Although Brussels and Paris most impacted by terrorism fear in first semester 2016, European hotels keep up the positive trend according to the latest ECM-MKG European Destinations Observatory report. During the first semester of 2016, European hotels recorded a 0.2 point increase in Occupancy Rate and 1.3% growth in Average Daily Rate allowing +1.6% in the RevPAR.
Brussels' RevPAR dropped by 18.5%, mostly due to a 13.9 points decrease in occupancy rate, aftermath of attacks in March. Other European capitals, London and Berlin, were also indirectly somewhat affected by these events (respectively -3.0% and -1.7% in RevPAR), raising doubts about European security in the eyes of foreign clientele. Nevertheless, London still got the best occupancy rate in Europe. Cities like Cologne, Dresden or Hannover, in spite of a strong business activity, are on a downtown trend, while Düsseldorf, Nuremberg or Munich recorded a RevPAR increase respectively by 20.9%, 16.4% or 11%.
France regained a growth track especially thanks to the organisation of Euro 2016 (June 10 - July 10). Its RevPAR improved in almost all cities like Lille (+23.2%) or Marseille (+8.2%), but Paris is still recovering from the consequences of the November 2015 attacks with a RevPAR decrease by 13%.
... while the hotel industry keeps a positive trend in the rest of Europe
Prague had reached a strong RevPAR evolution in the first quarter, knew a worst second one, but the RevPAR remains positive with a 3.5% growth. Amsterdam was also among the frontrunners in the European landscape (+11.7% in RevPAR), as hotels benefitted from the organisation of many international medical and business events. Budapest also registered positive results, with an 8.1% increase in RevPAR due to gains in Average Daily Rate (6.8%).
Polish hoteliers benefited from the European men's handball championships at the beginning of the year and Wroclaw being the European Capital of Culture 2016. Warsaw and Poland report increases in the RevPAR by respectively 9.8% and 7%. Austria posted a RevPAR increase by 2.3%, better result than the capital, Vienna, once again more or less stable (-0.3%). In Northern Europe, Edinburgh knew a RevPAR increase by 8%, Liverpool is on a good trend too with a RevPAR increase by 5.6%.
Finally, performance across Southern Europe continued to improve. RevPAR in Lisbon grew by 2.3%, it strongly increased in Spain with San Sebastian (+34%) sharing the title of European Capital of Culture 2016 with Wroclaw, Zaragoza (+18.4%), Valencia (+18.3%), Malaga (+17%), Barcelona (+13.4%) or Madrid (+9.8%). In Italy, only Bologna is on a positive trend, with a RevPAR increase by 9.3%, Milan who organised last year the Universal Expo can observe a decrease by almost 12%.
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