A survey of more than 92,000 room bookings in 30 US and international destinations by US travel management company Ovation Travel group showed Abu Dhabi bucking the global downturn in the tourism industry. Year on year average room rates in Abu Dhabi increased more than 33% while room rates in Dubai decreased 25%.
The survey revealed three, four, and five star hotels across the globe reduced their rates by an average of 17.4% in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the first quarter of 2008. Hotel rates in twenty six of the thirty destinations polled decreased with Singapore cutting its rates 35%. Hotel room rates rose in Abu Dhabi, Dublin (6.2%), Milan (5.1%), and Tokyo (3.2%).
