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

AHLA members meet with U.S. lawmakers to discuss key hospitality legislation impacting hotel owners and workers

AHLA shares priorities with lawmakers

AHLA Members Unite on Capitol Hill to Advance Hospitality Legislation

MORE THAN 250 American Hotel & Lodging Association members met with lawmakers in the U.S. Senate and House to discuss legislative priorities critical to the hospitality industry. They raised concerns about tax and trade policies impacting hotel operating costs and travel demand amid ongoing budget reconciliation and tax negotiations.

Members also discussed expanding and upskilling the hospitality workforce through measures such as adjusting the H-2B visa cap and protecting the franchise model, which supports more than half of all U.S. hotels and 2.8 million jobs, the association said in a statement.

Keep ReadingShow less
CBRE: US Hotel RevPAR to Grow 1.3 Percent in 2025

CBRE: RevPAR to grow 1.3 percent in 2025

U.S. HOTEL REVPAR is expected to grow 1.3 percent in 2025, supported by urban markets from group and business travel and increased demand for drive-to and regional leisure destinations, according to CBRE. Occupancy is forecast to rise 14 basis points and ADR 1.2 percent year-over-year.

This represents slower growth than CBRE’s February forecast, which projected 2 percent RevPAR growth based on a 21-basis-point increase in occupancy and a 1.6 percent rise in ADR, the commercial real estate and investment firm said.

Keep ReadingShow less
Palette Hotels to Transform DoubleTree by Hilton in Washington, PA

Palette to manage Washington, PA, DoubleTree

Palette’s Expertise in Hospitality Management

SUNRISE GOLD HOSPITALITY recently selected Palette Hotels to manage its 140-room DoubleTree by Hilton Washington Meadow Lands Casino Area in Washington, Pennsylvania. Palette will oversee renovations, including Hilton Connected Rooms technology upgrades, new signage, landscaping, building systems and updates to the lobby, guestrooms, bathrooms, meeting spaces, restaurant, bar and lounge.

Sunrise Gold Hospitality is led by owner Ramesh Pandya, and Palette Hotels by Founder and CEO Richard Lou.

Keep ReadingShow less