According to Khalid bin Sulayem, Director General of the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commercial Marketing (DTKM), the emergence of new resources in the hotel sector will help attract more tourists and guests to Dubai. “By the end of this year, the emirate’s tourism sector will replenish with 16-20 thousand new hotel rooms, which will significantly contribute to lower prices. Attractive prices for hotel accommodation in the emirate will stimulate the tourist flow,” Khalid bin Sulayem noted during the international exhibition The Hotel Show in Dubai.
According to the research company Proleads, currently there are more than 470 existing hotel projects in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). In particular, the number of such projects in the United Arab Emirates is 258, in Saudi Arabia - 83, in Oman - 39, in Bahrain - 35, in Qatar - 29 and in Kuwait - 27.
The latest analysis of average income per hotel room (revPar) in the Middle East region, prepared by the international company Deloitte, showed that revPar from January to February this year averaged US $ 131.42 compared with US $ 151.51 over the same period 2009 year. The performance of the Middle East region, however, remains the highest in comparison with other regions of the world. “If this region wants to compete with others, then, of course, hotel room rates should be competitive,” said Ray Tinston, sales director of The Hotel Show international exhibition. “By lowering prices, hotel operators will increase hotel occupancy, while still earning revenue from food and drink sales.”
Proleads also reports that this year, the planned cash costs for hotel projects under construction in the GCC countries will amount to US $ 1.17 billion.
