DXB Entertainments' revenue for the first half of this year increased by 3 per cent even though the number of visitors to Dubai Parks & Resorts increased by 46 per cent.

Revenue for the first half of the year was AED289m ($79m) with 1,463,477 visits to the parks. The increase in revenues coupled with cost efficiencies means that its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) increased by 63 per cent to a loss of AED92m.

The figures mean that although the parks have attracted more visitors, there has been a 29 per cent drop in spending per visit. During the first half of 2017 the average revenue per visit was AED278, in 2018 it was AED197.

The average revenue per visit has deteriorated during the year. On a quarterly basis, second quarter visits reached 612,464, an increase of 48 per cent compared to the same period in the previous year, and revenue was AED116m, down about 3 per cent on the same period of last year.

This gives second quarter 2018 average revenue per visit of AED189, which is down about 7.5 per cent on the average revenue of AED203 per visit during the first quarter of this year.

For Lapita Hotel, average occupancy rose to 46 per cent in the second quarter of 2018, compared to 27 per cent for the same period last year. Average occupancy for the first half of the year was 55 per cent, compared to 24 per cent in the first half of 2017.