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Discuss this article (6 Comments)Dubai tourists up 5% in H1 - official
by This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it on Tuesday, 11 August 2009
TOURIST FIGURES: The number of Dubai tourists rose 5 percent in the first half of 2009, compared to the same period in the previous year. (Getty Images)
Tourism chiefs in Dubai on Tuesday said that the 3.85 million tourists had visited the emirate in the first half of 2009, a five percent increase on the same period of 2008.
Figures released by the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) added that five-star beach hotels posted an average occupancy of 90 percent in the first week of August.
The figures contradict a Business Monitor International (BMI) report published last week in which the number of tourists to the UAE was predicted to fall by three percent compared to figures for 2008.
According to the DTCM, in the month of July the total number of GCC guests who stayed in five, four and three star hotels in Dubai was 64,102, an increase of 35 percent compared with the same period last year, officials claimed.
This substantial increase was largely attributed to DTCM summer promotion programmes, including Kids Go Free launched by DTCM in July.
Khalid A bin Sulayem, DTCM director general, said: "The performance of our ambitious and globally-competitive hospitality industry and the growth trends witnessed in various segments have helped Dubai maintain its solid standing on the world tourism map in one of the most-challenging business environments that the global tourism industry is grappling with."
He added: "In Dubai, we remain positive and pro-active at an economically-challenging time in the world history. We are moving forward with confidence and positive approach as Dubai gains solid grounds as a year-round business and leisure destination."
Presently, Dubai has a total of 58,147 hotel rooms and flats - a 17 percent increase over the first half of last year.
READERS' COMMENTS
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Up by 5%????
Posted by Leopar Lil, Dammam, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday 18 August 2009 at 11:18 UAE time
This seems unlikely. It will interesting to see how occupancy rates are when all the hotels revert to their normal prices after the summer season.
Posted by Leopar Lil, Dammam, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday 18 August 2009 at 11:18 UAE time
This seems unlikely. It will interesting to see how occupancy rates are when all the hotels revert to their normal prices after the summer season.
Up WHAT %
Posted by Jesus of Dubai on Thursday 13 August 2009 at 10:21 UAE time
I sure see a lot more Iranians this year. I think it's because of the political turmoils back home.
We are in the tourism retail business, so we have our fingers where it should be, on the pulse of the market, ofcourse!
Our business is down 45% this year. July to June we had a 50% drop.
We know of numerous hotel gift shops closing down. One of our biggest customers closed all of their shops in the hotels.
It doesn't pay to pretend that the economy here is separated or different from other economies. It's all a big Titanic. We can reshuffle the deck chairs to make it look good, or enjoy the party in the ball room, but this ship is gonna sink.
Posted by Jesus of Dubai on Thursday 13 August 2009 at 10:21 UAE time
I sure see a lot more Iranians this year. I think it's because of the political turmoils back home.
We are in the tourism retail business, so we have our fingers where it should be, on the pulse of the market, ofcourse!
Our business is down 45% this year. July to June we had a 50% drop.
We know of numerous hotel gift shops closing down. One of our biggest customers closed all of their shops in the hotels.
It doesn't pay to pretend that the economy here is separated or different from other economies. It's all a big Titanic. We can reshuffle the deck chairs to make it look good, or enjoy the party in the ball room, but this ship is gonna sink.
Its not 1st of April
Posted by Saiyed, Florida, USA on Wednesday 12 August 2009 at 18:53 UAE time
For God Sake please stop giving such reports.
Last month Nakheel cut 400 jobs and now HSBC cut 90, although my friend told me its almost 150. Also globally jobs are being cut and America and European economies are still bracing the so called hurricane "Financial Crises".
Until the economies of America and Europe improve the situation in gulf countries will not improve.
People please wake up and stop this freehold property madness which has brought world major economies to the brink of disaster. I was just going through Geo Business news which said this year 69 banks have been closed in America so far, wonder how many in europe have been affected.
Posted by Saiyed, Florida, USA on Wednesday 12 August 2009 at 18:53 UAE time
For God Sake please stop giving such reports.
Last month Nakheel cut 400 jobs and now HSBC cut 90, although my friend told me its almost 150. Also globally jobs are being cut and America and European economies are still bracing the so called hurricane "Financial Crises".
Until the economies of America and Europe improve the situation in gulf countries will not improve.
People please wake up and stop this freehold property madness which has brought world major economies to the brink of disaster. I was just going through Geo Business news which said this year 69 banks have been closed in America so far, wonder how many in europe have been affected.
!!??
Posted by Dod, Dubai on Wednesday 12 August 2009 at 15:30 UAE time
I thought the one about the number of residents increasing by 300,000 next month took the biscuit, but this one trumps it
Posted by Dod, Dubai on Wednesday 12 August 2009 at 15:30 UAE time
I thought the one about the number of residents increasing by 300,000 next month took the biscuit, but this one trumps it
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