Sporting-inspired accommodation boom to continue with World Cup cricket

Hotels across Australia have enjoyed their second consecutive above-average summer thanks to the hosting of the AFC Asian Cup, and the early-year boom is set to continue with cities across the country preparing to host the one-day international World Cup of Cricket.

While the December/January period is a traditional 'low season' for hotels, the staging of the Asian Cup, the Australian Open tennis tournament and cricket series against England and India over the summer holidays has produced a similar impact to the Ashes cricket series last year, when some 15,000 visiting English fans swelled Australia's cities.

Australia's largest hotel group, Accor which had multiple hotels in each of the host cities for the Asian Cup – Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Newcastle –reported strong gains from key inbound travel markets including China, Japan and Korea.

Accor reports that host cities for the Asian Cup recorded occupancy increases of between 3.7% and almost 20% compared to 'normal' Januaries.

Newcastle was the greatest beneficiary, with the triumphant semi-final win by Australia against UAE boosting occupancies by 19.8%. Australia's quarter-final victory against China in Brisbane helped lift occupancy at Accor's hotels by 7.1%, and the Sydney final against South Korea spurred occupancies by 7.5% for the month.

Melbourne also grew occupancies in January by over 7%, with the football and early success by Australian players at the Australian Open attracting significant increases in interstate as well as international travel. Meanwhile, the absence of politicians didn't affect Canberra's hotel performance, with Accor hotels recording a boost of 3.7% thanks to a combination of Asia Cup football and cricket, including the PM's X1 against England and the final of the Big Bash T20 competition.

Accor Pacific Chief Operating Officer, Simon McGrath, said “Major sporting events like the AFC Asian Cup continue to play a vital role in growing our visitor economy. The economic benefits of the tournament have had a positive flow-on effect for destinations outside the host cities, as for many visitors, the AFC Asian Cup is not just about football, it provides a unique incentive to visit Australia and tour around the country. This was the case for many English visitors coming to Australia for the Ashes last year, and for a majority of the Asian Cup football fans this is their first visit to Australia and will hopefully inspire repeat visits by them and their friends.

“The success of the AFC Asian Cup, the hosting of the World Cup of Cricket and major international sporting events such as the Australian Tennis Open and Melbourne Grand Prix play an essential role in driving tourism and Australia's wider economy. We commend the Federal and State governments for their continued support in driving these major events.”

Mr McGrath said that the Cricket World Cup being held in Australia and New Zealand during February and March would continue the sporting-inspired accommodation boom, with significant international, interstate and intrastate travel expected to boost host city occupancies at a time when business and conference travel was returning strongly.

“This could be one of the best starts to the year for hotels in many destinations across Australia,” said Mr McGrath.

Media Contact

Angela O'Connor

Accor Hotels

02 9280 9825