Industry insiders say that many hotels in Dubai have already taken in 75% of the reservations for Christmas and New Year’s Eve, and by the middle of the following month, they expect to have 100% of them.

Even though Christmas and New Year’s Eve are more than 50 days away, a Booking.com search shows that 88% of hotels are reserved for the latter night and 80% for the former.

Dubai experiences a massive influx of tourists throughout this annual holiday season, which is frequently the busiest for the local tourism industry with solid reservations for hotels, airlines, and tour companies. Dubai has already surpassed its pre-pandemic tourist figures, with 12.4 million visitors between January and September 2023. As a result, industry players predict that 2023 will see yet another record number of reservations.

Abdulla Al Abdulla, general manager and chief operating officer of Central Hotels and Resorts, stated that reservations for the holiday days are already well under way.

In the last week of December, he claimed, between 19% and 75% of reservations at the group’s multiple locations in the emirate were made in advance.

“We have every reason to anticipate full occupancy, reaching 100 per cent, during both Christmas and New Year’s Eve,” he said.

Surpassing last year’s figures

“With advanced bookings currently at 50 per cent and almost another full month to go, we are optimistic about achieving an exceptionally strong year-end performance for city hotels. This surge is mainly propelled by excitement and anticipation surrounding events and gigs taking place in the UAE over the next two months, which are attracting visitors from all over the world,” said Thomas Kurian, manager at Leva Hotels.

He thinks the upcoming and present events will make for a record-breaking holiday season for hotels. The next two months appear to be promising.

He claims that because of the increased demand and advance bookings, city hotels are in a better position than they were a year ago, allowing hotel owners to increase room rates by 20%.

As the holidays of 2023 approach, the Shangri-La Dubai on Sheikh Zayed Road is gradually noticing an increase in occupancy.

“With our exceptional view of the Burj Khalifa, we are quickly nearing full occupancy and anticipate selling out soon. We are expecting to be full from December 27, 2023 till January 2, 2024,” said Tarek Medhat, director of sales and marketing, Shangri-La Dubai.

Bookings for Christmas and New Year’s Eve have already begun, according to Jan Hanak, managing director of the Radisson Hotel Group in the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, and Qatar. This statement aligns with the statements made by his industry colleagues.

“We are currently slightly ahead of last year’s figures in terms of business on the books for the festive season. However, it’s important to mention that, in the Dubai market, a significant portion of bookings tends to come in closer to the event dates,” he added.

Hanak is also optimistic about fulfilling the customarily high demand for rooms around Christmas and New Year’s Eve, when full occupancy is anticipated.

Where are they coming from?

The general director of the Radisson Hotel Group said that a wide variety of nations are making bookings for the holidays and New Year’s activities.

“Notably, the domestic market is showing strong demand. The United Kingdom, Germany, Scandinavia, Saudi Arabia, and India also contribute significantly to our bookings, reflecting the global appeal of our properties during the holiday season,” he said.

Most reservations originate from well-known markets in Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), including Saudi Arabia, Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia, and the United Kingdom, according to Abdulla Al Abdulla of Central Hotels & Resorts.

According to Medhat, Dubai has become one of the most popular travel destinations in the world thanks to the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). The emirate has its own attractions that bring visitors from all over the world during the holiday seasons.