Soaring weekend occupancies at central Sydney hotels are proving that the domestic short-break is “alive, well and kicking,” according to Accor.
The hotel firm referred to figures which revealed weekend hotel occupancies in Sydney’s CBD averaged 95.4% in August – their highest levels so far this year – bolstered in part by last weekend’s City to Surf, but with a number of other sporting and cultural events also playing a significant role.
Accor NSW/ACT regional manager Scott Boyes said the figures defied the common perception that the high Australian dollar had severely impacted domestic leisure travel.
“What the figures show is that domestic short-break travel is actually very strong, with Saturday night being the strongest night of the week for Accor’s hotels, which builds on the strength of the corporate market from Monday to Thursday,” he said.
Boyes attributed the trend to the availability of low airfares, prompting people to travel interstate more frequently than ever before.
“That one interstate trip has increased to about five for many travellers, and so weekends in cities like Sydney and Melbourne are incredibly busy.”
He expected a strong end to the winter leisure season, bolstered by the upcoming rugby finals.
