Qatar's five-star hotels witnessed improved rooms' yield in January 2023, even as the hospitality sector overall reported decline in average revenue available per room, according to data from the Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA).
The decline in the country's hospitality sector comes in view of a double-digit shrinkage in visitors, especially from other Arab countries and the Americas, compared to December 2022, which saw the crucial matches of FIFA World Cup, according to figures released by the PSA.
In the case of five-star hotels, the average revenue per available room increased 6.75% on annualised basis to QR269 in January 2023 as the average room rate grew 5.49% to Q576 and the occupancy by 1% to 47%.
However, the country's overall hospitality sector saw an 8.68% year-on-year contraction in average revenue per available room to QR200 in January 2023 although the average room rate jumped 6.27% to QR424. Nevertheless, occupancy shrank 8% to 47% in the review period.
This trend in the hospitality sector’s room yield comes amidst a 44.5% month-on-month plunge in visitor arrivals to 340,405 in January 2023 with majority coming from the GCC countries and Europe. On an annualised basis, the total visitor arrivals soared 611.1% in the review period.
The visitor arrivals from the GCC were 141,998 or 42% of the total; followed by Europe 100,549 or 30%; other Asia (including Oceania) 57,950 or 17%; Americas 24,540 or 7%; other Arab countries 9,446 or 3% and other African countries 6,012 or 2%.
The visitor arrivals from other Arab countries fell 89.3% month-on-month, while it grew 103.1% year-on-year this January; those from the Americas shrank 64.1% on a monthly basis but soared 576.2% on yearly basis; those from other Asia (including Oceania) fell 41.8% month-on-month but gained 52.3% year-on-year; those from other African countries by fell 41.7% compared to December 2022 but soared 363.5% on annualised basis; and those from GCC were lower by 41.9% month-on-month but surged 611.1% year-on-year.
The average revenue per available room in the four-star hotels plummeted 37.93% on a yearly basis to QR108 in January 2023 as the average room rate was down 3.89% to QR247 and the occupancy by 24% to 44%.
The three-star hotels saw a 39.7% year-on-year contraction in average revenue per available room to QR120 as average room rate shrank 7.58% to QR195 and the occupancy by 33% to 61% in the review period.
The two-star and one-star hotels' average revenue per available room declined 28.42% year-on-year to QR136 in January 2023 as the average room rate dipped 16.67% to QR165 and the occupancy by 13% to 83%.
The deluxe hotel apartments saw a 10.88% year-on-year shrinkage in average revenue available per room to QR172 in January 2023 even as the average room rate in the category was seen gaining 8.12% on an annualised basis to QR386. However, the occupancy was down 10% to 44% in the review period.
In the case of standard hotel apartments, the room yield decreased by 38.54% year-on-year to QR118 in January 2023 as the average room rate was down 4.8% to QR218 and occupancy by 30% to 54%.
