Hotel chain, Marriott is worried that the decreased activity of business travellers will affect its business in heavy terms.

Already, it states, business is down, to the tune of a $20m deficit in the past 3 months compared to the months before.

With shares dropping by 25% also this year, its not a good time for the industry they state – especially those chains that rely heavily on business travel.

The rising oil price, airline capacity cuts and weak US consumer confidence are all starting to affect hotel groups, which withstood the economic downturn in the early months of 2008.

Even though the UK is showing similar signs to the US business travel industry, affecting its own hotel groups, the Middle East and China are showing very strong and are helping the industry to ride the storm on world-wide level.

Popularity: 5% [?]