Hotel managers and officials in the UAE have stated that booking indicators point to a record hotel occupancy rate of up to 95% in the upcoming December, driven by the unified and extended winter break for schools and universities, major events and conferences, and entertainment festivals taking place across the country, as well as the mild weather. They explained to 'Emirates Today' that hotels are experiencing a balanced mix between the local market, especially during the long school holiday, and the international market. The UAE continues to solidify its status as one of the world's leading winter destinations. They noted that the UAE now sees a more balanced distribution of bookings throughout the year, thanks to the variety of events and activities across its emirates, alongside the continuous expansion of air transport networks, supported by enhanced tourism infrastructure and the attraction of a broader range of visitors. They highlighted that the hospitality sector in the country continues its strong performance in 2025, showing clear progress compared to 2024 across key indicators, making 2025 an exceptional year in redefining the concepts of growth and resilience in the regional hospitality sector. In detail, the Chief Operating Officer of Rotana, Eddie Tanous, said: 'Booking indicators suggest that the UAE's hospitality sector will see a distinguished and record performance this December, with very high occupancy rates expected across Rotana hotels in different emirates.' Tanous attributed this to the unified four-week winter break, coupled with a packed schedule of events like the Dubai Shopping Festival and diverse cultural and sports activities in Abu Dhabi. He explained that the tourism integration between the two emirates strengthens their positions, with Dubai continuing to cement its leadership as a global entertainment destination, and Abu Dhabi emerging as a distinguished cultural and family destination. He noted a continuous growth in Al Ain, Fujairah, and Ras Al Khaimah, with visitors seeking natural experiences during the mild winter season. He mentioned that Rotana is on a steady path to surpass December 2024 occupancy rates, driven by a significant increase in advance bookings in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, aligning with the growing demand for leisure tourism, the extended holiday period, and the event-packed calendar in both cities. The unification of school holidays has also encouraged families to plan longer stays, alongside a continued increase in the number of international visitors from Europe and Asia. Tanous noted a balanced mix of local and international markets, with travelers from within the UAE and GCC countries forming a core segment, especially during the long school break. International visitors still constitute a large portion of tourism, particularly from Europe, India, and Asia, as the UAE continues to solidify its position as one of the world's top winter destinations. Regarding hotel occupancy forecasts for 2025 compared to 2024, he said: 'Booking indicators point to continued momentum and achieving further growth in 2025 compared to 2024, reflecting the resilience of the tourism market and the continued strength of demand in both leisure and business travel sectors.' He noted a more balanced distribution of bookings throughout the year, thanks to the variety of events and activities across different emirates, alongside the continuous expansion of air networks, supported by Dubai and Abu Dhabi's ongoing enhancement of their tourism assets and attraction of a wider range of visitors. The General Manager of Swissotel The Meadows, Amr Nagah, stated: 'Booking indicators show a significant increase in occupancy rates for the upcoming December compared to December 2024, with occupancy rates expected to range between 85% and 95% in most major tourist destinations, especially in major cities, coastal areas, and family destinations.' He explained that the new academic calendar structure, with its holiday running from December 8, 2025, to January 4, 2026, and the unification of school holidays have provided a longer period for families to plan and stay within the country, boosting domestic tourism and increasing the local demand for hotel accommodation. Additionally, December hosts numerous conferences, exhibitions, and festivals, alongside Global Village and many entertainment festivals, attracting visitors from within and outside the country. He stressed that current indicators show the largest share of bookings comes from citizens and residents within the country due to the length and unification of the holiday, alongside a noticeable increase in bookings from GCC countries, the UK, and Northern Europe, especially as December is an ideal season for the beautiful weather in the UAE. The Director of Sales at Bab Al Qasr Hotel in Abu Dhabi, Mohammed Ismail, said: 'Current indicators suggest that the occupancy rate will exceed 90% next December, driven by a number of key factors, including major exhibitions, conferences, and events held in the emirate, the extended winter break for schools and universities, and sports activities, especially Formula 1 and numerous artistic and entertainment concerts, in addition to the intense official visits that Abu Dhabi is hosting.' He noted that occupancy rates this year are expected to surpass last year's, exceeding 90% due to the aforementioned factors, with guests ranging from citizens and residents in the country to active external markets, especially given the improvement in weather conditions and the beautiful weather in the UAE at this time of year. The President for Europe, Middle East, and Africa at Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Dimitris Mankes, stated: 'The UAE continues to solidify its position as one of the world's leading tourist destinations thanks to its ambitious government vision, diverse tourism assets, and continuous influx of tourism investments, which leads to the sector's distinguished performance in the country and its strong and stable results throughout the year.' He added that the unified winter school holiday boosts domestic travel in December, creating an ideal balance between local and international guests in our hotels. Mankes explained that booking indicators show the unified winter school holiday, extending from December 8 to January 4, is stimulating family travel within the country, especially to beach destinations and entertainment centers. He highlighted that the unified school holiday provides an exceptional opportunity for domestic tourism to flourish this year, allowing citizens and residents to invest in exploring new destinations within the country during the long break. Mankes noted that 'December typically represents a pivotal period for the country's tourism sector, where the country's entertainment appeal integrates with the momentum of cultural events, and rising demand from the conferences and exhibitions sector supports occupancy rates to surpass 2024 levels, especially in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.' He anticipates a significant increase in the upcoming December compared to last December, with the extended holiday being a major factor. Families are increasingly leaning towards longer stays and local holidays, while international visitors are returning in greater numbers, thanks to improved air connectivity and international travelers' confidence in the country's assets. The General Manager of Crowne Plaza Dubai Jumeirah, Emad Ramzy, said: 'We expect high occupancy rates in December 2025, exceeding 90% in most periods, especially during the year-end and New Year period.' He expects occupancy rates to be higher than in December last year, which recorded an average occupancy of around 85%. Ramzy attributed the increase to the continued growth in demand for Dubai as a global tourist destination, major entertainment events and conferences held during the winter season, and the emirate's excellent reputation for security and quality of hotel services. He noted that the hotel is witnessing a balanced mix of bookings between citizens and residents in the country and guests from active external markets, especially from Europe and the Gulf, which represent between 60% and 65% of total bookings. The Director of Operations for Rove Hotels, Paul Bridger, said: 'Booking indicators point to strong performance across all Rove hotels, with occupancy rates expected to exceed 90% throughout December.' He noted that the holiday season, the event-packed calendar, and the extended school holidays are among the main factors that make December one of the peak months for us. He expects all our hotels to achieve strong performance in December 2025 compared to last year, and we have already recorded a 15% increase in Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) in the last quarter of this year, driven by key factors such as the long National Day holiday, major city-wide events like Formula 1, major exhibitions, and the extended school holidays throughout the month.
