The economic situation may be what it is, i.e. gloomy, but in its "Global Business Travel Forecast 2015" study, American Express Voyages d'Affaires expects to see hotel rates rise from 0.5% to 2.5% in France. Generally speaking, however, this increase should only affect Parisian establishments. With occupancy still close to 80%, hoteliers in the French capital can adopt an advantageous pricing strategy, at least as far as they are concerned. On the other hand, the business travel agency is counting on a certain moderation in rates for establishments located in other French cities. On a broader level, as demand is there, hotel rates are expected to rise from 0% to 5% across all categories and in all countries in the Europe Middle East Africa region.
In the same study, Amex forecasts a general fall in short-haul flight prices. This is true in France, where the study expects fares to fall from -6 % to -2 % in business class and from -3% to +1% in economy class. "In France, we are continuing to observe the influence of rail on domestic air fares - particularly on short-haul business class fares," points out Sébastien Marchon, Global Business Consulting Director at American Express Business Travel France. Although slightly less marked, the dynamic is identical in Europe, with forecasts showing a fall from -5% to -2% for business class but a possible rise in economy class from 0% to 2%. On the other hand, for long-haul flights, the study forecasts a fare change of between -1% and +2% in France, for both economy and business class. In Europe, the range for long-haul business is from -1% to +1%, and from -1% to +2% for economy fares. Outside Europe, capacity increases should lead to lower prices on short-haul business class and long-haul economy fares in the Middle East and Africa.
