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Russian tourists in UAE increasing

January 7, 2017 at 3:50 am

People can be seen waiting for their flights in Abu Dhabi, UAE [Ralf Roletschek/Wikipedia]

The UAE has recently recorded an increasing number of Russian tourists after a strengthening in the value of the Russian ruble.

Emirati news outlet the National reported yesterday that Dubai hotels have seen a significant increase in the number of Russian tourists in recent months.

A spokeswoman at Rixos the Palm hotel said that almost 45 per cent of the guests this weekend, Friday and Saturday, are from Russia and Ukraine, compared to 37 per cent last year.

Hotels are beginning to express optimism about their prospective revenue from Russian tourists. “We are kind of past that [turmoil] and expect a great wholesale business this year from the Russian market,” Ferghal Purcell, the general manager at Ajman Palace Hotel told the National.

The Russian ruble lost almost half its worth in 2014 after Russia began its military operation in Ukraine and during the dip in global oil prices. The value of the ruble increased by 17.5 per cent last year against the US dollar after an increase in oil prices supplemented the oil rich country’s economic recovery.