Microtel Inns & Suites Economy Lodging Brand Opens 300th Hotel

The Microtel Inns & Suites brand, an all-new construction economy lodging chain recently acquired by Wyndham Hotel Group, celebrated a milestone this week with the opening of its 300th hotel in Delphos, Ohio. The 56-room hotel, owned by Group Properties LLC of Delphos, showcases the brand’s award-winning prototype design. Each guest room features a flat-panel television, granite countertops and desk with easily accessible power outlets and data ports.

Suites are divided into four zones with space to work, eat, sleep and relax and are equipped with the brand’s signature MicroKitchen(TM) that includes a small refrigerator and microwave. The hotel also features two meeting rooms and signature Dream Well(TM) bedding, featuring a plush pillow-top mattress, fitted bed skirt, 200-thread count white linens with triple sheeting, down-like blanket, bed scarf and extra pillows.

Microtel Inns & Suites hotels cater to the needs of travelers with disabilities and is a sponsor of The Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality.

Restrictions and high fares deter Olympic tourists

Tight security restrictions and higher prices are hampering domestic demand for Olympic package tours in China and reducing the number of overseas visitors, travel agencies and hotels have warned.

The Chinese government has made security a top priority for the games, but some of its stringent measures are deterring people. A clampdown on visas has cut the number of international business travellers, while tour companies reported that Chinese people had been put off by the security checks and cost.

“Fewer people are going to Beijing because the ticket prices are too expensive and there are too many strict rules to get into the city,” said an employee at the China Travel Agency in Chongqing.

Hospitality industry insiders report that several large hotels are running at anything from 50-70% occupancy while some smaller places are struggling to book more than 50% of their rooms. Even the state newspaper Shanghai Daily reported that the appetite for Olympic trips was considerably lower than expected.

Zhang Lei, a spokesman with the Shanghai-based Spring International Travel Service, told the paper that its special packages had met “a slack response”, with only 1,000 customers taking up the offers - around half the number expected.

Yin Jun, manager of the Jiangsu provincial branch of China Travel Service, blamed the prices of accommodation and tourist buses, saying the cost of packages had tripled to above 6,000 yuan (£440). Officials have forecast that about half a million foreign visitors, and an even greater number of domestic travellers, will come to the city for the games.

But asked if tourist numbers were lower than expected, an official at the Beijing Tourism Bureau declined to comment yesterday. “The government will not talk about anything negative,” said the man, who gave his name only as Mr Song. “If the matter was something positive, then maybe we could talk about it more.”

At the higher end, many four- and five-star hotels are booked out for the games. A staff member at the Hilton said it would be full next month because it was hosting six countries’ national organising committees. But she added: “There have been fewer guests in the period before the Olympics.”

A few domestic travel agencies said demand for travel to Beijing had picked up slightly in their area, in part because tourists had been deterred from visiting Sichuan because of the earthquake and were looking for other destinations. The hospitality industry in Shanghai also appears to be suffering the knock-on effects of the games, with many business people unable to gain entry to China.

“We haven’t got a lot of people coming into town because visas are harder to get,” said Paul French, chief China analyst at the Shanghai-based research firm Access Asia. “Places that cater to foreigners are really feeling the pinch. Airlines have also been hurt because they thought flights to Beijing would be so booked up that there would be overspill.”The long-term effect is that people can’t do deals.”

Under security measures introduced in the last few weeks, bus passengers to all cities hosting Olympic events must show identity cards as well as tickets; subway luggage is checked; and bars and other entertainment venues report increased visits from police checking for drug dealing and prostitution.

Yesterday, airline officials said the landing and taking off of planes during the Olympic opening ceremony would be restricted, forcing the rescheduling of dozens of flights. Domestic media reports quoted unnamed aviation sources as saying that Beijing Capital Airport would be closed to all non-Olympic traffic between 8pm and midnight on the evening of the opening ceremony.

Tightened security even appears to have spread to Shanghai, where staff at all public swimming pools must now check customers’ shampoos, shower gel and other liquids in a bid to avoid explosions or other terrorist attacks.

Eurostar posts bullish first half figures

Eurostar has posted a set of healthy first half figures, as soaring fuel costs and growing environmental awareness sees consumers shift into letting the train take the strain. Ticket sales from January to June 08 were up almost a quarter against the same period last year, and passenger numbers up almost a fifth.

Growth in traveller numbers was greatest in towns and cities to the north of London, which now enjoy access to Eurostar’s new London station, St Pancras International, and its 186mph cross-Channel services on High Speed 1, the UK’s first high-speed line.
Ticket sales between January and June 2008 totalled £368.8 million – an increase of 24.7% against the same period in 2007. Traveller numbers reached 4.63 million – an 18.3% year-on-year increase.

High-speed rail fares have been largely unaffected by the rising oil prices that have forced airlines to raise ticket prices on both short-haul and long-haul flights.

The introduction of good value through fares to the Continent from over 130 British towns and cities has been a key factor driving demand in the UK regions. Eurostar and nine UK train operators now sell fares for travel to Paris, Brussels and Disneyland Resort Paris. UK travellers can also buy through fares to other destinations across Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Germany.

source: Travel News

Global slowdown dampens UK inbound tourism

The global slowdown is already hitting UK inbound tourism, espeically the long-haul market. The number of touist arrivals fell 3.8% in May 2008 compared with the same period last year. More alarming was the even larger and highly significant fall in forward bookings, down 9.5%.

The report from UK Inbound says there is no doubt that the combined effects of economic uncertainty, unfavourable exchange rates, high oil prices and the increasing cost of food is seriously eroding consumer confidence in virtually all key long haul markets, especially North America.

With all outbound leisure tourism from the USA being severely curtailed the business barometer estimates this could mean up to 500,000 fewer American visitors to the UK this year.

Eurozone business, particularly from the accession states, continues to remain fairly solid supported by a strong Euro and UK Inbound expects this to continue for the rest of this year. However, beyond that it seems likely the Euro will ease off its current high-water mark.

The trend this year has been declining long-haul demand being partially offset by modest growth in short-haul traffic producing relatively flat visitor numbers and a drop in revenue. This scenario looks set to continue for at least the rest of 2008 and most likely well into 2009. In these trading conditions price becomes increasingly the prime determining factor for potential customers and, despite rising costs, there is extreme pressure to discount prices. Already it is clear that 2008 is going to be another tough year for export tourism.

UKinbound is a trade organisation representing the inbound tourism industry in the UK. The association represents over 230 major companies and organisations in all sectors of the industry, operating 4,000 plus outlets in the UK. Each month UKinbound produces a Business Barometer based on a confidential online survey of members, comparing visitor numbers and booking forecasts with a corresponding period in the previous year.

source: Breking travel news

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