Now is an extremely exciting time for Abu Dhabi. As I look to the 12 months ahead, I feel extremely optimistic about what is to come. The city is busy and thriving, and the government has done tremendous work positioning the emirate as one of the world’s leading business and tourism destinations.
Since restrictions were completely lifted last year, we have seen a significant influx in both business and tourism travellers.
Q4 of 2022 was one of the strongest periods for our properties in the last four years. We achieved record-breaking numbers across the hotels, including in ADR, occupancy and revenue.
All our luxury hotels in Abu Dhabi have handled this increase in demand magnificently. We continue to offer extraordinary levels of service to all our guests and continue to earn and maintain their confidence by providing unparalleled transformative experiences and flawless levels of luxury.
Our properties have showcased events such as NBA basketball, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the national team of Argentina, Forbes HealthCare Summit, the Thirteenth Session of the IRENA Assembly, and many more important sporting and business gatherings.
Interestingly, since restrictions were lifted, we have also seen a notable shift in our tourism feeder markets. While the USA, UK, Germany and Italy remain our core target markets, we have noticed an uplift in guests from Israel and South America as well.
This increase in business not only consists of leisure travellers, but also corporate and governmental guests. The MICE departments across all our properties have experienced a surge in revenue and interest in their services, and this reflects Abu Dhabi’s ever-increasing status as a global business hub.
Diversifying the hotel market in Abu Dhabi has also led to a growth in the agricultural, health care and financial markets, and the economy is now thriving across the board.
Part of this is thanks to the enormous efforts of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi. Over the past few years, we have worked hand-in-hand with them on an array of different collaborations that encouraged visitors to ‘Find your place’ and experience a new and previously undiscovered side to Abu Dhabi.
As the emirate continues to diversify its economy, and further amplify its position as a destination filled with culture, natural beauty, amazing events and profitable business opportunities, I am confident that the Abu Dhabi hospitality industry will continue to thrive.
• Sakr is Area General Manager - Luxury Hotels & Resorts, Abu Dhabi for Marriott International