U.K. performance: No signs of ADR recovery
Each week, STR analysts provide a deep-dive video update into U.K. hotel performance. Key highlights from the most recent video, highlighting performance for the week of May 25-31, include:
• Occupancy and RevPAR remained static.
• ADR declines softened slightly during the last week, but there are still no signs of recovery.
• Forward-looking data (as of 1 June) shows muted demand during the summer months in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen, with Aberdeen showing no business on the books during January, February and March 2021.
China performance: Occupancy up for leisure
STR’s analysts also provide a weekly video update into China hotel performance. Key highlights from the most recent video include:
• Beijing occupancy levels are forecast to reach 2019 levels by 2023, due to a variety of factors such as economic recovery, supply growth, the Olympics, etc. RevPAR is not expected to reach 2019 levels until 2024.
• Based on daily data, Shanghai outperformed Shenzhen in occupancy during May. In previous months, Shenzhen was ahead of Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing in the metric.
• Leisure markets, such as Yunnan Regional and Huzhou, showed higher occupancy levels throughout May.
U.S. performance: Occupancy up in parts of Florida
In another video, STR analysts provide an update into U.S. hotel performance. Key highlights from the most recent video, highlighting performance for May 24-30, include:
• U.S. hotel gross operating profit per available room fell 116.9% during April 2020.
• Drive-to destinations showed stronger weekend performance, with Melbourne/Titusville, Florida, recording a 28.9-point weekend versus weekday occupancy gain.
• The Florida Panhandle and Melbourne/Titusville saw the highest occupancy levels for the week (58.7%), while the Florida Keys experienced the lowest occupancy level (9.8%).
• The Space X launch boosted weekend occupancy levels in Titusville/Cocoa Beach, Florida (81.4%); and Melbourne/Palm Bay, Florida (76.6%).
Waterpark industry struggling
The current COVID-19 crisis is having a significant negative effect on the waterpark industry. Many parks have delayed their season openings while others have decided, or been mandated, not to open in 2020 at all. With the largest database of waterparks across North America, AH&LA is tracking the closings of waterparks across all segments. As of May 28, 7.8% of municipal outdoor waterparks confirmed they are closed for the season, compared with only 1.1% of private outdoor waterparks. For the indoor waterpark segment, 77.9% of municipal waterparks were closed; that increased to 80.3% for private properties.
‘Sustainability as the New Normal’: A future of tourism
To mark World Environment Day, the “One Planet Sustainable Tourism” program led by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has a new vision for global tourism. The “One Planet Vision for the Responsible Recovery of the Tourism Sector” builds on the organization’s “Global Guidelines to Restart Tourism,” with the aim to emerge stronger and more sustainable from the COVID-19 crisis. This combined effort comes at a time when several destinations around the world begin to ease restrictions on travel and mobility and the tourism sector is getting ready to resume its activity with the lessons learned from the pandemic.