In the five months since the Second Australian Hotel Sentiment Survey in mid-May 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to severely impact on the hospitality industry across the globe and at home.

The travel and tourism industry in Australia has effectively had to re-invent itself as domestic markets were forced to become intra-State markets, and international markets remain barred from entering the country.

The accommodation sector continues to suffer: many owners and operators remain ever- challenged as the effects of ongoing economic loss settle in, and the livelihoods of those many staff stood down or temporarily under-employed remain propped up through government relief measures. The uncertainty for many persists.

This Third Australian Hotel Sentiment Survey reports the ongoing status of the accommodation sector now nearing the end of three-quarters of a year of dramatic downturn and economic hardship. In this report we again seek to highlight those factors underpinning current operational challenges. We have again gauged what outlook operators hold for performance levels into the immediate future, and probed how operational challenges are unfolding and what solutions owners and operators of accommodations properties are evolving.

It now is evident, our nation's emergence from the lockdowns and isolation measures means a longer and - unfortunately - harder road to recovery. This Survey reports on the gradual journey and deliberations to be considered by the accommodation sector in Australia.

About Horwath HTL

Horwath HTL is focused one hundred percent on hospitality, tourism, and leisure consulting. Our services cover every aspect of hotel real estate investment, tourism, and leisure development. Our clients choose Horwath HTL because we have earned a reputation for impartial advice that will often mean the difference between failure and success. Each client project is unique, and they rely on us to utilize the experience we have gained throughout our 100-year history to assist them in achieving their goals. Being a global firm with 52 offices in 40 countries, we have successfully carried out over 40,000 assignments for both public and private clients. As part of the Crowe Global network, a top-ten accounting, and financial services network, Horwath HTL is the number one choice for companies and financial institutions looking to invest and develop in the industry.

For more information, please visit www.horwathhtl.com.

Stephanie Henley
Horwath