Hotels in Japan have also suffered from earthquake and tsunami that happened in the country in March and caused problems with radiation in Fukushima nuclear plant. Just like many businesses in the country they try to help the victims of this huge disaster, but their state is also far away from perfect.
According to the data provided by STR Global paid occupancy in hotels in Japan fell down to 21.3% in March and 27.6% in April. Hotels in Tokyo feature even bigger fall in guests – 33.6%. The leaders in this sad list are Sendai accommodations, the occupancy in which fell down to 36.7%.
However, the mentioned digits do not provide accurate situation as many hotels have opened their doors to victims from the affected regions. For example, one of the most luxurious hotels in Tokyo, Grand Price Akasaka, was scheduled for closure in March, but it stayed open, providing space for 30,000 people evacuated from Fukushima prefecture. Solare Hotels & Resorts, the chain of hotels throughout Japan, has offered 10,000 free nights in its hotels under Loisir and Chisun brands.
The study by STR Global also shows the demand has mostly fell in the locations closer to Fukushima nuclear plant. For example, hotels in Sendai have low occupancy and, thus, decreased RevPAR level. Hotels in Tokyo had occupancy of 83% in March 2010 and only 55% in March 2011. The areas not affected by radiation perform on its previous levels. Hotels in Osaka feature the decline in occupancy of just 2.8%, while Kobe accommodations have even greater occupancy increased by 6%.