The total revenues of Dubai hotels and hotel apartments have crossed the AED 11 billion mark in 2006 compared with the previous year according to numbers by the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM). Dubai scored a world record when its hotel establishments recorded the highest occupancy and revenues in the month of January 2007, leaving behind Hong Kong, Sydney, Tokyo and London in occupancy levels.

Dubai was far ahead of destinations like London, Paris, New York and Hong Kong in terms of revenues generated by hotels for that month.

The hotel occupancy levels in January were Dubai (85 per cent), Hong Kong (83.8 per cent), Sydney (76.6 per cent), Tokyo (73 per cent) and London (71.5 per cent).

For the month of January, Dubai hotels generated revenues of US$238.9 million, while London notched up US$153.4 million followed by Paris with US$147.3 million, New York US$146.6 million and Hong Kong US$142.2 million.

The stellar performance of the Dubai hospitality industry has been revealed by the department at the International Tourism Exchange (ITB-2007) in Berlin in which 97 government and private sector organizations from the emirate participating under the DTCM umbrella from March 7 to 11.

The DTCM Director General, Mr. Khalid A bin Sulayem, said: The excellent performance by the hospitality industry in the emirate during 2006 is a reflection of our marketing and promotional initiatives, especially in the overseas markets, to position Dubai as the world`s leading tourism hub. It is also the fruit of an inspirational public-private sector partnership and government’s unwavering determination to be a model destination.

According to statistics, an all-time record 6.5 million guests stayed with Dubai hotels whose numbers touched 414 last year. VFR (Visiting Friends and Relations) visitors are not counted as hotel guests. There was a 6.9 per cent increase in hotel rooms and flats during the same year, bringing the total to 40,862.

The department said the lodging and non-lodging revenues of Dubai hotels and hotel apartments was AED10,835,463,000, a whopping 22.8 per cent rise over the previous year. More than AED9 billion revenues were notched up by the hotels, while hotel apartments scored AED1.1 billion business in 2006. Similarly, the guestnights rose by 7.9 per cent to reach 17.59 million in 2006 as against 16.3 in 2005 with 7.3 per cent increase.

Meanwhile, the Dubai’s participation in the ITB for the 18th successive year has remained rewarding for the DTCM and its co-participants with the Dubai Stand (Number 102, Hall 22a) attracting ceaseless number of visitors, both from the travel trade and general public.

Mr. Eyad Ali Abdul Rahman, DTCM Director Media Relations Division, said the enthusiastic response that Dubai has evoked in the Berlin fair clearly suggest that Dubai will remain a sought-after year-round business and leisure destination with substantial increases expected in visitors with the opening of new attractions.