26 Mar 2013
(MENAFN) The Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry stated that occupancy levels at the city’s hotels jumped by 30 percent, reported Arab News.
The chamber attributed the increase to strong demand and less supply, as the demolition works in Makkah forced many lodgings near the Grand Mosque’s Central Zone to shut businesses.
According to Hisham Afifi, a member of the Tourism and Hotels Committee, as the Umrah season and the school holiday occurred at the same time, the number of visitors and pilgrims to the city has grown notably, playing a key role in raising occupancy rate, mainly in hotels near the Grand Mosque.
However, Afifi noted that demolition works and lack of supply lured a number of hotels to increase the reasonable prices the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities had set.
It is worth noting that a lot of hotels commenced renovation works after the last Haj in preparation for this period and the following holidays, Ramadan and Haj seasons, according to Afifi, who added that some of them managed to finish their maintenance works before the onset of the Umrah season, whereas others failed to.
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