India Records 7.8 Per Cent Growth In Hotel Occupancy

By BW Hotelier DATA COMPILED by STR Global has indicated that hotels across India are experiencing an average of 58.3 per cent occupancy. This means that there has been an incredible growth of 7.8 per cent when the occupancy rates of May 2015 are compared with that of May 2014. This figure is also puts India at the top of the table in the Asia-Pacific region in terms of growth, although it still lags behind China, Australia and Singapore in terms of average occupancy percentages. China has not registered any growth this year according to the report. The region itself reports a growth of 1.4 per cent for the month and the average occupancy across is 68.1 per cent. This puts India behind the Asia-Pacific average, but the growth rate seems promising. In terms of percentage change in revenue per available room India once again leads Asia-Pacific with a 7.3 per cent rise, when calculated in local currency. However, there has been a fall in the average daily rate in terms of hotel room pricing which has be estimated to be INR 5,197.76, which is a decline of 0.5 per cent from last years rates. This could be what has contributed to the high growth rate in occupancy. Thailand reported the largest increases in occupancy (+22.9 percent to 68.3 percent) and RevPAR (+20.9 percent to THB2,151.01). ADR in Thailand was down 1.6 percent to THB3,150.54. Thailand’s performance continues to improve in year-over-year comparisons, most notably in Bangkok, as the country is further removed from last year’s coup d'-tat. Myanmar experienced the steepest decline in occupancy (-27.4 percent to 41.4 percent) and RevPAR (-26.4 percent to MMK69,522.58). The country continues to be affected by a significant amount of new supply in the market. French Polynesia posted the largest increase in ADR, rising 16.2 percent to XPF40,657.53. Japan followed with a 12.9-percent rise in ADR to JPY14,666.02. South Korea reported the largest decrease in ADR, down 6.9 percent to KRW184,206.00. Japan (+16.2 percent to JPY12,223.56) and French Polynesia (+15.8 percent to XPF28,762.75) also posted double-digit increases in RevPAR. According to STR Global analysts, the devaluation of the Japanese Yen has made Japan a cheaper option for travellers. South Korea (-13.4 percent to KRW129,804.99) and Maldives (-10.6 percent to MVR5,257.00) were the two markets in addition to Myanmar to report double-digit drops in RevPAR. Highlights from key market performers for May 2015 in local currency (year-over-year comparisons):Bangkok experienced the largest occupancy increase, up 31.6 percent to 71.6 percent. Three additional markets saw double-digit increases in occupancy: Hanoi, Vietnam (+22.8 percent to 72.3 percent); Sanya, China (+16.1 percent to 52.8 percent); and Phuket, Thailand (+14.1 percent to 60.5 percent).