UK ranks as Abu Dhabi’s top inbound European market
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The UK ranked as Abu Dhabi’s number one European inbound tourism market and third-largest overall in 2015, according to new data from Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi).
The figures show an 18% increase in Abu Dhabi hotel guests when compared to 2014. A total of 4,105,846 guests checked into Abu Dhabi’s hotels and hotel apartments in 2015, staying a total of 12,243,096 nights, a 17% increase year on year. The hotel occupancy rate also remained high, at 75.4%.
UK arrivals jumped 14% year on year to 231,337, delivering 958,022 guest nights, a 9% increase year on year. UK guests are also among those that stay the longest, averaging 4.14 nights. This is the third year in a row that the UK has produced a double-digit growth percentage, with figures soaring from 140,393 in 2012 to 162,973 in 2013, then to 203,788 in 2014, and now to over 231,000.
Nabeel Al Zarouni, UK & Ireland country manager at TCA Abu Dhabi, said: “It’s great to see the UK market continuing to grow at such a fast rate. We’ve achieved double-digit growth every year since 2012. And with cruise ships homeporting in the new cruise terminal encouraging pre- and post-cruise stays, landmark hotels from Four Seasons, Grand Hyatt and Fairmont all opening this year, plus the hotly anticipated unveiling of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, we’re expecting similar growth levels in 2016.”
China has been the best performing market in terms of growth, recording a 47% increase in visitor numbers year on year. South Africa has been another top performer of 2015, with visitor numbers increasing 42% year on year following the opening of a TCA Abu Dhabi office in Johannesburg last February and the launching of a daily service between Johannesburg and Abu Dhabi in March. Ireland also had a great year, seeing arrivals increase 41% year on year, from 17,613 to 24,849 – a result that sees Ireland break into the top 25 performing nations of 2015.
The top 10 inbound markets for 2015 were: UAE, India, UK, China, USA, Philippines, Germany, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan.
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