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By Jefferson George, The Charlotte
Observer, N.C.McClatchy-Tribune Regional News
January 14, 2009 - Fewer than half of Charlotte-area hotel rooms were occupied in November, with occupancy rates plunging 17 percent from a year earlier, according to data released today by local tourism officials. For the first 11 months of last year, occupancy was 61.6 percent -- a decline of 8.2 percent from the same period in 2007, according to data from Smith Travel Research. That's bigger than a 6.6 percent decline in occupancy in North Carolina and a 4 percent drop nationwide. Even worse, area hotels saw a slight dip in November in the average daily rate for rooms, which posted consistent gains earlier in the year. The average rate of $81.40 for the month was down almost 1 percent from a year earlier. For the first 11 months in 2008, the average daily rate was $87.36, up 4.9 percent from the same period in 2007. That's more than the 3.7 percent increase in North Carolina and 2.8 percent increase nationwide. ----- To see more of The Charlotte Observer, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.charlotteobserver.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Charlotte Observer, N.C. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |
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