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DUBAI: Demand for Abu Dhabi hotels rose in October, propped by the three-day World Skills competition held during the month, preliminary data from hotel industry tracker STR showed.
The arrival of more than 10,000 international visitors, 1,300 competitors and 100,000 visitors from the UAE for the World Skills Competition, held from October 15 to 18, pushed hotel room demand by 13.2 percent, STR said, as against room supply going up by only 0.5 percent.
“Occupancy was above 90% three times during the event, while ADR [Average daily rate] was more than Dh500 each night,” STR said in its preliminary report.
Average occupancy for the month was pegged at 80.9 percent, with average daily room rate up 2.3 percent to Dh465.58 and while revenue per available room rising 15.3 percent to Dh376.88.
STR will release the full October results later this month.
Indian tourists continue to be the main international source market for Abu Dhabi’s hotels, with more than 33,000 guests checking into the emirate in September, according to the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.
Chinese tourists meanwhile came in second, with more than 28,000 visitors from the Asian country visiting Abu Dhabi’s three regions: Al Dhafra, Al Ain and Abu Dhabi city. The UAE has allowed Chinese visitors to get visas on arrival starting this year.
The emirate welcomed 4.4 million guests in 2016, and is on track to exceed that number this year, the Abu Dhabi tourism agency said.