Worldwide April hotel bookings through global distribution
channels held nearly steady versus a year earlier while rates continued to
climb, particularly in North America, according to Pegasus Solutions.
Globally, April GDS bookings decreased by 0.5 percent year
over year, following a 7.5 percent dip reported for March. Bookings in North
America were down 5.8 percent, while bookings in the rest of the world were up
6.4 percent. Much of that discrepancy comes from decreased travel last year as
a result of Japan's earthquake and tsunami and discord in the Middle East
surrounding the Arab Spring.
The average daily rate increased by 5.5 percent globally,
the largest year-over-year increase since July 2011, providing an indication "that
corporate travel demand stands solid," according to Pegasus. In North
America, the average rate for GDS hotel bookings was up 9.3 percent, a "record
increase," according to Pegasus, while the average rate in the rest of the
world edged up by 0.4 percent.
Pegasus projected that GDS bookings this month likely will
continue to trail the prior year, although they might exceed 2011 levels during
the subsequent three months. Rate growth, meanwhile, will remain "sure and
steady."