Hotels.com, the global hotel bookings expert, recently launched the latest edition of the Hotel Price Index (HPI) report. In the first half of 2013, travellers from Hong Kong have spent the most money to stay in India. They paid on an average INR 8,250 in 2013 which is 13 per cent more than the previous year. The report revealed that out of 28 nations, 15 paid more in the first six months of 2013 compared to the same period in 2012. This reflects an overall growth of one per cent in the country with respect to hotel room rates.
The HPI is based on bookings made on Hotels.com and prices shown are those actually paid by customers per room per night, rather than advertised rates. Travellers from Switzerland came in second at INR 7,321 followed by Singapore at INR 7,164. Thailand, up 28 per cent at INR 6,298. Close neighbour China paid an extra 18 per cent to an average INR 6,381. The sharpest fall was recorded by Brazilians, down 13 per cent to INR 5,932 and Israelis down 6 per cent to INR 6,835.
According to this latest HPI report India has seen slight fluctuations. Cities like Mumbai and Hyderabad have seen a fall in hotel price by one per cent and four per cent respectively whereas places like Goa and Bengaluru are enjoying a growth by five and two per cent.
The data shows that prices paid by hotel guests throughout the country rose by one per cent in the first six months of 2013 to an average INR 6,025. Figures from the Indian tourism ministry showed that the growth in inbound visitors slowed considerably as a result of adverse worldwide newspaper headlines during this period. Overall numbers were up but the rate of increase slowed considerably. The continued fall in the value of the rupee deterred outbound travel from the country and boosted domestic tourism.
Cashing in on the high profile success of the film ‘Life of Pi’, which was partly shot in Puducherry and Munnar in Kerala, the tourism ministry announced initiatives to promote film tourism by encouraging more film shooting in the country.
Of the ten destinations included in the HPI, Mumbai had the highest average of INR 7,971 despite a fall of two per cent. Chennai had the sharpest fall, losing eight per cent to INR 5,861, followed by Pune down five per cent to INR 5,383 with Delhi and Jaipur both fell four per cent to INR 6,511 and INR 4,646 respectively.
Keywords: hotel, India, travel, tourism, Hotel Price Index, Indian hotels, Hong Kong, Hotels.com, travellers, Indian tourism ministry
