However, the much-hyped World Expo 2010 and the strong conference and exhibition market may help boost tourist numbers and generate hotel demand in the city both during and after the six-months event, Ng said.

Nationwide, nine out of 13 cities monitored by the company still managed to register year-on-year growth in average daily room rates last year, with many second and third-tier cities benefiting from massive infrastructure developments in recent years.

(Shanghai Daily July 17, 2009)