
Hotel prices are up 144% for the Eurovision competition to be held later this month.
Prices are shooting up as rooms become scarce in the Azeri capital before the Eurovision contest.Reuters reports that, some hotels have increased prices six-fold, while Eurovision fans can expect to pay on average 144 percent more for a hotel room there during the contest than usual.Azerbaijan, with just 9 million inhabitants and an economy dependent on oil, won the right to host the contest by winning the event last year in Germany.The country has come under fierce criticism, however, for its human rights record and with reports that homes have been razed near the new Crystal Hall arena as part of a wider redesign of the city.In a country not known for its tourism facilities, the lack of available hotel rooms is what is driving prices up, reports Reuters.Hotel rooms were available at an average price of 341 euros a night for the period between May 22 and 27.That compares with an average of 140 euros for the weeks before or after the contest.The Eurovision final will take place on May 26, with two semi finals on May 22 and 24.