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According to Ingrida Valaitienė, president of the Palanga Hotel and Restaurant Association, this summer, due to the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, most of the hotels in the complex are occupied by Lithuanians.
Revenue decreased
However, even in the current situation, the Lithuanian coast is chosen not only by locals, but also by residents of neighboring countries.
“This is a natural situation due to restrictions in the foreign markets affected by the pandemic. This affects the flow of guests. Although many of our clients are Lithuanian, we also have neighbors: Latvians, Estonians. These are the main foreign countries of those of us who still receive clients in hotels, ”I. Valaitienė told Vakaru Ekspress.
He added that, for now at least, the resort’s hotels lag behind last year in terms of the number of nights and income they receive.
“There are fewer nights. Income is about 20 percent lower than last year.
On weekdays, employment is much lower than many years before.
Weekends are very popular. The bottom line is that locals don’t have a chance to spend a vacation, perhaps for other reasons. Of course, people are watching the weather forecasts, “said I. Valaitienė.
When asked how hotels handle stricter safety and hygiene requirements, the president of the Palanga Hotel and Restaurant Association said there were no major problems. I. Valaitienė ensured that both employees and customers feel safe enough in hotels.
“It just caught our eye then. The start was difficult. Now that we have repeated the theory, we know the places of what, where and how to do it. Surely everyone is familiar with all the requirements, the information is sufficient.
Now it is as if there is a message about the second wave. Of course, we must be careful and we repeat this to the employees. Safeguards still remain. However, now the guest, when buying accommodation, sees a description of the requirements that apply. Every effort is made to ensure that the guest receives all the necessary information before arrival and that they feel safe, ”said I. Valaitienė.
Reduced prices
According to I. Valaitienė, a resort hotel is unlikely to have to open windows due to the current situation. In his opinion, it depends on preparing for change.
“It just caught our eye then. Hotels have a lesson to learn. In a similar scenario, now you would know how to proceed. Some would halt operations, others would cut costs. Definitely not ready for everything. We tried to bring bad thoughts as far as possible. We are thinking about how to promote sales, “said I. Valaitienė.
And that there is a persistent fight for space in the sun is evidenced by the fact that even prestigious hotels have been forced to cut accommodation prices.
I. Valaitienė revealed that in early July the price of accommodation decreased by 15 euros in some places.
“Fewer nights have been sold, so hotels compete with each other and try to attract guests in their own way. In early July, there were times when accommodation prices were even lower than last year.
Previously, accommodation in a 4-star hotel started at € 100 and was available for € 85 in the first weeks of July. That was never the case. However, we are no exception: the whole of Europe is lagging behind compared to last year, ”said I. Valaitienė.
According to her, the situation of tourist hotels is facilitated by the fact that Palanga is changing rapidly: there is not only a great offer of accommodation, but also a wide range of catering, entertainment and leisure facilities.
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