Thursday, July 5, 2012

July records lowest occupancy in hotels

Hoteliers should start marketing alternative packages for July as it is a lean season for them, according to a survey.
The occupancy rates of five-star and three-star hotels dropped to the lowest in July last year, according to a survey of the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation.
The occupancy rate of five-star hotels stood at 47.57 per cent, whereas the occupancy rate of three-star hotels stood at 48.4 per cent last July, the survey that was conducted among all the 10 five-star hotels in the country and 13 three-star hotels in the Kathmandu valley revealed.
Though there are 25 registered three-star hotels in the country, the survey for three-star hotels was conducted within the valley only. But the Research, Study and Statistics Division under the ministry had surveyed all the 10 five-star hotels in the country.
According to the Hotel Occupancy Rate Indicator prepared by the ministry, in the 10 five-star hotels — eight in the valley and two in Pokhara — there are a total of 641,670 rooms available and some 395,459 rooms were occupied in 2011 making its occupancy rate 61.63 per cent on an average, whereas three-star hotels had 64.4 per cent occupancy rate last year.
But in July 2011, of the total 16,647 rooms available in the 13 three-star hotels in the valley, only 8,057 were occupied, whereas — out of the total 54,498 rooms available in the 10 five-star hotels, some 25,927 rooms were occupied.
The government, in association with the hotel association, should bring special packages to attract tourists for next July, according to executive director of Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) Madhav Ohm Shrestha.
November is the peak season for three-star and five-start hotels followed by October. "In November 2011, three-star hotels recorded 83.1 per cent room occupancy, whereas five-star hotels posted 85.96 per cent room occupancy," the report said, adding that last October, three-star hotels had 74.7 per cent and five-star hotels had 77.43 per cent room occupancy.

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