500,000 visitors, int’l tourists visit Yas Island during Eid

Abu Dhabi / WAM

Yas Island achieved an extraordinarily successful Eid al-Fitr festive period with a record-total of 500,000 local visitors and international tourists to the island, according to Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, TCA Abu Dhabi.
The island hotel occupancy rates saw an impressive increase of 11 percent from last year over the Eid period. The week-long Eid celebrations also saw demand for accommodation across the emirate soar. Many three and four star properties benefitted from average occupancies in excess of 90 percent, higher than the seasonal average, with occupancy for 5-star city and beach resort properties reaching over 80 percent, all well above the June 2016 average of 54 percent. Similar patterns were seen across deluxe and superior hotel apartments, recording occupancy levels in excess of 80 percent and 90 percent.
There was no shortage of exciting activities and rewards to be won over the course of the joyful 3-day period, which saw over 1,700 guests savour the gastronomical delights and stunning fireworks at the Yas Marina. Building on the success of the previous year, an unprecedented number of visitors created a splash at Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi during the same period; while Ferrari World Abu Dhabi achieved a new attendance record of thrill-seekers who enjoyed the UAE’s first-ever Rollercoaster Rally. Additionally, the first 24 hours of Eid saw an unprecedented 250,000 shoppers browse through the sales racks at Yas Mall.
Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director-General of TCA, Abu Dhabi commented, “We are delighted with the success of the 2017 Eid al-Fitr celebrations across the emirate which has seen many of our leading hotels achieve near full occupancy as tourists from across the region chose Abu Dhabi as the place to spend their holiday. The wide range of special offers, activities and diverse entertainment across the UAE capital proved extremely popular, with shoppers flocking to enjoy promotions at many of the emirate’s malls, attractions and resorts.”
He added, “Abu Dhabi is strategically positioned as a world-class family-friendly destination offering residents and visitors a rich diversity of tourism, leisure and cultural experiences. With an exciting Abu Dhabi Summer Season and Yas Island’s jam-packed events programme to look forward to, we can expect continued success as the year progresses.”
After welcoming a total of 27 million visitors in 2016, this summer, Yas Island is poised to welcome international tourists from a plethora of countries including Russia, India, China and the GCC, with more visitors from Saudi Arabia expected than any other country in the region.
Mohamed Al Zaabi, CEO of Miral commented, With every passing year, we strive to raise the bar even higher, by working alongside our valued partners in Abu Dhabi, such as TCA, to continuously set new goals for Yas Island as a globally renowned destination of choice. To our delight, island visitation surpassed all expectations during Eid-Al-Fitr, drawing in a record number of people of all ages and backgrounds. We look forward to welcoming even more people this summer season with the ongoing annual ‘Say Yas’ campaign.”