‘Road to recovery is still not complete’, warns hospitality analyst despite strong UAE performance

‘Road to recovery is still not complete’, warns hospitality analyst despite strong UAE performance

The UAE hospitality industry still has some way to go to recover from the crippling effects of the coronavirus crisis, according to a leading industry expert, despite the country's tourism sector recording the second highest hotel occupancy in the world for 2020.

Figures released by the Ministry of Economy on Saturday revealed the UAE recorded a 54.7 percent hotel occupancy rate in 2020 – beaten only by China – while the global rate dropped to 37 percent under the weight of the ongoing pandemic and hotels in the Middle East region recorded just 43 percent occupancy on average.

This is in parallel to the decline in tourist activity, which fell by 74 percent around the world and 76 percent in the region.

The UAE recorded a 54.7% hotel occupancy rate in 2020, beaten only by China, as the pandemic ravaged the global tourism industry

“This is a great performance considering that the UAE is also one of the only markets that is widely re-open to international travellers from around the globe. Few to no other countries have managed to open borders as soon, as widely and as successfully,” Bruno Trenchard, senior manager, hotels and hospitality, CBRE Middle East, told Arabian Business.

Hospitality businesses in the