TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Starred hotel tariffs in Goa may shoot up by upto 8 per cent, building on the three per cent rise seen from January to June this year, as hotel industry has high expectations of a good tourism season starting October.
Goa is one of the three States which has seen a three per cent hike in hotel tariffs in the five-star category for the first six months of the year, according to latest reports from Hotel Price Index (HPI) even as hotel tariffs in Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai, have seen a dip this year.
Goa is second to Kochi which has recorded a four per cent increase in hotel rates while Bangalore has recorded a marginal one per cent increase.
Projected increase in charters and foreign and domestic arrivals will serve as a booster for the hotel industry in Goa which will push hotel tariffs higher since no discounts may be in the pipeline.
Goa’s starred hotel tariff which saw a three per cent rise at Rs 5,225 is higher than Kochi which is Rs 5,123 though the latter saw four per cent growth in the first half of 2013. Starred hotel tariff in Bangalore is Rs 6,133. Hotel tariff in Kochi in 2012 was Rs 4,931.
Bangalore recorded a marginal rise of one per cent in hotel room rates to Rs 6,133 compared to Rs 6,067 in the same period in 2012, the report said.
The hospitality industry does not dispute that good marketing strategies adopted by Goa, road shows and media promotions has started showing results with demand for rooms increasing this season.
“This year is going to be a bumper season for hoteliers,” said Ernest Dias of SITA (India) a leading travel agency in Goa.
“We do not have to even think of offering packages, discounts or any other offers this time to lure guests,” he said pointing out that the increase in tariffs could even touch eight per cent.
The five star deluxe category rates could be as high as Rs 10,000 per night.
According to Dias this year the season is better than the previous year and the rising tariffs are an indication of growth in tourism.
Gaurish Dhond of the Hotels and Restaurants Association said, “Hotel tariffs in Goa had been stagnant for almost two years. Now with an increase in arrivals both domestic and foreign hoteliers are justified in increasing the rates.”
Dhond said that ahead of this season, hotels in the coastal belts have already increased rates as the demand for rooms is up with projected increase in charters.
The national report which compares hotel rates in 10 of the most popular holiday destinations in India states that Chennai saw the sharpest fall in prices by losing eight per cent to an average of Rs 5,861 during the first half of this year compared to Rs 6,353 in the same period in 2012, says the latest Hotel Price Index (HPI) report by Hotels.com.
Pune was the second major destination that saw a decline in prices by five per cent to Rs 5,383, compared to Rs 5,650 in 2012.
Both in Delhi and Jaipur, prices fell by four per cent each.
Hotel prices in Delhi declined to Rs 6,511 in the first half of this year compared to Rs 6,797 in the comparable period 2012.
Likewise In Jaipur the prices went down to Rs 4,646 compared to Rs 4,839 in same period in 2012.
Kolkata saw a decline of three per cent during the period under review at Rs 6,269, Mumbai and Hyderabad witnessed a decline of two per cent each to Rs 7,971 and Rs 5,454, respectively.
The first half of 2013 witnessed fluctuations in the value of the rupee and it gave a boost to the domestic tourism as the government made efforts to attract international travellers, the report added.
Prices paid by hotel guests across the country rose by one per cent in the first six months of the year to an average Rs 6,025, the report said.
