Dubai’s hotel operators have seen a decline in performance, but the industry continues to recover from COVID-19 slump, according to the latest data.

Room rates in the emirate cost less than AED500 ($136) on average in July, lower than the rates in June, while occupancy levels dipped slightly compared to 2019, STR reported on Wednesday.

The average daily rate (ADR) and revenue per available room (RevPAR) stood at AED434.78 and AED265.26, respectively, while occupancy rates averaged 61%, slightly lower than the July 2019 level (64.7%).

“[The industry’s] recovery levels to 2019 remained steady,” STR said.

“While ADR and RevPAR fell month over month, the metrics exceeded the 2019 comparables,” it added.

The hotel sector has had a busy period over the last several months, owing to the high influx of international visitors during Expo 2020 and winter season.

For the first five months of the year, the hotel occupancy rate in Dubai averaged 75%, up from the corresponding period of last year, according to JLL.

JLL had said in July that hotel operators need to be competitive, especially “in light of managing the overall impact of inflation” and the rising strength of the UAE currency, which is pegged to the US dollar.