An illustration of COVID-19 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
HYANNIS – The American Hotel and Lodging Association is projecting that 2022 hotel business travel revenue will be down 23 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Compared to 2019 levels, the association is expecting a drop of more than $20 billion overall.
The group said that leisure travel has made a significant return in light of declining COVID cases, but business specific travel—for corporate, government and commercial categories—is taking significantly longer to shake off pandemic impacts.
They add that business travel makes up the bulk of revenue for the industry.
“While dwindling COVID-19 case counts and relaxed CDC guidelines are providing a sense of optimism for reigniting travel, this report underscores how tough it will be for many hotels and hotel employees to recover from years of lost revenue,” said President and CEO of the association Chip Rogers.
“The good news is that after two years of virtual work arrangements, Americans recognize the unmatched value of face-to-face meetings and say they are ready to start getting back on the road for business travel.”
According to the association’s state report, Massachusetts is estimated to see a decline of about 44% compared to 2019’s business travel revenue, a loss of close to $1 billion.
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