100% of hotels will be completely booked by the middle of December: Industry executive anticipate.
As November started so did the tourist season in Dubai. 75% of bookings are already done ahead of Christmas and New Years Eve. But it will not stop here, industry experts estimate around 100% bookings will be reached by the middle of next month.
During this festive season, local tourism industry is at peak due to heavy tourism. There is a high demand for hotels, airlines, and tour operators, surpassing pre-pandemic levels with 12.4 million visitors recorded from January to September 2023. Unsurprisingly, industry insiders are anticipating that 2023 will set another record year in terms of reservations.
Abdulla Al Abdulla, chief operating officer and general manager of Central Hotels and Resorts, said reservations for the festive days are well underway. He said the group’s multiple properties across the emirate have recorded advanced booking between 19% to 75% in the last week of December. “We have every reason to anticipate full occupancy, reaching 100%, during both Christmas and New Year’s Eve,” he said.
Abdulla Al Abdulla, the Chief Operating Officer and General Manager of Central Hotels and Resorts, said that bookings for the upcoming festive days are already in progress. He mentioned that the group’s various properties throughout the emirate have seen advanced reservations ranging from 19% to 75% for the last week of December. Al Abdulla expressed confidence in achieving full occupancy, reaching 100%, during both Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Outperforming the data from the previous year
“With advanced bookings currently at 50 per cent and almost another full month to go, we are optimistic about achieving an exceptionally strong year-end performance for city hotels. This surge is mainly propelled by excitement and anticipation surrounding events and gigs taking place in the UAE over the next two months, which are attracting visitors from all over the world,” said Thomas Kurian, manager at Leva Hotels.
He also said that this festive season the hotels are expected to have a ground-breaking season for the next two months. He also added that hoteliers are going to use the increase demand in hotels to their leverage and increase the room rates up to 20% compared to same time last year.
As 2023 festive season approach, there is a steady increase in occupancy at Shangri-La Dubai, located on Sheikh Zayed Road.
“With our exceptional view of the Burj Khalifa, we are quickly nearing full occupancy and anticipate selling out soon. We are expecting to be full from December 27, 2023 till January 2, 2024,” said Tarek Medhat, director of sales and marketing, Shangri-La Dubai.
Echoing his industry peers’ comments, Jan Hanak, managing director for Radisson Hotel Group in the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, and Qatar, said reservations have already begun for Christmas and New Year Eve.
“We are currently slightly ahead of last year’s figures in terms of business on the books for the festive season. However, it’s important to mention that, in the Dubai market, a significant portion of bookings tends to come in closer to the event dates,” he added.
Where are they coming from?
The managing director of Radisson Hotel Group said that reservations for Christmas and New Year festivities are pouring in from a diverse range of countries. There is a high demand from the domestic market, with substantial contributions from the United Kingdom, Germany, Scandinavia, Saudi Arabia, and India.
Abdulla Al Abdulla from Central Hotels and Resorts mentioned that a majority of bookings are originating from prominent European and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) markets, including France, Germany, Netherlands, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Australia, Belgium, and the United Kingdom.
Medhat further emphasized that Dubai, being a global destination with unique attractions, attracts guests from all corners of the world during festive seasons. He credited the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) for positioning Dubai as one of the premier travel destinations globally.
