Over recent months, Australia has experienced a number of lockdowns and travel restrictions which have resulted in record low levels of hotel demand. However, as the country enters the summer months and restrictions ease, positive trends are already developing for hoteliers. And while an uplift in demand can be observed across many of Australia’s key markets, it is the Gold Coast that is leading charge in forward bookings.
Lifted by the upcoming holiday season, occupancy on the books is rising in Australia’s key hotel markets with Brisbane and Adelaide nearing 70% for New Year’s Eve, according to STR’s Forward STAR.
Reflecting the end of lockdown and eased travel restrictions, Melbourne’s hotel industry reported its highest room rates of the pandemic-era, according to preliminary November 2021 data from STR.
With the surge in travel demand, the Indian hotel sector has been regaining ground faster than expected, with occupancy climbing significantly in recent months, strengthening the sector's hope for a stronger rebound. Domestic leisure travel growth, significant pent-up demand, and the resumption of business travel in the country are all contributing to the strong revival. Weddings and social events are also driving demand in certain markets.
The tourism sector is one of the key economic sectors of the Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Zanzibar. Long favoured by holidaymakers from across the world for their crystal-clear waters and palm-tree fringed beaches, these Indian Ocean islands took a severe hit during the pandemic with borders closed in most of the countries.
Rapid growth in Chinese outbound travel demand from 2003 onwards was a key driver for tourism and leisure hospitality in many parts of the world. Can this momentum be regained post-COVID to drive more hotel development?
Tourism around the world is reeling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Hong Kong’s once vibrant industry is no exception. The path to recovery is unclear. In such extreme circumstances, is it even possible for tourism businesses to plan for the future? The answer is yes, say Ms Hanyuan Zhang and Professor Haiyan Song of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University – but only if we can predict the unpredictable.
Indian tourists will be some of the most desirable travellers, given India’s growing economy, young population and rising middle class, according to GlobalData. The leading data and analytics company notes that the country is projected to reach record levels of 29 million outbound trips by 2025 – a buoyant outlook considering the strains of COVID-19.
Goa’s tourism growth story is gradually getting back on track as it has become the go-to holiday destination for domestic tourists since the state reopened post the second wave. Due to the limits on overseas travel, several outbound Indians are also choosing to vacation in Goa. From resorts, hotels, and private villas to dorm rooms and beach huts, Goa has something for everyone. As a result, occupancy has been steadily improving month after month, with September 2021 occupancy approaching pre-pandemic levels for the month and average rates surpassing pre-pandemic levels. With the government taking steps to welcome foreign tourists back, Goa, which is known as one of India’s top beach and nightlife destinations, may soon see a surge in demand from international tourists, allowing it to recover faster than most leisure destinations.
With lengthy lockdowns ending and travel restrictions easing, Australia’s hotel industry has seen recent improvement in hotel occupancy levels, according to preliminary data from STR through 31 October.
Australian hotels sales have surged to almost $2 billion this year – hitting a five-year high and up from just $681 million 2020 – despite a year of lockdowns and ongoing travel restrictions.
The first nine months of 2021 have been a mixed bag for the Indian hotel sector, which is currently on the path to recovery thanks to the growing domestic leisure travel. During the nine-month period ending September 2021 (9M2021), the sector witnessed a 3-5% increase in RevPAR across India compared to the same period in 2020. In 9M2021, nationwide occupancy was in the region of 41-44%, an increase of more than 9 percentage points over the previous year. While occupancy is rising because of the pent-up demand in the market, average rates are struggling as hotels try to shore up occupancy. Average rates declined by more than 19% in 9M2021 compared to the same period in the previous year. Growing demand for domestic leisure travel amidst international travel restrictions helped Goa record the highest RevPAR in the country during the period, while Chandigarh had the highest RevPAR growth.
The launch of the Phuket Sandbox on July 1, 2021, is an important step on the road to recovery from COVID-19 and a measure that many other destinations in the Asia-Pacific region could soon mimic.
Hotel investment volumes will likely cross US$7 billion for the full year 2021, a 15% year-on-year increase, as investors continue to look past the industry’s short-to-medium term headwinds brought on by COVID-19. According to JLL (NYSE: JLL) Hotels & Hospitality Group, healthy transaction volumes will continue into next year, with the industry expected to attract a minimum of US$9 billion in capital in 2022.
Australian accommodation declines for the 2020-21 financial year were worse for capital markets than regional areas, according to STR’s collection of national accommodation statistics through the Australian Accommodation Monitor.
Amid increased COVID-19 cases and lockdowns across the country, Australia’s hotel industry reported lower performance levels, according to preliminary August 2021 data from STR.
India’s progressive approach to vaccinations has led to an increase in travelers and hotel demand, especially in the leisure segment. Beyond the noticeable improvement, however, the country is showing a different trend in which markets are regaining occupancy.
Research conducted by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has revealed Sri Lanka’s economy could face losses of more than LKR260 million each day it remains on the UK’s disruptive and damaging ‘red list’ for travel.
With the help of summer vacation, Mainland China’s overall hotel occupancy rate showed a good upward trend in July, with the second and third week of the month reaching 2019 levels.
As host to the delayed summer Olympics, Tokyo posted its highest hotel occupancy in 17 months and saw a pair of days with levels that approached the peak of the “Go To Travel” campaign in 2020, according to data and analysis from STR.