Travel agencies will avoid Austin hotels

On average, hotels in the Texas capital, Austin, charged $393.69 per night during the 2012 United States Grand Prix, while their counterparts in San Antonio settled for “only” $184.20.

The local daily Austin Statesman reports today the statements of agencies specializing in F1 packages that have decided to boycott Austin in favor of San Antonio and San Marcos, which are only 130 and 50 kilometers away respectively.

Thus, the British tour operator MotoExpress stated: « Some hotels thought they could afford to be more expensive than in Monaco. They did not understand that F1 fans are international and that it is not a problem for them to travel around the world to see a race. Nevertheless, if they have the choice between going to Monaco and Austin and Monaco is cheaper, they will always go to Monaco. »

Nevertheless, these remarks should be somewhat tempered since being more expensive than Monaco during a Formula 1 weekend is a challenging task, even when looking at the average rates highlighted by the American newspaper. However, one of the main reasons that might prompt spectators and tour operators to avoid the city for the 2013 season is the looming conflict between the largest American football game of the year at the University of Texas and the Formula 1 Grand Prix.

The organizers of the Circuit of the Americas seem to be aware of this, as they have already requested a date change for their event. Their request has so far fallen on deaf ears, and there is therefore very little chance that it will now be heard. With 100,000 spectators for the Longhorns and even more F1 fans, hotels have no incentive to lower their prices, which can only benefit the surrounding cities. This is even more so given that Sergio Perez will now be in a top team and a second Mexican, Esteban Gutiérrez, will be on the grid, which should attract crowds of compatriots.

With the participation of www.Racingbusiness.fr