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Pray you’ll get a room in Sydney in July
SYDNEY – Travellers will face a hotel room shortage in Sydney this July, the country’s leading travel agency has predicted.
Flight Centre Limited executive general manager – marketing Colin Bowman said a hotel room shortage could be exacerbated in July, when Pope Benedict XVI’s conducts his first Australian visit and the broader World Youth Day celebrations in Sydney.
World Youth Day celebrations will run from July 15-20 and will mark Pope Benedict XVI’s first Australian visit. Up to 125,000 international tourists are expected to attend.
Bowman said unless people booked immediately, securing an affordable hotel room during this period would be a challenge.
“There is already a strain on Sydney hotels with the normal rate of annual visitors and business travel into Australia’s major city,” he said.
Last month the American Express 2008 Asia Pacific Corporate Hotel Rate Projections and Market Forecast predicted double-digit rate rises in city hotels this year as demand for rooms continues to exceed supply. Sydney room rates look set to increase by 14 percent.
Bowman added, “Given the massive international interest in World Youth Day and the expected influx of tourists, we expect heightened availability problems in 2008 in the weeks around World Youth Day.
“While rooms are currently available now, the price is certainly escalating to triple or even more the normal rate.”
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