The Australian Hotels Association says that average occupancy in Adelaide rose by 6% to 79% last year with major events having boosted Adelaide’s larger accommodation hotels with room occupancy rates reaching almost 80% in 2006.
The Association said that Adelaide’s’ “Mad March” events season which includes the Adelaide Festival, Fringe, Clipsal 500 and WOMADelaide events created a record month with room occupancy at 90.8%, with the POMS “Barmy Army” test cricket visitors boosting visitors.
AHA accommodation Division Manager Hamish Arthur said, “The 2006 result was a major improvement on 2005 when average occupancy was closer to 58% and the Australian Tourism Exchange trade show in June last year also inflated the results despite major hotels offering 4500 free room nights for the event.”
“In 2007, it’s going to be tough for the Adelaide hotel accommodation market to be as strong as it was last year, because as well as major events, attracting conferences is vitally important, notably in the months of May, June and July.”
Hotels contributing data for the report included the Adelaide Hilton, Hyatt Regency Adelaide, Holiday Inn on Hindley Street and Stamford hotels in the city and at Glenelg.
Mr Arthur said this weekend’s Clipsal 500, would push hotels to the limit, adding “We will be close to 100%”, adding that the World Police and Fire Games, from March 16 to 25 will also boost levels with more than 12,000 competitors and visitors expected to attend.
Report by The Mole
