Dubai: The total number of overnight stays in UAE hotels will reach 51.5 million by the end of this year; up 5.7 percent on 2014. According to a Business Monitor International report the trend is set to continue over the next three years with growth from 4 to 5.5%.
The report said: ’The average length of stay in the UAE during 2015 will be 3.3 nights, which is expected to grow over the next three years to 3.4 nights, with the average occupancy in UAE hotels expected to be 72.7 percent by the end of 2015.’
Executives at DAMAC Properties, operators of luxury hotel apartments, say tourism and the hospitality sector is now one of the most important factors driving the UAE economy.
Niall McLoughlin, Senior Vice President, DAMAC Properties, said: “The hospitality sector is a key factor in driving the UAE economy forward, with overall growth hitting almost 10 percent in the first half of this year.”
According to the latest Euromonitor International report, the hospitality sector in the UAE holds a positive future with hotel revenue this year set to reach AED26.8bn, a number which should grow to AED40bn in 2019. Tourism numbers are also set to more than double up to 2020, with the emirate anticipating more than 25 million visitors a year by the time the World Expo 2020 opens.
The Peninsula
