The Dubai hospitality industry posted a modest five percent increase in the number of recieved guests in 2003, according to the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM). Some 4,980,228 guests visited Dubai last year, up from 4,756,280 in 2002 and 3,626,625 in 2001.
Statistics revealed a 32 percent increase in guests from the US with 136,934 Americans making their way to Dubai's hotels, collectively playing host to a total of 207,334 guests from the Americas.
The emirate received 27 percent more visitors from Russia, CIS and the Baltic region last year. A total of 328,051 guests from the region stayed at Dubai hotels, up from 236,951 in 2000.
European traffic increased by eight percent with a total of 1,294,885 visitors staying at hotels in the emirate in 2003, up from 934,239 guests three years ago. South Asian guests rose by 15 percent followed by guests from the Far East by 13 percent.
A record 919,862 South Asian visitors checked into Dubai hotels last year, up from 583,382 guests in 2000. A total of 276,683 guests came from the non-Arab African countries, up from 148,289 in 2000.
There was no significant change in the number of Arab guests during 2003, with 1,945,157 Arab nationals staying at hotels in Dubai. There was a modest two percent growth in guests from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with 396,101 nationals and residents staying in Dubai properties, while the number of Arabian Gulf Cooperation Council (AGCC) hotel guests remained as strong as before at 1,025,383 visitors. — (menareport.com)
© 2004 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
