Hotels continue to benefit from Dubai’s growing popularity

Dubai is undoubtedly one of the most sought after holiday destinations on the planet and this is obviously great news for hotel owners.Around 66 million people are expected to land at Dubai International Airport throughout 2013, with many of these visitors staying in the city for a prolonged period.The emirate has also emerged as a global business hub in recent years, so hoteliers are inundated with corporate travellers too, especially when there is a major exhibition or conference being held.Global luxury hospitality company Jumeirah Group is one of many organisations to benefit from the UAE's booming popularity and bosses at the firm said that occupancy rates were up again in the first quarter of 2013.They confirmed that the average daily room rate across its global portfolio of hotels increased by nine per cent during the three-month period, while revenue per available room rose by an impressive 22 per cent.Although these figures were based on resorts all around the world, it is fair to say that Jumeirah's Dubai assets were a driving force behind this improved performance.Speaking at the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference in Dubai, Gerald Lawless, president of the Jumeirah Group, said the first four months of 2013 have been a “tremendous success” for the organisation.”The Dubai hotels have truly benefited from the continuing attraction of Dubai as a prime holiday and business destination,” he remarked.A recent study by TRI Hospitality Consulting highlighted just how popular Dubai has become in recent years. It found that 89.8 per cent of hotel rooms across the city were full in March, which was up by 2.3 per cent when compared to the corresponding month in 2012.Revenue per available room increased by 11.8 per cent during the month, while average room rates rose by nine per cent.This just goes to show how lucrative the UAE's hospitality sector is at the moment and the situation is expected to improve even further in the coming years, which is great news for people who own hotels, apartments and villas in Dubai. Taylor Scott International