According to the latest report from global consultancy EY, hotels in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) posted a mix of increases and drops in July 2016 over the same period last year. Hotels in Dubai recorded a 6.2 per cent increase in occupancy year-on-year in July to 67.4 per cent and 5.1 drop in average room rates (ARR) to $168 (Dh616.6) during the same period. This resulted in a 4.5 per cent rise in revenue per available room (RevPAR — an industry measure of occupancy and rates) to $113. Similarly, according to a report from research firm STR Global, occupancy in Dubai rose 17.6 per cent year-on-year in July to 67.5 per cent, while RevPAR increased 7.5 per cent to Dh365.08. However, in the January to July period, occupancy in the emirate edged down 2 per cent year-on-year, to 79 per cent, and RevPAR fell 7.7 per cent to $203, as per EY’s estimates.
