Claudia Wei claudiamente@hotmail.com AN increasing number of young people in the country are making hotel reservations seven days ahead of their departures as their accommodation options have widened thanks to the emergence of many new hotels, according to statistics released yesterday by OYO Hotels, an Indian hospitality service and budget hotel network. Nearly half of the travelers booked their accommodations for the recently ended Dragon Boat Festival holiday just a week in advance. Travelers tended to book hotel rooms at some popular destinations as early as possible in the past, as they were afraid of having no choice in their accommodations, but this is changing as consumers are coming to realize that they have more choices in terms of types of hotel rooms, prices and related products, according to a report on Dragon Boat Festival traveling in China compiled by OYO Hotels. Statistics showed that 43 percent of the reservations were completed between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m., not on weekdays or during the daytime. The average traveler books a room after browsing 12 hotels, about 25 percent faster than statistics recorded last year by Analysys, a big data collection company. The report said Chinese travelers are becoming more rational in the face of a variety of discounts and cashback promotions thanks to the booming number of online travel service providers. Prices, online popularity and rankings are no longer the only factors young travelers consider when making reservations. Many also value the style of a hotel, its ambience, cleanliness and safety when making their decisions. A new trend has emerged in recent years as hotels are becoming more than simple accommodations for traveling, as many business hotels in CBD areas are being booked as often as hotels at tourism destinations on weekends and public holidays. The report said the change shows that many young people would spend a quality weekend or a public holiday in a downtown hotel in their home city. Most hotel reservations are made by female customers, accounting for 68.7 percent. OYO Hotels entered the Shenzhen market in 2017 and manages 60 economy hotels in Shenzhen and 450 in 27 cities nationwide. | 