India retained top spot on Dubai's list of source markets for inbound tourism, with 1,478,000 Indian tourists arriving in the city between January and September this year, registering a significant 20 per cent rise over the same period in 2016.
Dubai Tourism said it has witnessed 7.5 per cent jump in tourist arrival at the end of Q3 2017. A total of 11.58 million international overnight visitors arrived in Dubai during the first nine months of 2017, reflecting a 7.5 per cent increase over the same period last year, underlining the strength of the emirate's tourism industry as well as the growing appeal of Dubai as a global tourism destination of choice, according to the latest data released by Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism).
"India retained top spot on Dubai's list of source markets for inbound tourism, with 1,478,000 Indian tourists arriving in the city between January and September, registering a significant 20 per cent rise over the same period in 2016," it said.
This increase witnessed following innovative promotional activities driven by Dubai Tourism in the market, including highly successful influencer-led collaborations with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, it said.
China stayed in the fifth place with 49 per cent year-on-year growth, delivering 573,000 visitors in the first nine months of the year and continuing to benefit from regulatory changes introduced in late 2016 granting Chinese citizens free visa-on-arrival access to the UAE.
Saudi Arabia and the UK also retained their positions as Dubai's second and third largest feeder markets, respectively.
A total of 1,250,000 Saudis and 905,000 British travellers arrived in the emirate between January and September 2017, the former showing a slight drop compared to the first nine months of 2016, reflecting the ongoing economic challenges facing Saudi Arabia, while the UK witnessed a resilient 2 per cent year-on- year increase despite continued Brexit instability.
Dubai's hotel sector also saw significant growth, with the city's total number of hotel and hotel apartment keys standing at 106,167 at the end of the third quarter of 2017, spread across 678 establishments, representing an aggregated 6 per cent increase in capacity over a 12-month period versus end of September 2016.
Luxury five-star hotels, Dubai's strongest proposition globally, made up 33 per cent of the emirate's total inventory, with four-star hotels commanding a 23 per cent share and properties in the one- to three-star categories a share of 21 per cent, reflecting the benefits of a sustained approach to balancing the mix and driving consideration from diverse segments including families.
Hotel apartment establishments made up 23 per cent of total inventory, split into deluxe/superior and standard categories, with 9 and 14 per cent shares respectively.
Average occupancy for the hotel sector as whole stood at 76 per cent, remaining unchanged from the end of Q3 2016, underscoring the industry's foundational stability and enduring attractiveness despite rising supply.
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