Abu Dhabi hotel occupancy hits highest since Feb 2020

In evident signs of recovery in the UAE’s tourism sector, Abu Dhabi’s hotel industry reported its highest occupancy in June since the start of the pandemic.

According to preliminary data of June from research firm STR, hotels in the capital were 68.5 per cent occupied last month. The average daily rate was Dh319.95 and the revenue per available room was Dh219.18.

“The absolute occupancy level was the highest for any month in Abu Dhabi since February 2020, while the absolute revenue per available room was the market’s highest since February 2021,” London-headquartered STR, which provides data insights into the global hospitality sector, said.

The new data is a positive reflection of the several proactive Covid-19 precautionary measures taken by the government. Massive vaccination and screening campaigns have ensured that Abu Dhabi and Dubai are ready to welcome tourists and take steps towards normalcy.

Additionally, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi’s Go Safe certification to hotels, popular places like Yas Marina Circuit, theme parks on Yas Island, malls and cinemas across the Capital after conducting rigorous on-site inspections, has boosted consumer confidence. Also, tourists arriving from green list countries do not need to quarantine in Abu Dhabi.

So, the STR data on Abu Dhabi hotels offers promise of the country being on the recovery path. Just last month, STR noted that Dubai was the only other market in the GCC that did not report a significant decline in absolute revenue per available room, although performance was nearly flat as a decline in average daily rate (-1.5 per cent) countered an uplift in occupancy (+1.2 per cent).

And according to the last available data from STR, Dubai posted an occupancy level of 63.6 per cent till mid of May.

“Year-over-year percentage increases are substantial because of the comparison with the months most affected by the pandemic in 2020,” the STR added.

ashwani@khaleejtimes.com