The hotel occupancy rate in the Pudong area of Shanghai, China, rose to nearly 100% thanks to the Shanghai World Expo 2010.

Room rates increased simultaneously with the average occupancy rate standing at 92% on 20 May, up from 52.9% during January to March.

Shanghai received 1.7 million visitors between January and March, an increase of 23% compared with the same period last year.

Some budget hotel chains increased their rates by an average of 60% from May to July, however, the city’s high-end hotels kept prices constant.

Travel service provider Ctrip had previously estimated that the city’s hotel rates would increase by an average of 20% during the Expo.