There are still plenty of hotel rooms available for the Beijing Olympics, Associated Press said.
The crunch that was predicted has not been happening, according to Zhang Huiguang, the director of Beijing’s Tourism Bureau. She was quoted saying that about 500,000 foreigners were expected for the games, a figure Beijing officials had long been predicting.
Only 77% of capacity at Beijing’s five-star hotels have been booked during the August 8-24 Olympic Games, and the four-star hotel rate is only 44%, she was quoted saying.
The rate for three-and two-stars was lower, she was quoted saying.
The report said China’s crackdown on visa procedures could have been a factor, targeting students and others on short-term stays who might protest during the Olympics.
Rising prices could also be a reason, Zhang was quoted saying. Five-star prices were up 2.6 times year-on-year while four-star hotels were charging 3.6 times more.
According to Zhang, the average five-star hotel rate ranged from RMB 3,840-7,910 (US$553-US$1,139).
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