Dubai hotels report strong occupancy figures for March

The number of people taking a holiday in Dubai rose sharply in March, as hoteliers reported very strong occupancy rates.According to the latest HotStats survey of full service four and five-star hotels by TRI Hospitality Consulting, 89.8 per cent of rooms were full during the month, which was up by 2.3 per cent on March 2012.Revenues per available room rose by 11.8 per cent, while the average room rate increased by nine per cent year-on-year.This goes to show just how lucrative Dubai's hospitality sector is at the moment and explains why so many investors are pouring money into the emirate.”2012/13 has been one of the strongest tourist seasons in Dubai's history,” commented Peter Goddard, managing director of TRI Hospitality Consulting in Dubai.”Tourism arrivals from all regions have shown significant growth as the city's leaders have ensured that both capacity and connectivity matched the growing tourism demand and visitor requirements.”He pointed towards the fact Dubai has the second busiest airport on the planet, which is now a “major international transit hub”. Mr Goddard also stated that hotels had benefited from the UAE's spring school holidays in March.This is certainly not the first study to highlight the strength of the Gulf's hospitality sector. Indeed, figures recently compiled by HotelsCombined showed that Middle East and North African (MENA) resorts have increased their room rates by eight per cent in the past year, which is double the global average. This statistic is even more impressive when you consider the well documented troubles that have been reported in certain MENA countries like Syria, which will have had an effect on the final overall figures.PR and community manager at the company Kristen McKenzie said the addition of world-class attractions, such as the biggest ferris wheel on the planet, will continue to set Dubai aside from other destinations.With 66 million people expected to fly into Dubai International Airport in 2013, it is hardly surprising that so many renowned global hotel chains are opening new resorts in the city, especially in more upmarket and popular parts of town. Taylor Scott International