Abu Dhabi Cuts Hotel and Restaurant Charges in Tourism Drive
Abu Dhabi has set out plans to make hotel stays in the emirate cheaper in an attempt to boost tourism. The emirate’s Department of Culture and Tourism announced on Friday that government fees paid by hotels and customers would be reduced to support growth in the hospitality and tourism sector.
The measures include the reduction of a tourism fee issued to guests from 6 per cent to 4 per cent, the removal of a municipality fee of Dh15 a room per night and the lifting of a 6 per cent tourism fee and a 4 per cent municipality fee applied to hotel restaurants.
.@dctabudhabi has revised the fees applied to hotels in the emirate, supporting the continued growth of the hospitality and tourism sector and enhancing #AbuDhabi as a leading global leisure and tourism destination. pic.twitter.com/AhTaEuOA1u
— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@ADMediaOffice) August 11, 2023
The changes will come into effect from September 1. The municipality fee for 4 per cent of the value of the invoice issued to the customer will continue, the authority said.
The Abu Dhabi Media Office said the move – made under the directives of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council – was aimed at “enhancing Abu Dhabi as a leading global leisure and tourism destination”. “As part of its mandate, DCT Abu Dhabi continuously elevates the standards of the emirate’s tourism, culture, and hospitality offerings in the emirate,” the media office said.
The UAE capital welcomed 18 million visitors last year, official figures released this week showed. The three most visited cultural sites in the capital were Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Cultural Foundation and Qasr Al Hosn. Overnight visitors reached 4.1 million, a 24 per cent increase from the previous year.
Travellers are staying in the capital for an average of three nights, with hotel occupancy rates averaging 70 per cent, higher than the average across the Middle East. According to data analytics company STR, the region averaged 63.6 per cent occupancy last year.
Abu Dhabi has sought to cement its status as a leading visitor attraction in recent years, with a focus on culture, sports and family life.
