July 31–DUBAI — Abu Dhabi recorded a 30 per cent increase in the number of hotel guest arrivals this June, compared to the same month in 2016, boosted by an exceptional Eid Al Fitr period, which saw many premium hotels fully booked.
In the first six months of 2017, the emirate welcomed more than 2.25 million guests to its 165 hotels and hotel apartments — an increase of seven per cent over the first half of last year.
Saif Saeed Ghobash, director-general of Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), said: "We are on track to achieve our forecast guest arrivals growth for the year, and we are well placed to maximise these opportunities as we head into the second half of 2017.
"Eid Al Fitr has been a springboard for these figures as Abu Dhabi welcomed record-breaking numbers of visitors, with many of our leading hotels achieving near full occupancy with tourists from across the world choosing Abu Dhabi as the place to spend their holiday."
Each of TCA Abu Dhabi's six tier one markets recorded impressive performances, with guests from Saudi Arabia more than doubling in June. China's surge as the largest overseas source market has continued, posting a 78.5 per cent month-on-month increase, with year-to-date (YTD) guest arrivals up 55 per cent to 185,000.
India and the United Kingdom maintain second and third spots, with YTD growth of eight per cent and two per cent respectively, with the United States regaining ground after a period of stability, posting double-digit growth for the month, pushing YTD growth to five per cent.
Domestic tourism grew by 28 per cent, with the 100,087 guests representing 32 per cent of all hotel occupants for the month.
Abu Dhabi's global destination awareness campaign launched at the end of 2016 is helping to bolster inbound tourism numbers this year. The emirate is likely to benefit from being named the second-best city in the world to live, work and do business in.
The city overtook both London and Paris from an overall list of 60 cities in the latest Ipsos City Index. In April, Abu Dhabi was also voted the safest city in the world, according to online crime index Numbeo.com.
"With the ongoing rise of tourism in Abu Dhabi, we are confident that the emirate's international reputation will grow from strength to strength as more overseas visitors experience what the emirate has to offer," Ghobash added.
In 2016, Abu Dhabi saw a record 4.4 million hotel guest arrivals.
