Dubai’s hotel industry ends 2022 on a high note

Dubai’s hotel industry ended 2022 on a good note, with occupancy rates and revenue per available room (RevPAR) rising for the month of December.

According to preliminary data for the month from STR, the London-based hospitality data and analytics specialist, Dubai’s hotel occupancy came in lower than the pre-pandemic comparable, but the average daily rate (ADR) once again pushed revenue per available room (RevPAR) far above 2019 levels.

The occupancy rate recorded was 76.6 per cent, with an ADR of Dhs892.84 and revenue per available room (RevPAR) at Dhs684.03.

According to STR, the occupancy level was 2 per cent below the 2019 comparable (78.2 per cent), while ADR and RevPAR were 33.8 per cent and 31.1 per cent higher, respectively. Occupancy was slightly ahead of 2019 in both October and November.

ADR and RevPAR were well above pre-pandemic levels throughout the year.

December’s daily data showed that Dubai’s highest performance was recorded on New Year’s Eve: occupancy (91 per cent), ADR (Dhs1,765.51) and RevPAR (Dhs1,606.74). With the exception of four days during the month, daily occupancy levels remained above 70 per cent.

December has also been exceptionally busy for Dubai International airport owing to a combination of factors including the seasonal influx of visitors, the recently concluded football event in Doha, and Dubai’s popularity as a preferred tourist destination over the past two years.

More than 107,082 passengers arrived in Dubai on New Year’s Eve, with 95,445 travellers arriving through Dubai Airports, 6,527 arriving via the Hatta Border Crossing, and 5,010 arriving via marine ports.

Read: Dubai welcomes over 23.7 million passengers in 2022