States open border optimism

The Asia Pacific (APAC) region is experiencing growing travel demand across all markets, according to the latest data from Amadeus.

In the first quarter of 2023 – helped by the reopening of Greater China – APAC hotel occupancy hit 61.7%, surpassing 2019 levels by 3%.

Greater China is leading the region’s recovery growth, with Q1 2023 hotel occupancy outpacing Q1 2019 by 5%.

Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) had the highest hotel occupancy level in the region in Q1, trending up from 64.5% in January 2023 to 76.5% in March 2023.

“We are beyond thrilled by the hospitality resurgence that is currently taking place across Asia Pacific compared to pre-pandemic levels,” said Amadeus Head of Commercial, Asia Pacific, Hospitality, Maria Taylor.

“This is a hopeful sign that APAC-based hoteliers may expect a substantial rebound in the long run as travel has picked up its pace, both domestically and internationally.”

Sydney hotels averaged 85% occupancy from February to March 2023, while Singapore outperformed previous records in 2019 by 2-3% in February and March 2023. In Tokyo, hotel occupancy rates reached more than 80% and exceeded records from mid-March to April 2023 during the cherry blossom season.

From January to March 2023, Seoul hotel occupancy was 7% higher than 2019 performance for the same time period.

The major markets that experienced the highest regional hotel occupancies in Q1 were Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, and Beijing, with rates higher than 70% during the week of Easter.