Hotel occupancy rate tumbles to 8-year low as Indonesian tourists vanish

Revenue per available room dipped below $200.

Singapore’s overall hotel occupancy rate fell to just 83% in the second quarter, the lowest level since the fourth quarter of 2009.

According to the Ministry of Trade and Industry, occupancy was dragged by the 0.5% slip in total visitor arrivals. Tourist numbers fell on back of fewer visitors from key markets such as Indonesia, Hong Kong and Australia.

For instance, the Indonesian inbound market remained weak, with Indonesian visitor arrivals declining by 12%. This offset the recovery in Chinese tourist arrivals.

Consequently, the revenue per available room (RevPAR) in hotels declined by 6.5% and dipped below $200 during the quarter.

The MTI said that the accommodation & food services sector contracted at a faster pace of 0.6% year-on-year in Q2, compared to the 0.1% decline in the previous quarter. On a quarter-on-quarter seasonally-adjusted annualised basis, the sector shrank by 1.4%, following the contraction of 6.5% in the preceding quarter.