Hotel giant Choice says corporate travel is on the rise again and driving up occupancy rates in both its capital city and regional hotels as business travellers opt for longer stays in a post-COVID trend.over the first six months of 2022 – averaging substantially higher occupancy rates of 57 and 54 per cent respectively –Choice Hotels CEO Trent Fraser said corporate travel had returned to a “new normal” across the group.
He added that Choice was “definitely not in favour of bringing back broad work from home orders” given the impact they would have on trading conditions. While STR does not specifically track corporate versus leisure travel, a strengthening of weekday performance was a noticeable change in the market in the last two months, indicating a pickup in business travel, said STR regional director Matthew Burke.
“As travellers stay longer, they are choosing apartments and suites with better amenities, further from the CBD, to accommodate the transition for work week to weekend leisure,” he said.