Officials expect an accelerated tourism recovery
▶ Abu Dhabi expects hotel occupancy rates to rise and will look to ease travel restrictions for visitors, DCT official says
The UAE tourism industry’s recovery is set to accelerate this year, driven by a rapid Covid-19 vaccination campaign and the easing of travel restrictions in some markets, officials said.
Abu Dhabi expects hotel occupancy rates to increase from 70 per cent last year to at least 80 per cent this year, said Saood Al Hosani, undersecretary in the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi.
The emirate also plans to expand its green list in the near future. Dubai expects “to see momentum accelerating throughout 2021”, said Dubai Tourism chief executive Issam Kazim, as the emirate hosts Expo 2020.
The UAE hospitality and tourism industry’s recovery is set to accelerate this year, driven by the country’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign and the easing of travel restrictions in some markets, government officials and hoteliers said.
Abu Dhabi expects its hotel occupancy rates to increase from 70 per cent last year to at least 80 per cent this year, Saood Al Hosani, undersecretary in the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, told The National.
“While we forecast a substantial recovery for Abu Dhabi’s tourism sector in 2021 ... our focus remains on delivering high-quality, exciting experiences with health, safety and well-being as our No1 priority,” he said.
“Abu Dhabi is well prepared to welcome increasing numbers of new arrivals in a safe environment.”
The UAE, a regional tourism and business centre, can bank on its rapid Covid-19 vaccination campaign, the Expo 2020 Dubai world fair in October, open borders and visa reforms to attract more visitors to the country, officials and hoteliers said.
Abu Dhabi plans to expand its “green list” – countries and destinations from which travellers can enter the emirate without the need to quarantine on arrival – in the near future, the DCT official said.
The list, which currently comprises 14 countries, is constantly being reviewed based on Covid-19 developments around the world.
“Given the extraordinary efforts that have been made to ensure public safety, we will be looking at easing travel restrictions for international tourists, allowing for even more visitors to safely enjoy their holiday in Abu Dhabi,” said Mr Al Hosani.
The UAE’s high vaccination rate per capita will have a
Our focus remains on delivering high-quality, exciting experiences with health, safety and wellbeing as our No 1 priority SAOOD AL HOSANI DCT Abu Dhabi official
“positive impact” on its travel agreements with countries, which would depend on certain health and safety criteria, he said.
“The necessary preventive measures will also remain in place for the well-being of our community, while we enable more incoming travel without compromising our safety standards,” said Mr Al Hosani.
He also expects in-person business conferences and events to resume as the department works with stakeholders to ensure public health remains a priority.
Industry analysts expect the recovery of business travel to lag behind that of leisure trips as companies trim budgets and videoconferencing becomes the norm.
Neighbouring Dubai, which opened its borders to international visitors last July, is optimistic about the industry’s outlook this year.
“As we build on the strong rebound in 2020 and as confidence continues to grow within the industry and among travellers and with vaccinations being rolled out around the world, we expect to see momentum accelerating throughout 2021,” Dubai Tourism chief executive Issam Kazim told The National.
Growth drivers include the expo, the UAE’s 50-year celebrations and a surge in domestic tourists, he said.
The emirate is in a “strong position” to capture target markets as they reopen their borders due to its agility and strategy of focusing on diverse markets, he said.
However, the recovery pace for the global industry depends on Covid-19 developments and the easing of travel restrictions.
Dubai’s focus this year is to tap into the conference business, boost leisure events and start a new global marketing campaign next month to promote the emirate as a summer destination for families, he said.
It hosted more than 810,000 international guests in January and February this year, compared with 3.27 million visitors in same period last year, according to Dubai Tourism.
The emirate welcomed 5.51 million visitors last year, a third of the number of visitors in 2019.
The UAE had the world’s second-highest hotel occupancy rates after China last year and hoteliers expect establishments to be just as busy this year.
Rotana chief executive and president Guy Hutchinson said he expects the UAE to finish the year with “some of the strongest numbers in the world ... it is inevitable”.
The company’s Dubai establishments recorded an occupancy rate of 70 per cent, given the restrictions on capacity, while its Abu Dhabi hotel occupancy rates were in the “high 80s” during the first quarter of this year, he said.
In the summer, based on current bookings, occupancy will “tail off a bit” but remain strong in the “late 60s”, he said.
Mr Hutchison said visibility remained complex.
Once the key source markets of Saudi Arabia, the UK and Germany reopen, the rebound in leisure travel to the Emirates will be “immediate and the numbers will be beyond expectation”, he said.
Marcus Bernhardt, chief executive of Steigenberger Hotels and Deutsche Hospitality, said the country’s hospitality and tourism industry is “all set to rise” this year.
Hotels must adapt to changing mindset of travellers who are expected to opt for accommodation that is safer, less crowded and offers flexibility when it comes to bookings or cancellations.
“Travel in this ‘new normal’ looks and feels different,” he said.
Five Hospitality chief executive Aloki Batra said the Israel market offers a “huge opportunity”, given the spending power and interest of Israeli residents and large Israeli diaspora.
The UAE and Israel normalised relations in September last year.