TAMANI Marina Hotel expects five per cent rise in Saudi guests

Saudi guests expected from short holiday break starting March 19

Strong feedback from Riyadh & Jeddah travel and tour operators
1.35 million Saudi tourists in Dubai last year
Average spending by Saudi tourist in Dubai is AED 24,000

Dubai, March 19, 2014: TAMANI Marina Hotel is maintaining its market-leading position as one of the most-preferred hospitality properties in Dubai for the Saudi guests who are expected to come in big numbers during the short holiday break from March 19.

Walid Al-Awa, General Manager, TAMANI Marina Hotel, said: “The Saudi Holiday break will come on March 19 and will last until March 25th. We are ready to host families and we are expecting increase of five per cent in Saudi families than last year with the corresponding time.”

He said guests from Saudi Arabia have been on the rise at the hotel over the years and this year there will be strong growth in the guests from the kingdom. The travel and tourism industry players have given a strong feedback about the market trends during a visit by the hotel team led by Sherif Elibrashy, Director of Sales, to Riyadh and Jeddah, he said.

The all-suites luxury-defining property has 245 units spread over 55 stories in the picturesque Dubai Marina and overlooking The Palm. The hotel had recorded a five per cent increase in the number of guests from the Arabian Gulf last year compared to 2012.

According to Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), the emirate’s hotels welcomed more than 11 million guests in 2013 with Saudi Arabia topping the list of Top 10 guest source markets.

The DTCM said Saudi Arabia, consistently Dubai’s primary source market, experienced further growth, with visitors up by 19.9 percent to 1.35 million last year. In 2012, Dubai received 1.13 million visitors from Saudi Arabia. The first half of 2013 witnessed Saudis spending AED17 billion in Dubai, according to a report. These figures suggest that, on average, each Saudi tourist spent AED 24,000 while in Dubai.

Saudi Arabian tourists have played a role in boosting the UAE economy, which is led by trade and tourism. Saudi Arabia is the biggest market for Dubai in terms of room occupancy, according to STR Global study.

According to Visa’s Tourism Outlook for the UAE, Saudi Arabian visitors spent $420.4 million on their Visa cards in the UAE last year, up 28.8 per cent.