Abu Dhabi Reduces Hotel and Restaurant Fees to Boost Tourism

Abu Dhabi is set to reduce hotel and restaurant fees in order to increase tourism. The announcement came from the city’s Department of Culture and Tourism this Friday.

Effective from 1 September, the key changes to the fees include:

• A drop in the tourism fee from 6% to 4% for visitors.
• The removal of the AED 15 per room, per night fee.
• Removal of the 6% tourism and 4% municipality fees for hotel restaurants.
• However, a 4% municipality fee based on the overall invoice to customers will remain in place.

This initiative, which has been approved by the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, seeks to cement Abu Dhabi’s reputation as a leading global tourist destination.

The city’s Media Office reiterated the department’s dedication to consistently improving tourism, culture, and hospitality in Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi received 18 million visitors last year, according to official figures released this week. The three most popular cultural sites in the city were Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Cultural Foundation, and Qasr Al Hosn.

The number of overnight visitors to the capital increased by 24% from the previous year to 4.1 million. The average length of stay is three nights, and hotel occupancy rates average 70%, which is higher than the average in the Middle East.