests from Oman (18.6%) and Saudi Arabia (2.1%) also increased during this quarter.

The report also provides a breakdown of each region of Abu Dhabi, with the figures showing that hotels on Saadiyat Island and in the ADNEC area performed especially well. On Saadiyat Island, Hotel Guest numbers for Q3 saw an incredible 71.3% increase, with 43,976 visitors staying between July and September, whilst Average Length of Stay increased by 13.4%, to 3.5 nights. Total Revenues increased by 48.7% and Occupancy Rates increased by 20.5%.

Hotels in the ADNEC area posted impressive increases with Revenues for Q3 being boosted by 33.5%, Revenue per Available Room saw a 36.4% increase, Average Length of Stay saw a 30.4% increase whilst Occupancy saw a 17% rise.

The 3rd Quarter results were buoyed by several world-class events and activations, including the inaugural Abu Dhabi Showdown Week, which included the massively popular UFC 242: Khabib vs. Poirier event; Abu Dhabi Family Week, which featured the Middle East’s first-ever Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, as well as the Summer In Abu Dhabi events and Eid Al Adha celebrations.

“These 3rd Quarter results reflect the coordinated efforts of DCT Abu Dhabi along with its tourism stakeholders and partners into delivering a compelling and attractive leisure and business destination - as well as a world-class events venue - to the international traveller,” said HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary of DCT Abu Dhabi. “These Q3 results are especially impressive as summer is traditionally a quieter time in the region’s tourism industry, and the numbers have been underpinned by some truly exceptional events which have served to elevate Abu Dhabi’s global standing and reputation.

"The July to September period featured the launch of top-tier events, with Abu Dhabi Showdown Week - featuring UFC 242 – and Abu Dhabi Family Week the two stand-out propositions. Every single UFC 242 ticket made available to the public was sold, of which 40% were purchased by the international market. This strategic expansion of Abu Dhabi’s events portfolio was a resounding success and on its own accounted for more than 5,000 hotel room nights in the emirate.

“Similarly, Abu Dhabi Family Week saw thousands of families enjoy the first ever Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and World of Nickelodeon activations in the Middle East, which reinforced the emirate’s position as the ideal destination for children and parents.

“These Q3 results also give us confidence that once again we will see a record-breaking 12 months for Abu Dhabi in terms of guest arrivals. Forecasts suggest the emirate will breach 5.1 million guests by the end of the year, which would represent a healthy 2% increase over 2018. We are also seeing metrics that suggest Occupied Rooms numbers will exceed 8.6 million for the year, which would represent a 5.6% increase over 2018.

“With exciting events and activations planned for the rest of 2019, including the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Abu Dhabi Art, ADIPEC 2019 and the New Year’s Eve performance of global superstar Bruno Mars, we are confident that we will indeed see another definitive year in terms of visitation to the UAE capital.”

In the Year-to-Date figures, there has been impressive momentum in revenue growth metrics, with Hotel Revenues up 8.1% compared to 2018 to a total of AED 4 billion. Abu Dhabi is also leading regionally with double digit growth in Room Revenues (14.3%), driven by a rising Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) (8.6%), Average Room Rate (ARR) (6.8%), and Average Length of Stay (ALOS) (2.0%).

Also, in the Year-to-Date, after factoring in Q3 metrics, India is now the number one overseas source market for Abu Dhabi, with more than 321,000 hotel guests visiting from there. China has accounted for more than 297,000 visitors to the emirate so far this year, with the UK the third largest overseas source market, with more than 190,000 Britons travelling to the UAE capital.