UAE best destination for resorts and hotels - Dubai leads hospitality and Abu Dhabi sees rise

Emirates Business 24/7 reported - The UAE has come out on top of an international index ranking the world’s best destinations for resorts and hotels. The Emirates beat such luxury locales as the Maldives, Australia, Tahiti, and Bermuda in the 2007 Country Brand Index issued by New York-based Future Brands. The study found the UAE ranked as the best for resort and lodging facilities because it boasts a wide-variety of hotel accommodation – from family-friendly beach resorts to the world’s only seven-star hotel, Burj Al Arab, in addition to the largest number of new properties under construction.

In Dubai, developments in the pipeline stretch out to 2020 and are in line to deliver 80,000 extra hotel rooms by 2010, with 100,000 people employed in the sector. The UAE’s investment in the tourism industry stands at more than Dh878 billion, with Dubai leading the field with Dh454bn in projects followed by Abu Dhabi with Dh305bn, according to a recent report. The UAE was also awarded third place among the most popular emerging destinations under the category ‘Rising Star’ after Croatia and China, who came in first and second respectively. For fine dining, the country came in seventh, topped by destinations like France, Italy, Singapore, Japan, the US and UK. The Emirates was also in the top 10 for best business destinations.

The number of visitors to Abu Dhabi grew by 16 per cent in 2007 – one of the highest growth rates for the sector in the world. However, the head of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) said the emirate does not have enough hotel rooms to accommodate the increase.

A strategic study on Abu Dhabi’s tourism sector conducted by ADTA for 2015 said about 1.37 million tourists visited the capital in 2007, compared to 1.18m in 2006. And the study predicted the sector will host 1.58 million visitors in 2008.

The study said the emirate is likely to see 12 per cent annual growth in the coming years, with three million tourists planning trips to Abu Dhabi by 2015. Source