RevPAR recovery
Because 2020 data is not a stable benchmark, we index RevPAR to 2019 for a more accurate recovery measurement. Year to date, RevPAR in Mainland China in May 2021 was at 80% of where it was in 2019. Australia & Oceania (69%) and the Middle East (67%) ranked second and third, respectively. When looking only at May, Mainland China hit the 100% mark.
Recent COVID-19 outbreak in China
The recent outbreak of cases in China had immediate impact on hotel occupancy. Guangzhou, Shenzhen and the rest of Guangdong experienced declines in beginning in May.
Japan RevPAR trends
While Japan saw RevPAR increase at the end of 2020 in conjunction with the Go To Travel campaign, a recent spike in cases has now caused RevPAR to slow again when indexed to 2019.
A light ahead for India
While business and leisure travel in India is currently at a standstill, COVID-19 cases are now declining. As a result, the famed Taj Mahal was recently able to reopen for tourists. When looking at May 2021 occupancy, the lows of several major markets were not as bad as May 2020.
Australia booking trends
As of 17 May, 2021, 50% of bookings in Australia were being made within 14 days of arrival. There is a desire to travel, but with fluctuating case counts and lockdowns, travelers are not planning very far ahead just yet.
For more information on APAC performance, you can view the full webinar here.