Thanks in part to increased tourism for the RAI Convention Centre events and the Euro 2000 Football Championships, Amsterdam's hotels have seen exceptional performances during the first half of 2000, according to Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels.
Amsterdam is a popular destination for American and Canadian visitors. According to the Netherlands Board of Tourism, North American tourists represent almost 20% of international bed nights spent in the city.
Amsterdam's quality hotels enjoyed a 19.9% room-rate increase to $139 (U.S.) during the first six months of the year. The Euro 2000 competition also helped hotels outperform 1999 levels, with occupancies reaching 82.1% for the first half of 2000. This ranks Amsterdam with the second highest room occupancy in Europe, just .4% below Barcelona.
In other Jones Lang LaSalle news, the company has opened its first Korean office in Seoul, to be run by managing director Dr. Kim Young-Ghon.
The company has been active in the Korean market for approximately two years, and last year, completed the sale of the Seoul Hilton. Previously with Samsun Everland, Young-Ghon was the head of the real estate business team responsible for planning, feasibility assessment and the implementation of various real estate projects for the company.