Brisk business for hotels as cricket fever grips Australia

The Australian hotel industry is capitalising on cricket fever as millions of fans flock to the country which is co-hosting the 2015 cricket World Cup.
Hotels are experiencing almost full bookings while room tariffs have seen a 100 per cent jump.
"Despite a huge surge in hotel tariffs, occupancy rates in Australia are experiencing full bookings compared to the average occupancy rate of 60-65 per cent for the year. Millions of tourists, both domestic and international, are expected to visit Down Under to watch the matches," said general manager of a leading Melbourne-based hotel.
He added that the average room rates of hotels across the country are around AUD 150 (Australian dollars) which has now doubled to AUD 300. While for the luxury hotels, the average tariff is over AUD 350 which has turned into AUD 700.

According to media reports, it is estimated that during the mega event Australia will generate over AUD 1.5 million just from hotel bookings. After 49 matches in 43 days across 14 cities in Australia and New Zealand, cricket will crown it's world champion at a packed Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) which has a capacity of over 100,000 on March 29.
As per the Accommodation Association of Australia, there are 227,320 tourism accommodation rooms within Australia and 640,454 bed spaces. Majority of them are hotels, followed by resorts, serviced and holiday apartments, bed and breakfasts, guest houses and backpackers across the country.

The association, which is the national industry body for the Australian accommodation sector, has a membership base of almost 2,000 properties and more than 110,000 guest rooms across major international hotel chains.

For hoteliers, the cricket World Cup is one of the biggest sporting events held in Australia and New Zealand after a long gap of 23 years.
Experts feel that the grand event will surely give a boost to the Australian government's plan to take tourism to the next level by 2020.
As part of its sports diplomacy programme, the government trade commission has been holding a series of business events during the World Cup that will focus on investment, education and tourism.

Australia has abundance of choices when it comes to beaches and unique attractions. During 2013-14, the country's total international arrivals rose 7.9 per cent, with the 6.6 million overseas visitors who travelled to its shores, generating close to AUD 30 billion in spending, as per official data.
"Cricket World Cup is a win-win situation for us. Tourists coming to watch matches in Brisbane have planned their trips further to the Gold Coast, known for its beautiful sun-kissed beaches, Noosa and other nearby places," said owner of a hotel chain located in Gold Coast.
Besides tourists destinations like Sydney and Melbourne, Queensland too has a wide tourism market which is dominated by four regions - Brisbane, the Gold Coast; Tropical North Queensland and the Sunshine Coast.

According to a Tourism Australia report, tourism is a significant industry for Australia. It generates over AUD 102 billion in visitor expenditure and directly employs around half a million Australians.