Abu Dhabi ready to welcome 2.3 million visitors in 2012
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With new figures showing that 1.37 million
visitors stayed in Abu Dhabi’s hotels in the first seven months of this year, an increase of 11% over the same period in 2011, tourism officials in the emirate say it is on pace to meet its annual target.
The Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority said its visitor numbers in July were impacted by the region-wide travel lull that occurred during Ramadan. “While traditionally lower travel rates during the Holy Month of Ramadan saw Abu Dhabi’s hotels and hotel apartments return a 6% drop in year-on-year hotel guests for the month of July, the average length of stay – a key growth focus – rose to 2.84 days last month, an increase of 6% on the corresponding month last year,” said the Authority.
However, the emirate remains ‘on track’ to meet its tourism goal for the year as it enters its traditional busy season, said Mubarak Al Muhairi, the authority’s director general. “With a packed entertainment schedule and host of new leisure attractions due to open, we are confident momentum will rise and we’ll reach our 2.3m hotel guest target,” he added.
Visitors from the UK comprised the majority of foreign visitors with 79,660 staying in the emirate during the first seven months of the year (down 2% compared to the same period last year); followed by India with 76,272 (up 30%); and Germany at 54,506 (up 45%).
