Ramadan Impacts French Luxury Hotels

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Ramadan is affecting the performance for luxury hotels in Paris and the French Riviera, as Middle-Eastern clients stay home to observe the Holy Month, according to a new report. 

On July 7th, three days before the beginning of Ramadan, occupancy rates dropped 14 points compared to the same time last year, when the beginning of the fasting month was later in the year, according to new figures published by MKG Hospitality. 

The consulting firm reported an average daily rate drop of about nine percent during the week before Ramadan.

Middle-Eastern tourists adapt their vacation plans around the Muslim calendar, a phenomenon that has been affecting luxury hotels in the French capital and the Riviera for the past three years, MKG reports. 

"Middle Eastern clientele is a veritable engine for luxury hotel activity and contributes to the persistent strength of the great French luxury hotels, such as in Paris and the Riviera," MKG Group chief executive Georges Panayotis, said in a release.
 
As Middle Eastern visitors stay away, they are replaced by clients with less purchasing power, the firm says. The consulting firm predicts Muslim clients will return in August, after the end of Ramadan.