Australian holidaymakers are warned they will pay more for accommodation as prices rise amid high demand, while staff shortages are forcing some hoteliers to limit the number of visitors.
Data from the travel booking website, the Trivago hotel price index, which analyzes the prices of more than 400 booking sites, show that the average hotel rates in Australia have skyrocketed since the pandemic restrictions were reduced.
“Prices have been going up year after year, but lately they’ve been pretty astronomical, and I think part of that reason is because we just went through Easter, the school holidays, Anzac Day and the long weekend. “, Finder travel editor. , said Stephanie Yip.
“There has been this accumulated demand for travel. Many of us have been closed for two years.”
The Trivago hotel price index shows that the average cost of a hotel room in Sydney is now above $ 240 per night, compared to $ 206 a night a year ago. In Melbourne, the average cost is now $ 239, up from $ 200 in August last year.
In recent weeks, massive demand for travel has increased the popularity of long delays at domestic airports and previously neglected destinations, such as the interior of South Australia.
Tourism Accommodation Australia CEO Michael Johnson said the increase in accommodation bookings had come at a time when the industry was still struggling to find staff.
“We are still more than 100,000 holidaymakers working at pre-restriction levels and more than 150,000 international students. Only these two are a large proportion of the hotel and hospitality staff,” he said.
Johnson said staff shortages were forcing many hotels to work at 70% to 80% of their capacity, with current staff already overloaded and pushed to the limit.
He said that during Sydney’s recent Vivid festival, many accommodation providers had complained about their inability to take advantage of rising demand and regain some of the crucial revenue lost over the last two years of blockchain.
“I know hotels that are still looking for between 30 and 40 workers, instead of having two restaurants they only do one. They don’t accept conference reservations, because they just don’t have the staff to handle those reservations. “
Johnson believes the situation will improve over time and said the industry expected a large influx of working students and summerers to arrive in the country in the coming months.
He said the industry was also looking for new ways to attract local staff and make better use of the existing workforce, but called on the government to help support these initiatives.
Some ideas that have been promoted include offering employees who want to supplement their current job with one or two hospitality shifts per week a tax cut on their additional income.
Johnson said the industry was also working to better promote hospitality roles to young Australians, especially those who had left the industry after the blockades.
He wanted to reduce visa processing times for skilled workers, saying this would have an immediate impact on labor shortages.
Despite all the upward pressure on prices, Yip said holidaymakers should not give up a half-year getaway, but should monitor holiday deals and end-of-year sales.
He advised people looking for something a little easier in their pocket to avoid Queensland and the snow-capped mountains, which are experiencing the highest demand, with an average accommodation price 17% higher than last winter.
Caravan holidays are experiencing an increase in popularity. Photography: Bbs Public Relations
One option for budget-conscious people was camping and caravan, which Yip said they were experiencing an increase in popularity.
Internationally, the price situation is largely the same, with many European destinations increasing their prices also to two-year highs, according to Trivago. Yip said Southeast Asian destinations like Thailand and Bali remain the most affordable options for those wanting a sea change.