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10 December 2021: Data released today by Tourism Research Australia reveals Australian CBD hotels saw a 74% fall in overnight trips and 76% drop in spend in September 2021 compared to pre-COVID levels.
Regional hotels experienced a 60% drop in overnight trips and a 54% drop in spend in September 2021.
Australians took 1.1 billion trips to capital cities and spent $854 million in September 2021, and also took 2.4 million trips to regional areas and spent $1.8 billion.
The Accommodation Association says Australian hotels are struggling to manage the twin punch of the pandemic and the pressing need to urgently fill 100,000 current vacancies across the sector to meet growing demand.
Quotes attributable to Accommodation Association Interim CEO Richard Munro
“Today’s release of the National Visitor Survey Monthly Snapshot for September 2021 confirms the difficult trading conditions our sector has experienced under hard lockdowns and lockouts of International arrivals. Whilst our industry survived waves of the pandemic and stepped up to offer properties as government run quarantine centres, the staggering drop in city hotel occupancies for September 2021 is simply eye watering.”
“While Accommodation providers are starting to see a surge in corporate bookings and leisure travel for the new year, we’re calling on all Australians to book city staycations and take advantage of the lucrative CBD deals on offer."
“The critical shortage of staff for our sector continues to hamstring growth, which is why we continue to work with government to help close the gap in our labour force and help our businesses retain their incredibly talented teams.”
“The accommodation industry offers fantastic career opportunities, with the bulk of our leaders having started in entry level jobs and worked their way up to the very top. To assist our members in rebuilding their workforces and streamlining the slow recovery process, the Accommodation Association’s newly launched recruitment initiative THE GAPPA is helping to fast track employment for young school leavers looking for careers in hotels.”
“We had our very first candidate enrol this morning, and they’re now enjoying the newfound opportunity to travel around the country while also building in demand skills and working within an industry that offers a job for life. “
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