Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) - The capital's hospitality industry has almost doubled in size and earnings over the last four years, thanks to the addition of a few new five-star hotels.
The luxury hotels in Dhaka have earned BDT 1.18 billion revenue as room rent in calendar year 2007 while it was BDT 577.29 million four years back in 2004, hotel officials said.
"The hospitality industry is expected to go to a new heights as four five star hotels in Dhaka earned BDT1.312 billion in the first three quarters of the current year 2008, up by BDT 140 million from the 12-month earnings of 2007," a top official of a five star hotel was quoted by the Financial Express, the country’s lone financial daily, as saying.
Bangladesh's four five-star hotels -Pan Pacific Sonargaon, Dhaka Sheraton, Radisson Water Garden and The Westin - are situated in the capital, Dhaka.
In the first three quarters (January-September) of 2008, the Westin hotel earned highest BDT 454 million as room rent revenue, followed by the Radisson BDT 402 million, Sheraton BDT 272 million and the Sonargaon BDT 184 million, according to the newspaper reports.
The four five-star hotels earned BDT 970.42 million in 2006 and BDT 717.69 million in 2005.
BBN/SI/SSR/AD-01November08-11:20 AM (BST)