Summer season journey is heating up. A survey commissioned by the American Lodge & Lodging Affiliation exhibits that almost 70% of People plan to journey this summer season.
However what about tourism right here in Chicago? Has metropolis journey returned to pre-pandemic ranges?
Lynn Osmond, president and CEO of Select Chicago, is assured town is on the highway to restoration.
“The town has made outstanding progress. One metric we have a look at is resort utilization and charges. In the course of the first six months of 2022, occupied resort rooms totaled four.18 million. That is 75% of 2019 ranges,” Osmond stated. “That is super on condition that within the first quarter of 2022 we have been nonetheless combating omicron. Even higher, room charges for the primary six months of 2022 have additionally exceeded 2019 ranges.”
Michael Jacobson, president and CEO of the Illinois Lodge & Lodging Affiliation, is joyful leisure journey is choosing up, however says motels are nonetheless ready for enterprise vacationers to return.
“That hurts a market like Chicago greater than a seashore or mountain resort vacation spot that depends much less on enterprise vacationers,” Jacobson stated. “However he’ll get well and has already began to take action. We have had this dialog earlier than, after 9/11 and within the financial disaster of 2008. Corporations understand that to make a deal, you need to do it in particular person. It’s possible you’ll not promote a services or products solely by way of Zoom. Because the return to the workplace picks up pace, additionally, you will see a rise in enterprise journey.”
Employees shortages are one other pandemic problem Chicago motels proceed to grapple with.
“Yeah, that is the primary battle for motels proper now,” says Jacobson. “We already had excessive salaries however we’ve even elevated them in latest months. The beginning wage at many Chicago motels proper now could be $23 an hour, and that is simply the beginning wage. That does not embrace lots of the nice advantages our motels present, like well being care, retirement plans, transit subsidies, free or discounted journey anyplace on the earth, free meals within the worker cafeteria, even care advantages. of the youngsters”.
