Hotel bookings in Abu Dhabi and Dubai have picked up with the approaching holiday season, although at a slower pace than in previous years. Rooms are filling up due to an increased number of promotional packages, lower rates, and hoteliers focus on markets other than Europe. Arshad Hussain, director of business development at The Monarch Dubai, said travelers slow to spend have many choices and deals in Dubai, which has added several hotels this year.
Hussain said “Last year, our tactics were different. We were waiting for business to come. Now, we are actually going to get the business.” The December-January period is usually a busy one for UAE hoteliers but the difficult economic conditions and a weak pound have caused many hoteliers to change focus and add more incentives. The Monarch launched a program it calls Project NYE, sending sales people to Russia, India, and China. Mr. Hussain said they realized hotel bookings would not be coming through from the UK, so they secured a 200 room booking during the New Year’s holiday for a group of Russian tourists.
