Salvador hotels still suffer from low occupancy in April

Source  diariodoturismo.com.br

Data from the Brazilian Association of the Hotel Industry (ABIH-BA) point to the figures for March, which are not encouraging. The published figures are the result of the Short-term Performance Survey (Taxinfo), carried out by ABIH, the Brazilian Association of the Hotel Industry - Bahia and Brazil Sections.

In April, the average occupancy rate was 20.33%, similar to that of the previous month (20.36%). Although higher than April 2020 (11.23%, the beginning of the pandemic and the worst rate ever verified), this occupancy is insufficient to cover the operating costs of hotel structures that operate 24 hours a day, every day of the week , with high fixed costs. , maintenance and that it cannot do without a large team present to provide the required services.

In the middle, the occupation tax has been semelhant on week ends (20.74%) and on weekdays (20.18%). percentage points.

According to Luciano Lopes, president of ABIH-BA, among the main factors that help to understand this performance are the restrictive measures derived from the pandemic, the closure of beaches and trade. "The renewed fear of contamination that accompanied the second wave has also contributed to this fall, despite the fact that hotels have incorporated all the protocols and security measures recommended by the official bodies of Organs," he reports.

The average daily rate in April was R $ 319.44, similar to that of the previous month (R $ 312.88) and well below that practiced in the first two months of the year (January R $ 371.79 and February R $ 351.63). If we exclude from the average the information referring to luxury hotels, present in the market and in the survey sample, we would have an average daily rate in April of R $ 223.30, closer to that of most hotels.

It should be noted that, according to the latest census of the IBGE - Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (National Survey of Hosting Services 2016), 38.9% of the accommodation facilities in the Metropolitan Region of Salvador have up to 19 rooms and 80 , 2% Has up to 49 rooms. In other words, the hotel chain is mainly made up of small independent hotels, the results of which can hardly be contemplated by this or any hotel performance survey, generally carried out by remote means. However, it is assumed that, considering the small size of most establishments, the real average daily rate should nevertheless be lower than that contemplated by this and any other survey.

“The relaxation of restrictive measures, the reopening of beaches and the important advance in vaccination, which puts Salvador in the spotlight of the national media as one of the capitals that has already vaccinated more than 20% of its population, they give us hope of better results for the coming months. Even so, the situation remains delicate for most of the hotels that have accumulated significant losses. The losses are irreparable and will be marked in history. We continue to ask for support from the public sector to avoid further losses. The hope of better days is the fuel to continue fighting for this important sector for Bahia ”, reflects Luciano Lopes, president of ABIH-BA.

The figures published here are the result of the Short-term Performance Survey (Taxinfo), carried out by ABIH, the Brazilian Association of the Hotel Industry - Bahia and Brazil Sections. The survey is digital and hotels provide the data daily to the Competitive Basket Portal. The resulting average is an indicator to evaluate the evolution of hotel activity in the capital of Bahia.