A new report by Cushman & Wakefield Middle East Real Estate for the third quarter of 2009 forecasts that the number of tourist arrivals in the UAE will fall 1% this year but increase 5% in 2010. The total number of international tourists in 2008 was 9.4 million compared to 5.9 million visitors in 2003. This is a compound annual growth rate of ten per cent each year for the 2003-2008 period.
The report shows average tourist spending in the UAE was the highest in GCC last year at $2,287 (Dh8,400). This is due to the high number of leisure tourists visiting from European markets. The report said “In light of the global economic downturn, the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority has reduced its target by 15 per cent from 2.7 million visitors to 2.3 million guests annually by 2012.” Many of Abu Dhabi’s hotels are four and five star hotels. Another 14,000 hotel rooms will be added by 2012 and about 35 per cent of these will be in the five star category.
