Article: Mideast, Africa hotel occupancy down in March: report.

DUBAI: Hotel occupancy in the Middle East and Africa fell 11 percent in March and margins fell 16 percent from the same month in 2008, with regional tourism hubs Dubai and Egypt hardest hit by the downturn, a report said.

"The pain continues for Egypt and Dubai, two of the biggest success stories in 2007 and 2008," James Chappell, managing director of STR Global, said in the report. "Dubai has lost over 30 percent in the first quarter of 2009."

Hotel occupancy in Dubai, which lures Western tourists with its beaches and shopping, was down 15.8 percent in March while revenue per available room (revPAR) fell almost 41 percent, suggesting that hotels have ...

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