Weather and tourism sizzling hot

The sweltering heat of a UAE summer usually drives many residents to seek cooler climes. But the country's popularity as a tourist destination during the baking hot months of June, July and August is growing.Major hoteliers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have reported that business in the weeks outside of Ramadan was better than last year. This was fuelled by low-cost deals, unrest in some countries in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena), and growth in tourism from emerging markets such as India and China. "The tourist that comes for the summer is a very different person that comes to Dubai as a winter sun destination," says Brett Armitage, the senior vice president of sales at Atlantis, The Palm."The premium market to Dubai is still winter sun. But there is a market, particularly an aspirational one, that comes to Dubai during the summer because the prices are significantly less than they are during the winter months," he says. "The price really compensates for the weather. It appeals to a different audience that is prepared to come to experience the marvels of Dubai but in the summer are paying a lot less." Although the Emirates may be uncomfortably hot, it is still appealing for European tourists, desperate to go home sporting a suntan after staying in five-star luxury. Atlantis, which is Dubai's biggest hotel with 1,539 rooms, had average occupancy of 96 per cent during July. Room rates were up by 12 per cent compared with the same month last year. "What we saw this year was much stronger demand," says Mr Armitage. "It's been an extraordinary summer." The Emirates is also pulling in tourists from a wider range of countries, with the addition of flights by Etihad Airways, Emirates Airline and flydubai playing a huge role. To illustrate the point, the number of Chinese tourists staying in Atlantis surged by 250 per cent in August, while the number of guests from India rose 25 per cent. "The Chinese market does tend to be quite a price-sensitive market, so they are more susceptible to travel during the summer when the prices are lower," says Mr Armitage. Hotels played their part in attracting more tourists during the summer by reducing prices. Shopping festivals also attracted large numbers of GCC guests as they headed here for bargains and other attractions."International tourists came despite the summer and Ramadan as they usually do," says Mortiz Klein, the general manager of the Beach Rotana hotel in Abu Dhabi. "We have seen an influx in the city, and Abu Dhabi is getting stronger year on year."The number of hotel guests in Abu Dhabi increased by 38 per cent in July, while total revenue grew by 6 per cent on the same month last year to Dh271 million (US$73.7m). Occupancy increased by 9 per cent to 65 per cent. In Dubai, it was a similar story."Our properties in Dubai had a very good summer and Ramadan," says Essam Abouda, the vice president of operations for the Middle East and Africa at Hilton Worldwide. "We were running our own summer promotions … and had a strategic partnership with Emirates Airline for a campaign called Kids Go Free in Dubai, both of which helped attract guests and boosted business."