Hotels in Dubai are gearing up to cater to the upcoming boom in demand as the UN climate conference COP28 approaches.
Multiple hotels in the emirate told Arabian Business that they are already starting to see a large volume of bookings between November 30 and December 12 this year, during the COP28 period.
The conference, which will be held at the Expo 2020 site, is set to attract delegates and high-level officials from across the world.
“We are seeing lots of interest already for the COP28 period, especially for groups. Rove Expo 2020, the only hotel on site, is already fully booked, and the remaining Rove properties nearby are starting to fill up for those dates,” Paul Bridger, COO of Rove Hotels, told Arabian Business.
“We believe that starting after the summer break there will be a further ramp-up in bookings for the event. Eventually, we expect all Rove Hotels to be at around 100% occupancy during the COP28 dates.”
Jannah Hotels & Resorts has also seen a “noticeable increase in bookings” for its Dubai-based hotels.
“There’s a palpable excitement and anticipation,” said the hotel group’s Corporate Director of Commercial Development, Ossama Charrouf, adding that demand for these hotel room bookings has come from a “diverse range of markets and channels.”
“Currently, approximately 25-30 percent of our rooms in Dubai hotels are pre-booked for the COP28 period. Several group bookings are anticipated soon,” he said.
“As we approach November, our projections indicate we should reach full occupancy, specifically between 29th of November and 12th of December.”
He also anticipates a surge in guest arrivals in Abu Dhabi, particularly those in diplomatic or governmental circles.
COP28 to boost winter tourism demand
The winter months are usually the most popular time among tourists. Last year, Dubai alone welcomed over 14 million tourists, most of whom visited during the busy travel period. Hospitality experts believe that 2023 will see an even stronger hotel boom, with COP28 anticipated to amplify this demand, before, during and after the UN climate conference.
“We foresee a significant portion of this increase to come from COP28 visitors, spanning across various segments, including leisure travellers, business, diplomatic and governmental attendees,” added Charrouf.
The Intercontinental Hotel Group also shared the same sentiment.
“We are witnessing high demand and expecting strong occupancy rates across our hotels in the UAE, especially Dubai, ahead of COP28,” said the hospitality group’s Vice President of Commercial IMEA, James Britchford.
“Considering the popularity of the winter season amongst tourists visiting the UAE, we expect to have high occupancy levels, nearing 90 percent during this time.”
Central Hotels & Resorts’ Dubai-based establishments are witnessing a remarkable rise in demand, with expectations to close Q3 with higher occupancies and revenue compared to 2022.
“With COP28 taking place during this time, we anticipate an even more significant boost in hotel demand. Our goal is to capture 25- 30 percent of this increased demand from COP28 visitors for our city properties,” said Abdulla Abdulla, COO, and Group GM at Central Hotels & Resorts.
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