The tourism sector in the United Arab Emirates hit a new high in the first quarter of 2022, with hotels achieving record revenue and occupancy levels.
Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and Small and Medium Enterprises and Chairman of the UAE Tourism Council, said the tourism sector outperformed pre-pandemic growth rates, with hotels reporting a 20% increase in first-quarter revenue to Dh11 billion compared to the same period last year. He noted that the occupancy rate of 80% was among the highest in the world and that the remarkable show demonstrated the sector’s competitiveness on both a regional and global scale.
Al Falasi credited the sector’s success to the UAE’s wise leadership’s unwavering support and directives, as well as its interest in this crucial sector, which is regarded as one of the future sectors and a key focus area in the UAE’s development vision for the next 50 years.
According to tourism data, hotel establishments welcomed nearly six million visitors who spent 25 million hotel nights, an increase of 10% over the same period last year. During the same time period, the average length of hotel guest stays increased by 25%, from three to four nights. Hotels returned to full capacity, with around 200,000 hotel rooms.
According to Al Falasi, the national tourism sector outperformed growth rates not only in 2020 and 2021 but also in the first quarter of this year, which is the benchmark for measuring recovery and growth rates in most countries today.
The period was one of the best in terms of economic growth in general and tourism in particular, confirming the sector’s strong comeback thanks to the UAE’s wise leadership’s forward-thinking vision. “At the same time, concerted national efforts to develop national tourism, provide a supportive environment and integrated incentives for the development of tourism products, provide adequate tourism infrastructure in the country, and focus on the delivery of high value-added services were equally important,” he said.
Inward tourism flows from foreign markets resurged and made a strong comeback in the first quarter of 2022, with hotel establishments in various emirates hosting nearly four million international tourists. The top international tourist destinations were India, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Russia, and the United States.
The impressive Q1 results reflect visitors’ growing trust in the national tourism sector and the UAE’s reputation as a safe and welcoming destination capable of providing a diverse and memorable tourism experience, according to Al Falasi.
He emphasized the role that major events hosted by the UAE in recent months have played in boosting the sector. Expo 2020 Dubai, which attracted more than 24 million visitors over six months, and the second edition of the ‘World’s Coolest Winter’ campaign, which generated Dh1.5 billion in revenue and attracted more than 1.3 million local tourists, are two examples.
