With the "May Day" holiday approaching, the domestic tourism market is showing a boom in both supply and demand. According to Meituan data, as of April 24, the number of cultural tourism bookings for the May Day holiday soared by more than 190% week-on-week, showing people's strong willingness to travel. However, the price of budget hotels in popular tourist cities has soared to nearly 1,000 yuan per night, which has aroused widespread concern in the society.
May Day Hotel price increases
Market rules and moral boundaries: Hotels have the right to raise prices, but only reasonably and explicitly
Hotel rates fall under the category of market regulation, and hoteliers have the right to adjust room rates according to supply and demand. Zhong Lan'an, a senior partner at Beijing Jingshi Law Firm, points out that despite this, hotels are not unfettered in exercising their pricing power. Prices should be adjusted in accordance with market rules and ethics to ensure that prices are in line with the quality of services provided. This means that while it is business logical for hotels to raise prices moderately during peak seasons, excessive price increases or services that do not increase in tandem with prices may hit the bottom line of market fairness and consumer rights.
The boom in the tourism market and the fluctuation of hotel prices are a normal part of the market economy, reflecting the growing consumer demand for leisure and entertainment and the reasonable pursuit of profits in the hotel industry. However, market freedom does not mean laissez-faire, especially in the service sector that is related to people's livelihood, and regulators should actively perform their duties to ensure that price fluctuations are within a reasonable range and prevent malicious price gouging to infringe on consumer rights.
The law of price increase value
The recovery in tourism is driving up hotel demand and prices
The strong recovery in the tourism industry has injected vitality into the hotel industry, driving a significant improvement in its operating conditions. The average daily room rate of economy hotels showed an upward trend, and leading companies such as Huazhu Group, BTG Hotels, and Jin Jiang Hotels all improved in key indicators, and the rate increase was close to or more than 20%. As the first long holiday after the Spring Festival, the "May Day" tourism boom continued to heat up, and the search volume of hotels in popular destinations increased by nearly 100% month-on-month. However, the surge in demand has led to a "rising tide" in hotel prices, such as the price of a deluxe double room at the Universal Studios Hotel in Beijing, which rose by nearly 97% before and after the holiday.
The holiday heat is heating up
While pursuing profit maximization, hoteliers should fully understand the correspondence between service quality and price, and avoid relying solely on price leverage and ignoring the improvement of service quality. Only by appropriately adjusting prices on the basis of providing high-quality services can we win the long-term trust and market reputation of consumers.
Regulatory intervention regulates market order and protects consumer rights and interests
In the face of hotel price fluctuations, the market supervision departments in many places have taken active actions to require business entities to comply with the "Price Law" and other laws and regulations, strengthen price self-discipline, and prevent excessive price increases by issuing warning letters, convening administrative guidance meetings, and implementing price integrity commitments. Zhu Keli, executive director of the China Information Association, stressed that price fluctuations are in line with the law of market supply and demand, but they should be kept reasonable and clearly marked to avoid disorderly price increases. The role of the market regulation department is to ensure fair and transparent prices, combat price gouging, maintain market order, and protect the interests of consumers.
Price increase supervision and control
How Consumers Can Respond to Inflated Prices: Communication, Complaints, and Legal Remedies
In the face of the possibility of inflated hotel prices, consumers can first try to communicate with the hotel and ask for a reasonable explanation. If the negotiation fails, you can file a complaint with the market supervision department, seek help from the consumer association, or even resolve the dispute through judicial channels.
Judicial settlement
For consumers, in the face of holiday hotel price fluctuations, they should look at the market rules rationally, and learn to use legal weapons to protect their own rights and interests. In addition, planning your trip in advance, comparing prices across different booking platforms and hotels, and choosing off-season travel options are also effective strategies to deal with price fluctuations and reduce travel costs. Only through the joint efforts of all sectors of society can we build a fair, transparent and healthy tourism consumption environment.