The growth
rate of the UAE’s tourism sector during the first quarter of this year exceeded
the growth rates recorded not only in 2020 and 2021, but also during the same
period in 2019, said a senior government official.
Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and Small and Medium Enterprises and Chairman of the UAE Tourism Council, said the milestone underlines the country’s competitiveness at both regional and global levels.
According to tourism figures for Q1 2022, the country’s hotel establishments attracted nearly six million visitors who spent 25 million hotel nights, reflecting a growth of 10 per cent compared to the same period in 2019. The average duration of hotel guest stays reached 25 per cent during the same period, up from three nights to four nights.
Moreover, the occupancy rate of hotel establishments in the country during this period achieved 80 per cent growth, which is one of the highest globally. Hotel establishments also generated total revenue of AED11bn with a 20 per cent growth compared to the same period in 2019 and resumed operations at full capacity of approximately 200,000 hotel rooms.
Furthermore, Q1 2022 saw resurgence and a strong comeback of inward tourism flows from foreign markets, as hotel establishments in various emirates hosted nearly four million international tourists. India, Saudi Arabia, the UK, Russia, and the US topped the list of international tourists.