OYO Hotels & Homes, a chain of leased and franchised hotels and living spaces, has recorded a rise in total advance bookings for summer to the UAE, with around 25% coming from India and China.
According to the franchise, the visa on arrival offering for Chinese tourists, as well as the availability of over 1000 weekly flights between India and the UAE, are believed to have resulted in a surge of bookings from both countries.
OYO operates hotels across five emirates including Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Ajman. ‘’We predict a 75% plus occupancy rate across all OYO hotels and homes during the upcoming summer months. We’re witnessing a sustained increase in bookings from China due to the introduction of direct and additional flights between the two countries,” says Manu Midha, regional head for the Middle East at OYO Hotels & Homes.
“Aside from leisure travellers, there are several business travellers that visit UAE for business opportunities. The number of Chinese tourists travelling to the GCC is expected to touch 2.9 million in 2022 and the numbers are on the rise each year,” he adds.
To address this growing demand in the near future, OYO plans to touch close to 12,000 rooms across 150 hotels in all the seven Emirates in the UAE by 2020. The chain has welcomed over 100,000 guests from 78 countries since its launch in the UAE last year.
“The country offers something to all travellers, right from the variety of cuisines from across the length and breadth of India, to a huge Bollywood theme park,” he adds.
According to a recent Euromonitor international report, the city of Dubai has received around 16.7 million visitors from around the world in 2018.
“OYO is working closely with asset owners across the UAE to accommodate this burgeoning demand. Dubai is set to attract 25 million visitors by 2025. With close to 190 nations signed up for the multi-billion-dollar Expo, we’re confident that we’ll be able to support inbound trade visitors,” he adds.
