HOTEL PRICES PLUMMET AROUND EUROPE

Tourists may be enticed into staying at some of Europe’s hotels for longer as prices in the vast majority of European hotels have decreased for the second year running. This would not normally be such big news, if the differences were not so great. Much of the impact of the global financial crisis in terms of tourism has been focused on the airline industry. However, hotels in Europe and North America have been suffering just as much if not more. Even businesses have been sending their employees away early in the morning or late at night to avoid paying hotel bills. Private tourists have been searching for better deals and even resorting to traditional methods of surviving the night such as the car or a tent.The result of this hotel boycotting is that prices have shot down to encourage people to stay at hotels for longer.  Europe in general has seen a 12% decrease in hotel rates. The British website Trivago has recently reported about the decreases in most popular European cities. In comparison with the last year, Milan prices have dropped 15%, Barcelona rates have dropped 20% and rates in Dublin have dropped an astonishing 42%.Even the continent’s cheaper destinations have experienced severe drops in prices. Single rooms in 4-star hotels are now available in Prague for around 20 Euro with breakfast and access to swimming pool included. These are in fact the lowest hotel prices in Prague’s recent history. Krakow rates have dropped by around 20% and sleeping in Budapest is now 15% cheaper. At the other end of the price scale, Geneva is now 10% cheaper and rooms are available now for around €182.  Exceptions throughout Europe whereby the prices of hotel rooms have increased are rare. Birmingham is perhaps the most prominent example, with an increase of 2%, whereas London has remained stable and expensive.