Melbourne has led the way in hotel occupancy for or the second successive quarter, recording its sharpest increase in occupancy rates in more than a decade and anticipating further growth in the lead-up to the Commonwealth Games in March 2006.
Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows occupancy rates increased by 6.4% to 72.3% over the June quarter, a period when Melbourne typically experiences its lowest occupancy levels.
After an number of poor years revenue per available room jumped by 11.8% over the June quarter while average room rates rose by 5%.
International arrivals to Australia over the year exceeded 5 million for the first time, with the Tourism Forecasting Committee predicting annual inbound growth of 5.1% over the next decade.
