Skip to content

Search

Latest Stories

USTA: Uneven reopening slowing business travel recovery

The association wants a more universal, federal set of reopening guidelines

USTA: Uneven reopening slowing business travel recovery

WHEN THE SUMMER is over and leisure travel starts to ebb, U.S. hotels will look to business travel to continue the recovery. However, that segment of travel is still hindered by lingering COVID restrictions and uneven approaches to reopening after the pandemic, possibly postponing its recovery until 2024, according to the U.S. Travel Association and Tourism Economics.

While spending on travel overall was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, spending on large, in-person professional meetings and events dropped 76 percent last year, a $97 billion loss, according to USTA and TE. However, leisure travel is projected to reach 99 percent of its pre-pandemic peak in 2022 as a result of increased traveler confidence because of rising vaccinations and dropping infection rates.


“But in the absence of clear and consistent guidance from federal health authorities on PMEs, business-related travel is not expected to recover its pre-pandemic volume for an additional two years. Only about a third, 35 percent, of U.S. businesses are currently engaging in any business-related travel,” USTA said. “A staggering 65 percent of all U.S. jobs lost in 2020 were supported by travel, and they cannot fully recover without a swift return of all segments of travel, particularly in-person PMEs, according to the analysis.”

USTA is pushing for more federal guidelines on opening standards to hasten the recovery of PMEs, which is being slowed by the current jurisdictional approach to regulating the industry. The guidance should implement health and safety measures based on guidelines such as those suggested in a recently released white paper from Ohio State University.

The white paper, “The Scientific-Based Evidence for Conducting Safe and Healthy Professional Meetings and Events,” suggest PMEs continue what has become standard COVID-19 precautions, such as requiring masks and social distancing. It also states that, because PMEs feature controlled environments, safety measures are most effective.

“Getting back to our pre-pandemic ways of doing business must include taking evidence-based tactics we learned during the pandemic to keep people safe and healthy,” said Bernadette Melnyk study co-author, vice president for health promotion, University Chief Wellness Officer and dean of the College of Nursing at The Ohio State University.

More than 80 percent of Americans believe in-person events are “irreplaceable” and 81 percent who attended work-related PMEs before the pandemic miss doing so and are likely to attend such events in the future, USTA said.

“A thriving travel industry, and the broader U.S. economy, are dependent on the return of business travel and PMEs. Americans are eager to reconnect with colleagues in person, via business meetings, conferences and conventions, and these scientific analysis and recommendations make clear it is possible and safe to do so,” said Roger Dow, USTA’s president and CEO. “A consistent approach to reopening PMEs, including guidance from the CDC that differentiates PMEs from other large gatherings, is critical to infusing confidence and optimism into this key sector of our economy.”

USTA launched its “Let’s Meet There” initiative to press for the full and safe reopening of the business travel sector.

There have been some indications that business travel may recover sooner. At the Hunter Hotel Conference in Atlanta in March, Rachel Rothman, head of hotels research and data analytics for CBRE Hotels Research, said she expects the recovery to continue after summer because leisure travel is not the only force at work.

“As you know, there’s been a lot written in the press about how this recovery is fueled by leisure. We wanted to take a moment to not only call out the holidays where you’ll see the spikes,” Rothman said. “But importantly, we see the overall trend increasing outside of the holiday periods. People are not just traveling for leisure, they’re traveling for business as well, and this proves that.”

More for you

Auro Hotels Launches $2M 'Rama Legacy' Scholarship

Auro launches $2M scholarship for employees’ children

What is the Rama Legacy Scholarship by Auro Hotels?

AURO HOTELS LAUNCHED its $2 million Rama Legacy Scholarship endowment for employees' children, continuing a tradition started by company co-founder H.P. Rama. Several students received scholarships in this inaugural year, reflecting the company’s view that its success depends on its people.

As founding chairman of AAHOA and past chairman of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, Rama believes the hospitality industry’s strength lies in developing its people, Auro said in a statement. He established the first scholarship under his family’s name in 1998.

Keep ReadingShow less
Extended Stay America survey 2025

Study: Extended-stay hotels feel more like home

What makes extended-stay hotels better than vacation rentals?

EXTENDED-STAY HOTELS OUTPERFORM vacation rentals and apartments in comfort, value and sense of home, according to a survey by Extended Stay America. About 79 percent of respondents said extended-stay hotels are like a home away from home, while 82 percent said they offer a stronger sense of home than vacation rentals or apartments.

In the national survey by ESA and Wakefield Research, respondents preferred extended-stay hotels over other options, citing amenities at 34 percent, comfort and familiarity at 33 percent and personalization at 30 percent.

Keep ReadingShow less
Zack Gharib Red Roof

Red Roof bets on people, tech for growth

Red Roof’s 2025 Vision: Innovation, Inclusion & Growth

RED ROOF IS focusing on strategic investments in people and technology to advance the brand amid evolving challenges, said Zack Gharib, Red Roof’s president. Gharib also spoke about the company’s new prototype, the power of the extended stay segment and human trafficking.

Regarding its diversity and inclusion efforts, the company focuses on its long-standing initiatives including SHE, inspired by Red Roof and Road to Inclusion, Diversity and Equality. SHE and RIDE recently helped Red Roof prioritize women and underrepresented communities with more than 30 new projects.

Keep ReadingShow less
Analyze competitive set data to boost revenue in the USA hospitality market

HotStats: Updated comp sets boost revenue

Why U.S. Hotels Must Regularly Update Their Competitive Sets

HOTELS SHOULD USE an updated competitive set to maximize revenue, control costs and maintain market position, according to HotStats. Those that fine-tune their comp sets consistently outperform others by using real-time insights to guide pricing, labor and revenue strategies.

The comp set should be reviewed at least once a year, HotStats wrote in a recent blog post.

Keep ReadingShow less
Two best friends reunite on a Days Inn trip for social media ambassador campaign

Days Inn launches $10K bestie contest

How Can You Win $10K with Days Inn’s Best Friends Contest?

WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS’ Days Inn brand is launching a nationwide search to reunite five pairs of long-distance friends as brand ambassadors. The pairs, named “Days Inn-siders,” will spend a weekend highlighting a destination on the brand’s social media and receive $10,000, accommodations, flights and a daily stipend.

The initiative aligns with National Best Friends Day on June 8, and applications are open online through July 1, Wyndham said in a statement.

Keep ReadingShow less