Travel/Tourism
Dubai Targets 35.5m Occupied Hotel Room Nights by 2019
By Dipo Olowookere
Dubai’s diverse and vibrant hospitality sector is forecast to experience strong, sustained growth over the coming years, with occupied room nights set to reach 35.5 million annually in 2019, representing a robust 10.2 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next 24 months.
According to a comprehensive study of the market by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), the emirate’s room supply is set to reach 132,000 by the end of 2019, growing at a 2-year (2017-2019) CAGR of 11.1 percent.
Meanwhile, occupancy levels are forecast to remain at an extremely healthy 76-78 percent despite growth in capacity, maintaining the attractiveness of the sector to hotel investors and developers.
The strong competitiveness of the sector is set to continue to be fuelled by increases in Dubai’s growing international overnight visitation and targeted increases in length of stays, supported further by recent and upcoming tourism attractions and experiences.
With concerted efforts to raise awareness in both established and emerging source markets, the duration of travel from new and existing segments are expected to see further growth in the medium term, positively impacting demand for room nights, which is in turn expected to outpace visitor growth over the coming 24-48 months.
“Dubai’s hotel industry remains at the forefront of cross-sector efforts to drive tourism growth, as we collectively work towards realising our Tourism Vision and enable our 2020 goals.
“Dubai’s position as the fourth most visited city in the world, and the consistent growth in overnight visitation, has been achieved in large part thanks to the efforts of our committed stakeholders in the domestic hotel and hospitality sector.
“With international and local investors, and operators continuing to actively pursue opportunities in Dubai, we expect to see not only sustained growth in inventory in line with our projected demand for occupied nights, but also further diversification across various asset classifications, to ensure that as a city we are the most globally competitive in providing our visitors the optimal range of options that cater to their preferences across the spectrum of hospitality offerings,” said Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai Tourism.
At the end of 2017, Dubai’s hotel inventory stood at 107,431 rooms, with growth of 4 percent over the course of the year, and occupancy at a healthy and stable 78 percent despite capacity increase, thanks to the 6.2 percent growth in overnight visitors to 15.79 million.
The robust performance is particularly significant as it came amid challenging economic and political conditions across key source markets, including the volatility impact of fluctuating oil prices, Brexit and a strong US Dollar impacting Dubai’s global price competitiveness due to the fixed currency peg with the UAE Dirham.
Between 2013 and 2017, hotel inventory grew at a CAGR of 5.9 percent and a notable trend seen over that period was the development of more affordable mid-scale offerings, encouraged by Dubai Tourism incentives.
Building on the momentum since 2013, room inventory in the 3 and 4 Star categories is projected to continue to grow at 10 percent and 13 percent respectively through to the end of 2019.
This diversification of the hotel sector is part of the strategic focus on widening Dubai’s tourist base, enabling the city to attract larger volumes from new market segments across diversified source markets as evidenced by some clear preferences witnessed for more value friendly options suitable for longer stays and larger party sizes from key demand pockets.
Moving forward, further growth and demand for hotels and hotel apartments will be fuelled by the ongoing development of the overall tourism proposition in Dubai.
Following the 2016 introduction of Dubai’s theme parks – IMG Worlds of Adventures and the integrated Dubai Parks and Resorts – the properties have further enhanced the city’s attractiveness for families, while more recent additions such as Dubai Frame and Dubai Safari have already proven to be popular with both residents and visitors.
The 2017 opening of La Perle, the region’s first permanent theatrical show, added a fresh dimension to the cultural and entertainment scene in Dubai, while the Etihad Museum rounded off the historic side providing visitors with an immersive look at the story behind the formation of the United Arab Emirates.
One of the most integral supply drivers to support tourism growth is the aviation sector and Dubai’s evolution as a major tourism hub has been ably enabled by Dubai International Airport, which continued its reign as the world’s number one international airport in passenger traffic terms in 2017, delivering 88.2 million passengers, up 5.5 percent from 201 percent, with plans to expand capacity to 118 million by 2023.
Further growth in air traffic to Dubai will be also be fuelled by Dubai World Central, which in the longer term will ultimately have capacity to handle up to 240 million passengers a year.
Dubai’s retail sector also remained a core lever for tourism growth given that shopping has been a driver of tourist spend across most source markets.
As such, the planned infrastructure expansions reflect confidence in the demand from Dubai’s growing visitor volumes, with 900,000 square metres of new retail space set to come online through 2019, adding to the 600,000 square metres built between 2012-2017.
The size of the offering as well as its diversity – the emirate currently hosts 57.3 percent of global brands – has been furthered by Dubai’s Retail Calendar, which brings together the domestic industry around key retail-oriented festivals and seasonal activations to encourage greater consumption.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced plans to introduce V-Pass, a biometric facial recognition system designed to make passenger processing faster, safer and more seamless across its domestic airports.
According to FAAN, the new technology will allow passengers to verify their identities through facial recognition after a one-time enrolment, reducing reliance on physical identification documents and shortening queues through automated electronic gates.
The authority said the system is expected to enhance airport security while improving the overall travel experience for domestic passengers.
FAAN added that V-Pass has been developed with data privacy at its core and is compliant with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR).
The agency described the initiative as part of its commitment to delivering smarter, technology-driven airport services and said nationwide sensitisation and rollout updates would be announced in due course.
Airports in countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates already deploy facial recognition technology for processes such as check-in, security screening, immigration and boarding, so the move also aligns Nigeria’s aviation sector with a growing global trend towards contactless travel.
These systems have been adopted to improve operational efficiency, strengthen security and enhance the overall passenger experience.
For FAAN, the deployment of V-Pass forms part of its broader digital transformation agenda aimed at modernising airport operations and accommodating rising passenger traffic.
Experts say that beyond improving convenience, the authority expects the biometric platform to strengthen identity verification, reduce the risk of impersonation and support more efficient airport security, while maintaining compliance with data protection.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
About 14.12 per cent stake in Ikeja Hotel Plc has been acquired by Honeywell Group Limited, a notice on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited has revealed.
Honeywell Group took up the part of the hospitality firm through one of its affiliates known as HGL Real Estate Limited.
Ikeja Hotel, in the disclosure filed with the NGX on July 2, 2026, said the stake comprised 305,323,525 units of its equities.
“Ikeja Hotel hereby notifies the Nigerian Exchange Limited and the general public that it has received notification from HGL Real Estate Limited, an affiliate of Honeywell Group Limited, that it has acquired 305,323,525 units of Ikeja Hotel Plc’s shares, representing 14.12 per cent shareholding in the company,” the notice stated.
Ikeja Hotel is one of Nigeria’s leading hospitality investment and hotel management companies with premium hospitality assets.
It operates two leading hospitality organisations in Lagos, the Sheraton Lagos Hotel and Balmoral Convention Centre.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
About 10 hospitality establishments, including hotels and restaurants, were sealed on Wednesday by officials of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).
The affected businesses are located in different locations in the Alimosho Local Government Area of the metropolis, Business Post learned from a statement from the agency.
It was stated that they were sealed by LASEPA for persistent violations of environmental regulations despite repeated warnings, abatement notices, and several opportunities to comply with the agency’s directives.
According to the notice, the enforcement exercise was carried out in line with the directives of the Lagos State government to ensure strict compliance with environmental laws and to safeguard public health.
The affected facilities were said to have breached various environmental regulations, including noise pollution, air pollution, unlawful discharge of untreated effluent, obstruction of official duties, among others.
LASEPA closed the premises of Granduer Meridian at Obasa Akiniyi Street, Oluwaga, Ipaja for non-compliance with the agency’s directives; Lasola (Spazio Bar), located on Ipaja Road, Fatolu Bus Stop, Ipaja, was sealed for noise pollution and non-compliance with directives; Millennium Restaurant, located at Gate Bus Stop, Ipaja, Ayobo, was shut down for non-compliance with directives; O2 Exquisite Suites & Tower on Jimoh Akinremi Street, Jimoh Bus Stop, Akowonjo, was sealed for non-compliance with directives; and Chirozz Hotel & Suites, located on Samuel Street, Akowonjo, by Vulcanizer Bus Stop, Egbeda, was closed for noise pollution and non-compliance with directives.
In addition, House 7 Hotel, located at Remi Akande Street, Egbeda, was sealed for non-compliance with LASEPA’s directives; House 48 on Isiba Oluwo Street, Egbeda, was sealed for non-compliance with directives; Exclusive Hotel, located at Ishan Kimishe, Akesan Bus Stop, was shut down by non-compliance with directives; Sabola Ventures Limited, Iocated at Km 11, LASU–Isheri Road, Igando, was shut down for operating without evidence of an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP), and discharging untreated effluent into public drains; and City Int’l Motel, located at Chief Olu-Adegbite Street, off Oladun Street, Council Bus Stop, Idimu, was sealed for non-compliance with directives.
