Hotel occupancy slumps in summer
Occupancy at London hotels fell during the crucial summer months and remained static throughout the rest of the country, according to new statistics from PKF hotel consultancy services.
However, there was some cheer for hoteliers as both room rates and yields rose during the period.
According to PKF, London hotels saw occupancy drop 1.4 per cent in August to 79.4 per cent, compared with the same month last year. Average room rate rose 6.2 per cent to £89.57 and rooms yield was up 4.7 per cent to £71.15.
Outside London, hoteliers saw August’s occupancy almost static at 74.5 per cent – only 0.8 per cent up on August 2003. Average room rate increased 4.7 per cent to £61.71 and rooms yield rose 5.6 per cent to £45.96.
Alex Clarke, hotel consultancy services consultant at PKF, said: “Occupancy figures are very disappointing. We would expect to see occupancy pick up during the summer high season, but possibly holidaymakers were put off by the cool summer and, in some areas, flooding.
“In London, domestic visitor figures were down, although increased travel abroad to seek good weather may have been a factor. It will be particularly interesting to see whether September’s performance will show an improvement, especially in London, with the return of the corporate business after the holiday season.”
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Skyscanner reveals major travel trends 2026 at ITB Asia
In Italy, the Meloni government congratulates itself for its tourism achievements