More than 2.2 million guests have checked into Abu Dhabi’s 148 hotels and hotel apartments in the first ten months of this year, according to figures released by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority.

The emirate saw record numbers of visitors in October, which showed a 16 per cent growth on last year’s record performance.

The UK remains Abu Dhabi’s second largest overseas market, behind India, with 130,038 Britons checking into the emirate’s hotels in the first ten months of this year, a 15 per cent increase on 2012.

British guests accounted for 604,965 guest nights – an increase of 24 per cent year on year – with an average length of stay of 4.65 nights, again up eight per cent on 2012.

October chalked up 288,268 guest arrivals – a 29 per cent increase on the same month last year.

Guest nights achieved from January–October end came in at 882,470, up 31 per cent year on year and occupancy has risen 10 per cent to 79 per cent.

“The best news yet is that the average room rate has risen seven per cent to £84, which still represents terrific value given the high standard of accommodation and service offered in the destination,” said HE Mubarak Al Muhairi, director general, TCA Abu Dhabi.

“The uplift is even better when judged in context of the fact that we have 12 more hotels and an additional 2,187 rooms available than at this time last year.

“October benefited from the Eid break and from a series of major events staged throughout the emirate.

“We can look forward with quiet optimism to a year-end of similar, if not better performance given that November had a number of event highlights, not least the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and December should benefit from the traditional National Day and seasonal breaks and increased overseas product packaging.

“We have positive sentiment for end of year results given that we are within comfortable reach of our 2.5 million guest target.”