Hotels in Puebla report 25% occupancy at the beginning of 2022

Puebla, Pue. Hoteliers reported that they started this 2022 with an average occupancy of 25%, a figure they do not expect to improve with the Bridge Holiday corresponding to 5 February, as the fourth wave of Covid-19 infections inhibits tourism due to the high risk of contamination, which keeps the sector in a situation of red numbers, considers the executive director of the Poblana Association of Hotels and Motels, Gustavo Ponce de León Tobón,

He explained that the more than 200 affiliates had made the decision to apply spread breaks to avoid retrenchments among the more than 5,000 workers.

He pointed out that they will continue with this measure until the summer holidays arrive. Holy Week, because otherwise it will endanger the staff who get a significant income with tips.

The manager mentioned that they continue with the policy of 30 to 50% discount on accommodation, but families still do not want to go on holiday due to the expenses incurred at the end of the year and “the increase in infections has contributed to this that the contraction of the market ”.

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Ponce de León said hotel occupancy before the pandemic was at 40% at the beginning of the year and increased in March, but due to the pandemic the numbers decreased.

He said hoteliers are concerned about the tourism scene because they are very dependent on it and are still one of the sectors most affected by this pandemic, despite the fact that they have opened up the activities of all service providers to 100%.

“We do not stop trusting that we will get back figures that were before the pandemic, but if people do not travel and when they do, they spend less, then it puts us in a complicated situation,” he said. he deepens.

He recalled that at the state level there are 1,200 hotels with 28,000 rooms, 60% of the supply is in Angelopolis and its metropolitan area, where projects have been stopped at this time due to the same situation of the Covid-19.

He mentioned that at least three new hotel projects in the capital of Puebla are being assisted by foreign investors, who wanted to undertake since 2020 and should be completed by this year or 2023, but they are not starting work.

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