Coronavirus travel ban hits Darwin and Sydney hotel occupancy rates
Hotels in Sydney and Darwin have been the worst affected by the travel ban from China over the Chinese New Year period.
Darwin posted a 15 per cent drop in occupancy over the Chinese New Year period while Sydney hotels have seen a 10 per cent drop in occupancy resulting in a 15 per cent fall in revenue per average room (revPAR), according to the latest report from STR.
Melbourne was cushioned from the impact thanks to the grand slam Australian Open tennis posting a 1 per cent drop in occupancy and 10 per cent increase in revPAR.
“Those destinations that see a higher proportion of Chinese visitation appear to be the most impacted,” said Matthew Burke, STR’s Pacific regional manager.
Mainland China’s hotel sector has been crushed under the travel restrictions, with hotel occupancy falling a massive 75 per cent over the Chinese New Year period, STR figures show.
The sudden drop off has seen major hotel brands Hilton and Wyndham temporarily close a large number of hotels in China while the coronavirus outbreak continues.
Sheridan Randall, 17th February 2020
