Occupancy of Dubai hotels fell to 16% last week, down from the normal seasonal average of 90%, according to the Financial Times.
War has upended the tourism industry in the city, as it has across the Gulf, with hotels shutting floors or entire buildings, cutting staff costs, and offering steep discounts to residents as they prepare for a prolonged slump.
The downturn is especially painful for Dubai, long a haven for wealthy tourists who will likely be reluctant to return when the war is over. Hotel operators expect the profile of tourists to shift to lower-budget travelers from Asia and Africa, in what would be a return to the clientele Dubai used to attract before it became a global luxury destination.