A jam-packed program of events in April has helped Newcastle's accommodation sector surpass pre-COVID occupancy levels, according to industry data.
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Australian Accommodation Monitor reports show accommodation occupancy in Newcastle sat between 80-90 per cent most days during the first fortnight in April. The average daily rate for rooms increased by $52 per night compared to the same period in 2019, resulting in a 29 per cent uplift in room revenue.
City of Newcastle spruiked the strong occupancy as being a result of its Event Packed April, which was spearheaded by the World Surf League (WSL) Newcastle Cup and including SailFest Newcastle Regatta, Newcastle Seafood Festival, Newcastle Food Month, AoN Women's University Rugby 7s and NewRun Newcastle Festival of Running.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said there was significant opportunity for an event-led economic recovery in Newcastle and it was evident in the new data that events were a ticket to driving the visitor economy toward long-term growth.
"City of Newcastle's April events calendar returned impressive results for Newcastle's tourism and hospitality businesses still on the road to recovery, "Cr Nelmes said.
"Our city's hotels, once filled mid-week with corporate business travellers, saw their occupancy levels sitting at 80-90 per cent most days thanks to the WSL Newcastle Cup and the city's bumper April events calendar."
A pipeline of new hotel product is under construction, including the five-star Kingsley in the former City Administration Centre set to open next month, Doma's Little National Hotel, Iris Capital's QT Hotel, and plans underway to develop the historic Newcastle Post Office into a conference and function space.
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