NEWS / REGIONAL
Abu Dhabi posts best ever results
Abu Dhabi has recorded its best- ever first-half hotel results with increases across all of its key per- formance indicators including guest numbers, guest nights, occu- pancy, revenue and length-of-stay from January to June 2011, com- pared to the same period last year. Year-to-date, total hotel guests in the emirate were up 11 percent to just over one million; guest nights increased 26 percent to more than three million; occu- pancy rose 10 percent to 70 per- cent; revenue climbed six percent to AED 2.26 billion (US$619 mil- lion); and average-length-of-stay expanded 13 percent to 2.97 nights. Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority
(ADTA) figures also confirm the UK as the emirate’s largest hotel visitor source market, account- ing for some 72,998 guests – a 20 percent increase on the first half of 2010. “This is an impressive per-
formance and one which bodes well for the destination achiev- ing its stretch target of 2 million guests by the end of this year,” said ADTA chairman HH Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan.
“The results have been
assisted by the destination’s heightened competitiveness with average room rates falling by 15 percent in the first half com- pared to last year, making Abu Dhabi a more affordable upscale option than Sydney, Paris, New York or Tokyo.”
Sheikh Sultan said major events
planned for the second half of the year would create enough demand to meet the extra supply flooding the market with a flurry of hotel openings on the cards. Events lined-up include the
third Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in
November, nationwide celebra- tions to mark the 40th anniver- sary of the UAE in December and the two-week Volvo Ocean Race carnival for two weeks starting December 30. Some 10 five-star resorts will
come online in Abu Dhabi by the end of the year.
A purpose-built Destination Village on Abu Dhabi’s Corniche will host the carnival-style Volvo Ocean Race stop-over.
Association Iftar proves a success
Both existing and potential members of industry bodies ICCA and Site Global met for a catch-up Iftar during the Holy Month of Ramadan. Around 40 industry pro-
fessionals met at Imperium, the all-day dining restaurant at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray on The Palm Jumeirah on Tues- day, August 16, at the network- ing event spearheaded by Site Global Middle East president Siân Thomas, who is also director of sales – groups at The Address Hotels + Resorts. Companies represented at
Gaby Seikaly, Kathy Mead, Gillian Taylor, Sian Thomas, Jan Kaspar Rienermann
the event included the Jumeirah Group, Congress Solutions Inter- national and Arabian Adven- tures, Dubai Convention Bureau,
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Net Group, The Yas Hotel, MCI Dubai, JW Marriott Marquis, Meydan Hotels & Hospitality, HTT Holidays and Incentives and many more. Rocco Forte Hotel, Abu Dhabi, which opens this Q4, also attended, and signed up as a Site Global member on the night. Additional upcoming events include the ICCA Middle East Chapter educational event for ICCA and Site Global members in November, which will take place at the brand new Jumei- rah Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi. Collaborative association events are becoming more frequent in Dubai due to small membership bases and a close-knit commu- nity of industry professionals.
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