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HomeTravel NewsIrish Visitors to Dubai Increase by 16%

Irish Visitors to Dubai Increase by 16%

Dubai welcomed 5.5 million tourists in the first half of 2013, representing an 11% increase year-on-year, and illustrating that the emirate is well on its way to achieving its Tourism Vision for 2020.

The visitor figures for the first six months of the year, released by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), show increases across all key indicators.130731 Dubai Enjoys Busiest Half Year Ever - Infographic 2 SMALL

 

Ireland is a rapidily growing source market for Dubai, experiencing a 16% increase in visitors in the first half of 2013.

130731 Dubai Enjoys Busiest Half Year Ever - Infographic 3 SMALL

The occupancy rate for hotel rooms and hotel apartments saw steady growth during

the first half of the year. Hotel room occupancy averaged 84.6 % over the six month

period, an increase of 2.8 % on the first half of 2012, while the occupancy rate for hotel

apartments was 85.8 %, up 6.5 % year on year. Total guest nights also saw a significant

13% rise, equalling an additional 2.5 million over-night stays from January to June 2013

versus the same period in 2012.

This increase is more significant when taking into account that Dubai has 16 more hotel

establishments than it did at the end of June 2012, bringing the total number of hotels

in the city to 603 and hotel rooms to 81,492 – a 7.2 % increase since the end of the

first half of 2012. Hotel openings during this period included the JW Marriott Marquis,

Oberoi Hotel Dubai, and JA Ocean View Hotel.

The monthly breakdown of visitor numbers illustrates that events and seasonal

attractions play a large part in the growth of tourists to Dubai as it provides visitors with

even more rewarding lifestyle experiences. Annual events such as the Dubai Shopping

Festival, Dubai World Cup and Summer Is Dubai are all extremely popular with oversees

travelers, while the emirate has played host to some of the world’s top acts in the

first half of the year, including Justin Bieber’s first concert in the Middle East and the

renowned Cirque du Soleil.

The released figures also highlight the success of Dubai’s position as a summer tourism

destination, showcasing the month of June as the third busiest month for hotel guests

after January and March.

Ian Scott, Director UK & Ireland, Dubai Tourism, said: “The growth recorded

for the first half of the year is on target for our medium term plans and is, most

importantly, sustainable. As the number of holidaymakers to the emirate increases, so

does the breadth of accommodation to meet demand.

“The city’s world-class infrastructure also ensures that we are able to continue to grow

our visitor numbers, with Dubai now being home to the world’s second-ranked airport

in terms of traffic as well as home to the Emirates airline group, which flies out of seven

airports in the UK and Ireland and is thus a critical contributor to our UK and Irish

tourism success.”

* Announced earlier this year under the directive of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed

bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of

Dubai, Dubai’s Tourism Vision for 2020 sets out how the city will double its annual

visitor numbers from 10 million in 2012 to 20 million in 2020.

Spearheaded by the DTCM, the strategy is to position Dubai as the leading destination

for both leisure and business travel by continuously evolving its diverse tourism offering

and continuing to attract visitors from around the world.

Dubai offers year-round sunshine, golden sandy beaches and arid deserts full of

adventure. Dubai has a reputation as one of the world’s leading destinations and

offers an array of indoor and outdoor activities for adults and children alike.

Visitors can enjoy local culture, world-class shopping, a selection of hotels and self-catering accommodation ranging from affordable to some of the most luxurious in the world.

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