Hotel occupancy rates surged during eid — officials

AMMAN — Hotel occupancy rates in the Kingdom witnessed a boost during the Eid Al Fitr holiday, and in some locations it reached 100 per cent, according to officials. 

“Over 200,000 visitors entered Aqaba during the Eid Al Fitr holiday,” Nidal Majali, environment and tourism commissioner at the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), told The Jordan Times on Monday.

Majali added that the average occupancy rate for hotels in the port city reached 96 per cent, noting that five-star hotels witnessed a 98 per cent occupancy rate, whereas, the rates in three-star hotels reached 97 per cent. 

Meanwhile, budget friendly hotels recorded a 95 per cent occupancy rate, according to Majali. 

As for air traffic, Aqaba welcomed 40 flights during the nine-day holiday, Majali added. 

He also pointed out that ASEZA, through the Directorate of Environment’s staff, launched a campaign titled “Leave it clean” to remind the public of keeping the environment, public facilities and beaches litter-free. 

Meanwhile, Dana Biosphere witnessed full capacity during the eid holiday, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Dana Biosphere Reserve recorded an increase in tourist footfall at the archaeological and touristic sites, as well as at its environmental facilities. 

“Over 700 visitors visited the biosphere during the holiday, of which 40 per cent were local residents,” Petra added. 

However, Lujain Sarabi, a Jordanian, said that the rates of five-star hotel reservations in Aqaba during the eid holiday were “way over priced”, adding that in some hotels the rates reached “up to JD1,000 a night”. 

“It was the best eid season we have seen since the beginning of the pandemic,” Sa’ad Mitry, an employee at a five-star hotel, told The Jordan Times. 

Mitry added that the high occupancy rate was due to local demand, noting that a large number of Jordanians took advantage of the family packages offered during the eid holiday. 

“During eid, we certainly witnessed the strength of the local market demand,” Mitry added.