Short-term Airbnb rentals drop in London
Londoners have seen rent reductions as Airbnb landlords convert properties from short- to long-term lets. A website that tracks every Airbnb listing in London showed that the number of active Airbnbs in the city fell from just under 85,000 in Q4 2019 to 62,000 now. Other popular tourist cities in the U.K. were flooded with new rental homes, with the number in central Edinburgh up 105%.
COVID-19 impact on Hong Kong market
A survey conducted by Horwath HTL Hong Kong examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the outlook for the Hong Kong hotel market. According to the survey, over 90% of respondents expect that the impact of COVID-19 will last for three months and more until H2 2020, and Hong Kong hoteliers are overwhelmingly pessimistic about all market segments, expecting poor performance versus H1 2019.
Japan’s hotel industry suffers
With the coronavirus disrupting both travel and businesses across Japan, room bookings are down to a third of what they were last year. In addition, the postponement of this summer’s Tokyo Olympic Games may also devastate smaller Japanese businesses reliant on tourism and affect the economy at large.
Thai king books entire hotel for isolation
The king of Thailand has taken a harem of 20 concubines with him into self-isolation during the coronavirus pandemic, booking out the entirety of the Grand Hotel Sonnenbichl in Bavaria, it has been reported. German tabloid Bild reports 67-year-old King Maha Vajiralongkorn, also known as Rama X, booked the entire hotel with permission from the local district council.