The survey also tested attitudes among 1,590 people (72% of respondents) who are likely to attend large gatherings, meetings, and events—all key drivers of hotel revenue. Findings among those respondents include:
- 71% are likely to attend fewer in-person events or gatherings
- 67% are likely to have shorter meetings or events
- 59% are likely to postpone existing meetings or events until a later date
- 49% say they are likely to cancel existing meetings or events with no plans to reschedule
According to a recent Deloitte survey, corporate travel is projected to remain at only 30% of 2019 levels through the end of 2021. This lack of corporate travel would cost the hotel industry an estimated $59 billion in 2021, according to leading economists, underscoring the need for targeted federal relief such as the Sungani Ntchito ya Hotel.
Hotels were already on pace to lose more business travel revenue this year than we did in 2020. And now rising COVID-19 cases threaten to further reduce the main source of revenue for our industry. Hotel employees and small business owners across the nation have been pleading for direct pandemic relief for over a year now. These results show why now is the time for Congress to listen to those calls and pass the Sungani Ntchito ya Hotel.
Hotels are the only segment of the hospitality and leisure industry yet to receive direct aid despite being among the hardest hit.
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and UNITE HERE, the largest hospitality workers’ union in North America, joined forces to call on Congress to pass the bipartisan Save Hotel Jobs Act introduced by Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Rep. Charlie Crist (D-Fla.). This legislation would provide a lifeline to hotel workers, providing the assistance they need to survive until travel, especially business travel, returns to pre-pandemic levels.
