In total, 437,228 hotel guests stayed at the emirate’s 162 hotels, resorts and hotel apartments during January, up more than 30,000 over the previous year, according to Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi). All three regions within the emirate recorded hotel guest increases; Abu Dhabi up 6.3 percent; Al Ain up seven percent; and Al Dhafra up 17.3 percent.

Multiple markets provided double-digit year-on-year growth, notably; China (10.7 percent), India (31.5 percent), UK (19.1 percent), Saudi Arabia (15.4 percent) and the US (36.1 percent). DCT Abu Dhabi focussed on extensive marketing across the main feeder markets and held a number of roadshows to attract more travellers. Other reasons for the growing visits were visa permits on arrival and more flights.

“We continue to invest heavily in promoting the emirate abroad across our source markets, with our strategy paying dividends in attracting more hotel guests than ever before,” remarked H.E. Saif Saeed Ghobash, director general, DCT Abu Dhabi.