Grimsby hotels are now soaring above the price of luxury Dubai resorts as the Iran war sparks a five-star fire sale, leaving rooms in the desert available for just £30
Hotels in Grimsby are now four times the price of many of Dubai’s luxury five-star pads due to the Iran war. Shock new data suggests Dubai’s hotel occupancy could plummet to just ten per cent, as missiles fly and frightened visitors shun the desert paradise.
It means high-end hotels in the oil rich state are flogging five-star rooms for as little £30-a-night on booking.com.
Comparatively, a night in Swansea’s three-star Holiday Inn costs £95 – while in Grimsby, the same chain is offering weekend rooms for £119. Travel experts believe the downturn in the Middle East could hand UK tourism a massive opportunity.
Matt Mavir, boss and founder of UK stag do firm Last Night of Freedom, said: “The war will eventually end and Dubai will bounce back as it is built for tourists. But Brits are clearly nervous about getting too close at the minute.
“At Last Night of Freedom, we noticed a similar impact in Eastern Europe when Putin invaded Ukraine. The upside for holidaymakers is you’ll never visit Dubai again so cheaply.
“But for British towns that perhaps don’t get a fair shake of the dice, if people are staying closer to home this summer, this is a window to try and attract new visitors and put themselves on the staycation map.
“We have almost 30 UK stag do destinations. Some of them may not seem that exotic, but once word got out how much fun stags and hens had, opinion changed.”
Dubai has been rocked by the war, with the UAE attacked by Iranian missiles – leaving Brit ex-pats stranded.
Before the war, Dubai’s hotel occupancy was around 80 per cent but the war’s impact has been seismic.
Even the “seven-star” Burj Al Arab has now been forced to shut for an 18-month refurbishment.
This week, Dubai Airport revealed visitors numbers were down 66 per cent compared to March.
However the oil rich nation has received a tourism boost after the UAE announced all air restrictions – imposed following the attacks – were lifted.
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