The summer months have traditionally attracted less tourists to the emirates compared to other months because of the very hot weather.
In June, the average room rate for four- and five- star hotels in Dubai is expected to be around $180 from June to September, a 28 per cent drop from the average rate of $260 from January to April, Executive Vice-President and head of hotel advisory for the Middle East and Africa at Jones Lang LaSalle.
However, the average room rate in Dubai during the summer months is expected to stand between $210 and $220.
Meanwhile, occupancy levels are expected to drop to 70% from close to 90% enjoyed by hotels from January to April.
July is expected to have the lowest occupancy rate as it coincides with Ramadan.
“During Ramadan, Muslims are fasting and do not travel much,” he said, adding that visitors do not come to the country due to the limited entertainment options available during that time. Dubai is expected to receive less business visitors from June to August as the city experiences a slowdown in business activity. For travel contact http://www.cheap-flight-4u.com.
Instead, scores of leisure tourists are expected to arrive to shop and take part in a number of activities, such as the Dubai Summer Surprises, the annual cultural festival.
Tourists from traditional source markets such as Russia, China and the UK are expected to descend on the city throughout the summer, besides GCC tourists.
“The majority of our bookings are from Saudi Arabia, which makes up around 60%, followed by the Kuwait market with 20% of the total bookings,” Acting General Manager at Emirates Grand Hotel in Dubai.
However, Dubai may see more Australians arrive due to Emirates’ partnership with Australia’s Qantas, as the two airlines combined operate 98 flights a week between Dubai and Australia.
In Abu Dhabi, too, room rates are lower this summer compared to previous months. The average room rate in hotels in the capital is expected to stand at around $110, a 30% drop from $165 for January to April.
Occupancy during the summer is expected to reach above 60%.
“Abu Dhabi is a corporate- driven market. There is low demand during this period because corporate activity drops in the summer as business visitors from markets such as Europe go on holiday.
The hospitality sector in Dubai is performing substantially better than last year.
Hotels in Dubai are expected to record higher occupancy levels throughout the summer compared to the same time last year.
The increase is between eight and 15% on average, according to the hoteliers interviewed by Gulf News.
Occupancy levels are expected to be higher even for the month of August, which records one of the lowest occupancy rates all year. It is expected to stand between 68 and 70%, compared to 64 per cent in August last year.
Average room rates have improved as well. Some hoteliers in Dubai said they expect an increase in room rates between 10 to 15% on average compared to last year.
The same can be said for Abu Dhabi. Occupancy levels during the summer months have improved marginally. Hotels are expected to record an occupancy rate of over 60 per cent from June to August, compared to 59% during the same time last year, Hewett said.
“This is credited to Etihad Airways’ expansion of its network and the increase in the number of people going through the city,” he said.
However, hotels have recorded slightly higher occupancy rates this summer compared to same time last year. 70%, relatively a little higher than last year by two per cent.
“We have performed well in the corporate and government segments due to the ongoing projects, plus a shift in business trends from customers using online booking apps and social group buying sites. Overall, the key performance indicators showed a positive increase in the number of guests, room nights and the average length of stay.
However, room rates in the capital have not changed.
The average price for a room in a four- and five- star hotel stands at $200 in Dubai and $140 in Abu Dhabi.
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