Abu Dhabi’s hotels at 92 per cent capacity ahead of grand prix

Hotels across Abu Dhabi, such as the Yas Viceroy, are almost fully booked ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Fatima Al Marzooqi / The National.

ABU DHABI // Finding a room in the capital could be tricky for the 60,000 race fans set to converge on Abu Dhabi this weekend with hotels almost fully booked.

Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) is forecasting occupancy rates of 92 per cent in leading hotels for the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from November 25 to 27, with a number of four and five-star properties set to be fully booked over the three days of racing.

“Since 2009 when Abu Dhabi hosted its first Grand Prix, the annual event has become one of the most important highlights in our year-round calendar attracting tens of thousands of fans to our emirate and millions more to watch all around the world,” said HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director General, TCA Abu Dhabi.

“It is an ideal opportunity for us to show the ability to host global events while also showcasing our diverse and impressive range of attractions, infrastructure and accommodation. We are also able to give our visitors a taste of our traditions, culture and heritage which make Abu Dhabi such a distinctive and desirable destination to visit.”

Guest arrivals into the emirate increased by eight per cent in the first 10 months of this year compared to 2015, with visitor numbers reaching 3,641,234, TCA Abu Dhabi said.

Guest nights in hotels and hotel apartments also increased by two per cent over the same period to 9,850,881.

Further gains in visitor numbers are expected following the launch this month of a new global destination campaign aimed at encouraging travellers to experience Abu Dhabi’s ‘extraordinary stories’.

The campaign, comprising television commercials dedicated to the GCC and international markets, is being broadcast across TV networks, digital channels and in-flight entertainment systems.

Domestic tourism increased by nine per cent in the first nine months of the year compared to2015, spurred by a host of events including February’s Qasr Al Hosn Festival and the inaugural Mother of the Nation Festival in March while December’s Abu Dhabi Food Festival is also expected to contribute.

India remains the top overseas market seeing 18 per cent growth year on year up until September, with their number of guest nights also increasing by three per cent.

The UK remains the largest source market in Europe with guest arrivals increasing by three per cent year-on-year, said the TCA Abu Dhabi.

The Authority recently led a delegation of the emirate’s leading hotels, resorts, attractions, tour operators and destination management companies, along with the UAE’s national airline Etihad Airways, to World Travel Market London, to help bolster the number of British visitors into Abu Dhabi.

China was the third largest overseas market with 19 per cent more visitors in the first nine months of this year compared to 2015, reaching 163,935 guest arrivals. A delegation of leading Chinese tour operators will be attending the Grand Prix as guests of TCA Abu Dhabi.