Local tourists boost St Petersburg hotel sector

“Breaking it down into the segments, each one managed to increase RevPAR in the first quarter – more so in the upscale to luxury segments. We have seen hotels that are more focused on international corporate demand struggling whilst those that have been able to tap into local and Asian tourism have flourished,” commented David Jenkins, the head of JLL hotels and hospitality group in Russia and CIS. Most of the growth in the international hotels has come via occupancy, with the boost in domestic demand not enabling hotels to increase prices. With few, if any, significant new hotels expected to open this year, the city has a chance to drive demand and capitalise on the increased desire for domestic tourism. ”The second quarter is especially important for the city’s hotels as it covers the period of April to June – with the May holidays and the White Nights month of June, which also is the month for the Economic Forum. This second quarter typically makes or breaks the year for the hotels,” added David Jenkins.