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Discuss this article (4 Comments)UAE predicted to see fall in tourists in 2009
by This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it on Thursday, 06 August 2009
TOURIST TRAP: The UAE is forecast to see a drop in tourists in 2009, according to a new report. (Getty Images)
The UAE is predicted to see negative growth in the number of tourists in 2009, according to a new report published on Thursday.
The number of arrivals this year is seen falling three percent compared to figures for 2008, said Business Monitor International (BMI) in its latest forecast.
"BMI continues to maintain that the UAE will face a challenging period ahead in the tourism sector. Our forecast of negative growth in tourist arrivals in 2009 remains -3 percent year-on-year," the report said.
However, BMI forecasts a slight recovery in growth in arrivals in 2010.
"The poor outlook for the tourism sector in the short term is based on the impact of further downward revisions this quarter to BMI’s forecasts for the US and key European economies – which together accounted for an estimated 40 percent of total arrivals to the UAE in 2007 – and growth in the Middle East," the report added.
The report also said Dubai hotels had witnessed a drop of 16 percent in occupancy rates during the first four months of 2009, compared to the same period in 2008.
In Abu Dhabi, following a slowdown in the growth rate of hotel guests in 2008, hotels recorded a fall in occupancy rates of almost 7 percent between January and April this year.
BMI said new data also showed that the annual growth rate of visitors to the UAE in 2008 was near 10 percent, at around 9.7m arrivals (a slight increase in the rate of growth compared with 2007).
However arrivals were up only five percent in the first quarter of this year, compared with about 14 percent year-on-year growth in the fourth quarter of 2008.
The report also noted that tourist arrivals to Dubai in 2008 had been revised up sharply by the authorities this quarter, with new data showing that the number of visitors increased 8.3 percent year-on-year to more than 7.5m.
The new figures also show that growth in arrivals to Abu Dhabi slowed in 2008 to a modest 3 percent, with 1.5mn visitors.
READERS' COMMENTS
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16% Down?
Posted by Jesus of Dubai on Monday 10 August 2009 at 18:06 UAE time
We are in the tourism industry and we are down at least 40% from last year. July was absolutely horrible too, almost 50 drop from the previous month, which was already bad.
THe guys coming up with the forecasts and analysis of the situation should just keep quiet and admit that they have no clue as to what is going to happen next.
Posted by Jesus of Dubai on Monday 10 August 2009 at 18:06 UAE time
We are in the tourism industry and we are down at least 40% from last year. July was absolutely horrible too, almost 50 drop from the previous month, which was already bad.
THe guys coming up with the forecasts and analysis of the situation should just keep quiet and admit that they have no clue as to what is going to happen next.
Predicted???
Posted by gamby on Sunday 9 August 2009 at 05:54 UAE time
Is this called prediction?
Almost 3/4 of the year is gone!!!
Don't you think you're a little TOO LATE, Nostradamus?!!!
Posted by gamby on Sunday 9 August 2009 at 05:54 UAE time
Is this called prediction?
Almost 3/4 of the year is gone!!!
Don't you think you're a little TOO LATE, Nostradamus?!!!
Prediction
Posted by Jebel Ali Baba, Dubai, UAE on Saturday 8 August 2009 at 21:26 UAE time
Where is the prediction for these figures after seven month gone in 2009 already? Most of the so called tourists were business travellers anyway and the global crisis makes the people also travel less. Even a child could have predicted this downturn. After the boom years everything is going back to normal in Dubai.
Posted by Jebel Ali Baba, Dubai, UAE on Saturday 8 August 2009 at 21:26 UAE time
Where is the prediction for these figures after seven month gone in 2009 already? Most of the so called tourists were business travellers anyway and the global crisis makes the people also travel less. Even a child could have predicted this downturn. After the boom years everything is going back to normal in Dubai.
Hotels FINALLY see the light.... dimming at the end of the tunnel!
Posted by Punky Brewster, Dubai on Friday 7 August 2009 at 09:41 UAE time
Was it me of was DUBAI supposed to be bucking the Downturn!!?? I always wondered, when people in the Leisure Industry used to be coming up with stmts like 'No Downturn here' and Dubai will stand out. It CERTAINLY did... now that the numbers are coming in (revenues for the hotels)!! Incentives will get the industry back on it's feet, and the sooner the better.
Posted by Punky Brewster, Dubai on Friday 7 August 2009 at 09:41 UAE time
Was it me of was DUBAI supposed to be bucking the Downturn!!?? I always wondered, when people in the Leisure Industry used to be coming up with stmts like 'No Downturn here' and Dubai will stand out. It CERTAINLY did... now that the numbers are coming in (revenues for the hotels)!! Incentives will get the industry back on it's feet, and the sooner the better.
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