Skip to content

Search

Latest Stories

Report: Hawaii tops list of states where tourism has been impacted by pandemic

WalletHub ranked the states according to 10 basic metrics

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC has decimated the U.S. tourism industry, and thus has been acutely felt in states that depend on tourist dollars, according to WalletHub.com. The website has posted a list of the most affected, and least affected, states.

The 10 most affected states are Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, Vermont, Massachusetts, Florida, New Hampshire, the District of Columbia, New York and California. The 10 least affected are North Dakota, South Dakota, Mississippi, Indiana, Wisconsin, Alabama, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Iowa and Arkansas.


WalletHub compared the states based on metrics including share of businesses in travel and tourism-related industries, travel spending per travel employee and presence of stay-at-home orders.

It found that New York has the highest share of businesses in travel and tourism-related food industries, 12.19 percent, which is 1.8 times higher than the lowest, Utah, at 6.89 percent. Nevada has the highest share of employment in travel and tourism-related accommodations industries, 16.09 percent, which is 23 times higher than Ohio at 0.70 percent.

The District of Columbia has the highest share of travel and tourism consumer spending, $19,869, which is 10.8 times higher than Ohio’s $1,847. Connecticut has the highest travel spending per travel employee, $168,811, which is 2.2 times higher than in Mississippi, the state with the lowest at $76,458.

“It’s probably no surprise that Hawaii is one of the states hit hardest by COVID-19 when it comes to travel and tourism because those industries comprise a far larger percentage of businesses in Hawaii than in other states, at 29 percent,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “While it’s well known that Hawaii is a popular tourist spot, many people don’t realize just how much of Hawaii’s GDP relies on travelers from all across the globe – 14 percent. Hawaii also has a greater share of consumer expenditures on travel than any other state.”

Oahu Island, Hawaii, experienced the largest decrease in occupancy during the week of March 29 to April 4, dropping 90.7 percent and experiencing the only single-digit absolute occupancy level of 7 percent, according to STR. That led RevPAR there to drop 93.7 percent to $10.83.

More for you

Trump’s Proposed Visa Fee Threatens Seasonal Hospitality Workforce

Report: Trump visa fee sparks summer staffing fears

Summary:

  • Trump’s proposed $250 Visa Integrity Fee faces pushback from groups relying on seasonal J-1 workers from Latin America and Asia.
  • J-1 visa holders often work as housekeepers, amusement park staff, and lifeguards from pre-season through Labor Day; more than 300,000 use the visa annually.
  • DHS and the State Department have not clarified how the fee will be implemented or who qualifies for a refund.

A $250 VISA Integrity Fee in President Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill is drawing criticism from groups that rely on seasonal workers from Latin America and Asia on J-1 and other visas, Newsweek reported. The organizations warn the cost, though sometimes refundable, could reduce the summer workforce that supports U.S. beach towns and resorts.

Keep ReadingShow less
Wyndham & Grubhub Offer Free Delivery to Guests & Staff

Wyndham, Grubhub offer free delivery to guests, staff

Summary:

  • Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is partnering with Grubhub to offer free product delivery to guests and staff at nearly 6,000 U.S. hotels across 20 brands.
  • A Grubhub account is required to activate the complimentary Grubhub+ membership; no credit card is needed and the membership does not auto-renew.
  • Wyndham recently deployed Elavon’s cloud payments interface to more than 6,000 U.S. and Canadian franchisees.

WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS and Grubhub, an online ordering and delivery platform, will offer item delivery to guests and staff with no delivery fees and other benefits. The service is available at nearly 6,000 U.S. hotels across 20 brands, with orders placed through the Grubhub app on-site or by scanning a hotel QR code.

Keep ReadingShow less
U.S. Hotel Construction Hits 20-Quarter Low in June

CoStar: Hotel construction drops in June

Summary:

  • U.S. hotel rooms under construction fell year over year for the sixth straight month in June, hitting a 20-quarter low, CoStar reported.
  • About 138,922 rooms were under construction, down 11.9 percent from June 2024; the luxury segment had 6,443 rooms, up 4.1 percent year over year.
  • Lodging Econometrics recently said Dallas led all U.S. markets in hotel construction pipelines at the end of the first quarter, with 203 projects and 24,496 rooms.

THE NUMBER OF U.S. hotel rooms under construction declined year over year for the sixth straight month in June, reaching a 20-quarter low, according to CoStar. Additionally, more than half of all rooms under development are in the South, mostly outside the top 25 markets.

Keep ReadingShow less
G6 Hospitality Launches 24/7 Guest Support From August 1
Photo credit: G6 Hospitality

G6 launching 24x7 guest support on Aug. 1

Summary:

  • G6 Hospitality will launch 24x7 guest support on Aug. 1, expanding the current 18-hour window.
  • Escalations from phone, email and social media will be handled promptly by trained staff.
  • The service supports G6’s tech and service investments, including the AI-powered My6 app.

G6 HOSPITALITY, PARENT of Motel 6 and Studio 6, will launch a 24x7 customer support service for guests starting Aug. 1. The service extends the previous 18-hour window to full-day availability via phone, email and social media.

Keep ReadingShow less
U.S. travelers using mobile devices to book independent boutique hotel stays with personalized offers and smart tech in 2025

Study: Personalization boosts independent hotel bookings

Summary:

  • Around 95 percent of U.S. travelers are more likely to book independent hotels with personalized offers, according to TakeUp.
  • 59 percent plan more travel in 2025, with 78 percent favoring weekend getaways and 65 percent domestic trips.
  • Top booking deterrents are few reviews at 39 percent, unclear cleanliness or quality at 38 percent and inflexible cancellations at 29 percent.

PERSONALIZED OFFERS BASED on interests would make 95 percent of U.S. travelers more likely to book at an independent hotel, according to TakeUp, a revenue management platform for independent hotels. About 85 percent are open to technologies such as smart check-in, recommendations and AI-based pricing.

Keep ReadingShow less