Rainy season drops accommodation prices
Rainy season drops accommodation prices
he price of many guesthouses, bungalows, resorts and hotels has decreased by around 25 percent during the country's current low season, while high-end hotels are still maintaining their peak season prices.
For example, guesthouses charging 80,000 kip per night in the peak tourism season were now costing 60,000 kip. According to Director General of Tourism Marketing Department, Mr Saly Phimphinith, while many types of accommodation houses had reduced their prices he pointed out that high-end hotel room rates remained the same as they offered international standard services.
The low season means discount accommodation prices for backpackers and domestic tourists wanting to travel around the country, but food and drink prices are similar to peak tourism season from November to April.
Tourist arrivals usually decrease slightly during the current wet season but the number of visitors from South Korea and China still continues to increase, thanks in part to the opening of direct flights from Laos to China and South Korea.
A staff member at Lao Pako Resort said as it was the rainy season, bookings had decreased and that has driven room prices down from 250,000 kip to 180,000 kip night.
The number of tourists has reduced since April with only two or three rooms booked at the weekend while weekday occupancy rates were even lower. Most tourists booking the resort are Lao or foreigners living and working in the capital looking for peace and relaxation on the weekend away from work pressures.
He said the prices increase slightly during holidays in Laos and generally start rising again in November.
According to the Tourism Development Department's report in 2013, Laos had 419 hotels and 1,788 guesthouses and resorts but there were only three five star hotels in Vientiane.
Increasing tourist numbers would help push investment growth in the construction of guesthouses, bungalows, hotels and resorts, as well as being positive in driving competition in the tourism industry, an official at the Hotel and Restaurant Association expected.
