Between 450,000 and 500,000 tourists from home and abroad are expected to come to Beijing during the Olympic Games, predicted Zhang Huiguang, Secretary of the Municipal Tourism Bureau.

He made this announcement during a press conference on tourism and hospitality services during the Games of the XXIX Olympiad.

Although the number of tourists will be 20,000-80,000 more as compared with the same period in 2007, Beijing will have enough facilities to accommodate their needs, he added.

According to the latest statistics released by the Municipal Tourism Bureau, during the Olympic season, the average price for a standard room in a Beijing 5-star hotel is 3,623 yuan/per room/per day, 2.6 times higher than those in the same time last year. The price of a standard room in signed hotels is about 2,140 yuan to 2,960 yuan; while the price for a standard room in non-signed hotels is 3,840 yuan to 7,910 yuan. All hotel room prices are under 5,500 yuan, with the exception of one hotel that has rooms for 7,910 yuan.

The average price of a 4-star hotel room is 2,226 yuan, 3.6 times higher than in the same period of last year; and 3-star hotel rooms average at 1,556 yuan, 4.2 times higher than in the year 2007.

"Beijing hotel prices ranks the middle as compared with those in previous-host cities," Zhang explained. "Hotel prices during the Beijing Olympic Games are only slightly higher than in Sydney (host city of the 2000 Games), but lower than in Athens (host city for the 2004 Games)."

Editor : Shi Taoyang