May 29, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 23, 1429

BEIJING, May 28: There are still plenty of hotel rooms available for the Beijing Olympics.

The crunch that was predicted doesn’t seem to be happening, said Zhang Huiguang, the director of Beijing’s Tourism Bureau, adding on Wednesday that about 500,000 foreigners were expected for the games, a figure Beijing officials have long been predicting.

Only 77 percent of capacity at Beijing’s five-star hotels have been booked during the Aug 8-24 Olympic Games, and the four-star hotel rate is only 44 percent, she said. And it’s even lower for three- and two-stars, she added.

One reason could be China’s crackdown on visa procedures, targeting students and others on short-term stays who might be activists intent on protesting during the Olympics.

Second, prices are rising, Zhang said. Five-star prices are up 2.6 times on a year ago, and four-star hotels have risen 3.6 times. She said the average five-star hotel ranged between 3,840-7,910 yuan ($553-$1,139), adding that the average for four-star hotels was 2,226 yuan ($320).

“The hotel price is rising, the transportation fee is rising, so many will not choose to come during this period,” she acknowledged.

Zhang was confident those who did come would find Beijing to be safe.—AP