Dubai's hotels posted a 9.8 percent rise in revenues to $6.5 billion in 2014, the tourism authority said Tuesday, in the sector's best annual result since the 2009 financial crisis. The Department of Tourism and Commerce and Marketing said in a statement that more than 11.6 million guests stayed in Dubai hotels and hotel apartments last year, bringing revenues of 23.9 billion dirhams ($6.5 billion).
The figures reflected a 7.4 percent year-on-year rise in guest nights in the glitzy city-state, home to some of the world's most iconic hotels, including the sail-shaped Burj al-Arab. The statement said Saudis continued to top the list of visitors, followed by Indians, Britons, Americans and Iranians, while it noted a 25 percent rise in the number of Chinese visitors which hit 344,000 in 2014. Turmoil in most of the traditional tourism destinations across the Middle East appear to have helped Dubai capitalise on its reputation as a safe haven to attract tourists and businesses. Dubai's economy contracted 2.4 percent in 2009 when it rattled global markets over its debt crisis before receiving a $10-billion bailout from Abu Dhabi, its oil-rich partner in the Emirates, and reaching restructuring deals with lenders.
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