Hotels’ room occupancy runs dry

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Aamir Shafaat Khan
KARACHI, Sept 29: The room occupancy in leading local hotels has plunged to 8-10 per cent, from 23 per cent last week, as more bomb blasts after the Islamabad carnage continue to scare away the movement of foreign and local businessmen.

In Lahore, the room occupancy remained at 25 per cent, Islamabad and Rawalpindi at 18-20 per cent and in Peshawar it ranged 10-12 per cent. Prior to Marriott blasts, hotels were recording 40-60 per cent room occupancy.

Pakistan Hotels Association chairman Mustansar Zakir said the room occupancy should have ranged between 30-35 per cent in the last days ahead of Eidul Fitr, but it had fallen to 8-10 per cent in Karachi. Leading hotels in the mega city have 200 to 450 rooms and the per day rent hovers between Rs4,500-5,000, he said, adding that the room charges usually go up when the hotels are packed.

He said people had stopped dining in Islamabad and Rawalpindi hotels after the September 20 blasts in Marriott that killed over 60 people. The holding of corporate functions, Iftar/dinners and other events have fallen sharply since then, he added.

“I cannot predict about post-Eid hotel business scenario as much will depend on the law and order situation as currently there are not very good business prospects for advance booking of corporate dinners and wedding/valima receptions after Eidul Fitr since people are avoiding hosting these receptions in five star hotels,” he explained.

Raees Ahmed Siddiqui, former chairman Travel Agents Association of Pakistan (TAAP), said that there had been a 60 per cent drop in the arrivals of overseas Pakistanis, while the number of foreign visitors has been negligible after the Islamabad incident.

He said that the inter-city movement of people particularly to and from Karachi and upcountry had also been restricted.“Only labour class of overseas Pakistanis, living in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia, are arriving to celebrate Eid with their families,” he said.

However, Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) General Manager South Riaz Ahmed Khan told Dawn that tourists’ arrivals had been normal in off-season. “The tourism season begins from March till end-August,” he added.

He further said that the arrival of tourists, mountain expedition units and researchers mainly from Japan, European countries, South Korea and Spain was normal this year. Their main destinations were Naran, Skardu, Gilgit, Hunza, Chitral etc.

“These tourists return to their homeland with satisfaction,” he claimed, adding that currently three to six tourists were making enquiries at the PTDC office in Karachi, while in peak season the number ranged 10-15 a day.

Riaz Khan said that these tourists usually stayed in small hotels in the upcountry destinations instead of five star hotels due to their limited budget.

http://www.dawn.com/2008/09/30/ebr4.htm