Skip to main content

Hotel Employees, Owners, a Tough 2021 Likely Lies Ahead

WASHINGTON–Credit unions that serve employees in the hotel industry or that have loans and lines of credit out to hotel owners will find little solace in a new report from the hotel industry.
thumbnail_Hotel Closed

The American Hotel & Lodging Association has released its “AHLA’s State of the Hotel Industry 2021,” which examines the high-level economics of the hotel industry’s recovery, the specific impact on and eventual return of business travel, and consumer travel sentiments.

The AHLA reported the pandemic has been devastating to the hospitality industry workforce, which is down nearly four-million jobs compared to the same time in 2019. While some 200,000 jobs are expected to be filled this year, overall, the accommodations sector faces an 18.9% unemployment rate, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition, half of U.S. hotel rooms are projected to remain empty in 2021.

“Business travel, which comprises the largest source of hotel revenue, remains nearly nonexistent, but it is expected to begin a slow return in the second half of 2021,” the association reported. “Among frequent business travelers who are currently employed, 29% expect to attend their first business conference in the first half of 2021, 36% in the second half of the year and 20% more than a year from now. Business travel is not expected to return to 2019 levels until at least 2023 or 2024.”

Leisure travel is expected to return first, with consumers optimistic about national distribution of a vaccine and with that an ability to travel again in 2021, according to the AHLA. The report found that heading into 2021, consumers are optimistic about travel, with 56% of Americans saying they are likely to travel for leisure or vacation in 2021. While 34% of adults are already comfortable staying in a hotel, 48% say their comfort is tied to vaccination in some way.

Other top findings in the report:

  • Hotels will add 200,000 direct hotel operations jobs in 2021 but will remain nearly 500,000 jobs below the industry’s pre-pandemic employment level of 2.3 million employees
  • Half of U.S. hotel rooms are projected to remain empty
  • Business travel is forecasted to be down 85% compared to 2019 through April 2021, and then only begin ticking up slightly
  • 56% of consumers say they expect to travel for leisure, roughly the same amount as in an average year
  • Nearly half of consumers see vaccine distribution as key to travel
  • When selecting a hotel, enhanced cleaning and hygiene practices rank as guests’ number two priority, behind price.

“COVID-19 has wiped out 10 years of hotel job growth. Yet the hallmark of hospitality is endless optimism, and I am confident in the future of our industry,” said Chip Rogers, president and CEO of AHLA.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

NCOFCU Newsletter

The Bucket Coach is a financial advice book designed by Fire Services Credit Union, Tronto, Canada. and written exclusively for Fire Fighters It's a practical guide for household financial management, including investments, credit and mortgages, and retirement. Developed with contributions from Fire Fighters," NCOFCU Newsletter : " Kevin Connolly Chief Executive Officer    Fire Services Credit Union Phone: 416-440-1294 ext 301  Toll Free: 1-866-833-3285 E-mail:  kevin@firecreditunion.ca 1997 Avenue Rd Toronto, ON M5M 4A3 

CUNorthwest Todd A. Powell Award is SFCU CEO Gayle Furness.

Spokane Firefighters Credit Union Big Enough to Serve. Small Enough to Care. This year’s recipient of the CUNorthwest Todd A. Powell Award is SFCU CEO Gayle Furness. Like Todd, Gayle has been instrumental in the growth, as well as the safety and soundness, of the credit union. Congrats to Gayle for living up to the standard that Todd created for our organization and the greater credit union community. __ ________________________________ Check out NCOFCU's additional features: First Responder Credit Union Academy Podcasts YouTube Mini's Blog Job Board

The Shrinking Pool of Small Credit Unions: Why It Matters & What We Can Do About It. - Henry Meier, Esq.

  Henry Meier, Esq. Henry Meier is the former General Counsel of the New York Credit Union Association, where he authored the popular New York State of Mind blog. He now provides legal advice to credit unions on a broad range of legal, regulatory and legislative issues. He can be reached at (518) 223-5126 or via email at  henrymeieresq@outlook.com . For as long as I’ve been around the industry, I’ve heard concerns about the demise of the small credit union. But I’ve come to realize it’s a lot like the weather: Everyone talks about it, but no one does anything about it. This is unfortunate. We need credit unions of all shapes and sizes to survive, and if we don’t take action soon, it will be too late.  Fortunately, there are steps the industry can take to potentially decrease the rate at which small credit unions are disappearing by making it viable for credit unions to survive by getting larger credit unions interested in making the necessary investments to keep the sma...

What Are Your Plans -As Government Shutdown Continues, Credit Unions Expand Offers of Assistance

BILOXI, Miss.— With the federal government shutdown now entering its second week, an increasing number of credit unions across the country are offering relief and financial assistance. All indications are the shutdown is no closer to ending than it has been since it began on Oct. 1. While the House has passsed a continuing resolution (CR) to fund government operations in the short term, the Senate remains at an impasse, even as it has scheduled a vote for today. In addition to the earlier assistance reported by the CU Daily  here , the latest pledges to support members include: • In Biloxi, Miss., Keesler FCU said it is offering paycheck relief for all eligible federal employees affected by the shutdown and will advance the amount of direct deposit paychecks for eligible members during the shutdown for up to 90 days. There is no cost or fee to enroll in the program. • In Nebraska, Cobalt Credit Union is offering furloughed members loans of up to $5,000 with no fees or interest...

Sunday Reading - FIRE, 101 - “financial independence, retire early,”

  Retiring at 30     FIRE, 101 Most US workers aim to retire around age 65—but for many followers of the FIRE movement, which stands for “ financial independence, retire early ,” that’s not the case. FIRE followers, who range from low- to high-income workers, typically prioritize high savings rates, relatively frugal living, and aggressive investing strategies in an effort to work less and enjoy life more in the long-term ( see five distinct approaches ). While many proponents argue that the movement is more of a mindset about achieving financial freedom than any ...