The hotel industry, like the retail industry, is the industry that has been hit hardest by the epidemic. The development of vaccine research and development now gives them hope of recovery. But we have reason to be cautious about the prospect of vaccines, especially considering the arduous logistics of mass vaccination and the risk of too little vaccination to provide adequate protection. For the hotel industry, vaccine breakthroughs are not coming fast enough.
According to data from hotel data analysis company STR, the average occupancy rate of the European hotel industry in September was only 39%, a 52% drop year-on-year. In the United States, the average occupancy rate in early November was 44%, a decrease of 36% year-on-year, while the average revenue per room fell by 56%. Even in the Asia-Pacific region where the epidemic is more effectively controlled, the average occupancy rate in August was only slightly higher than 50%, and revenue per room fell by 50%.
However, in China, the hotel industry has turned around. STR data shows that since August, the average occupancy rate has approached 70%. In fact, during the National Day Golden Week at the beginning of last month, the occupancy rate reached 83%, almost the same as in 2019.
Unlike other Asian markets that rely heavily on foreign demand, China’s hotel industry has benefited from the booming domestic tourism industry, and restrictions on international travel have promoted the development of domestic tourism. China successfully contained the epidemic and moved into a rapid and sustainable economic recovery. More importantly, the rise of “retaliatory travel” after months of anti-epidemic blockade and restrictions has promoted the recovery of the hotel industry. This has also enabled China’s hotel industry to greatly reduce its dependence on vaccine research and development. Although Beijing and Shanghai are still affected by the sharp decline in international tourists and business travel, the hotel industry in other major cities, especially Shenzhen and Chengdu, is recovering well. The best performer is Sanya. Since July, the local hotel occupancy rate has been much higher than the domestic average.