CLEVELAND — EDITOR'S NOTE: The video in the player above is from a previous story.
It’s no secret the travel and tourism industry worldwide has been one of the hardest hit since COVID struck over a year ago, and it was no different here in Cleveland.
Hotel stays, leisure travel and restaurant visits decreased substantially. However, Destination Cleveland CEO David Gilbert says that downward trend has started to swing upward -- for now.
“The number of travelers to Cleveland was down 30%. Nationally, it was down 32%. For the last 2/3 of the [2020] year, it was down even more. Thankfully we’re seeing a good rebound, but most data shows that we might not fully rebound until 2024,” says Gilbert.
In 2019, the most recent benchmark year, Cleveland hotel occupancy for June was 70%. This year the city stood at 58%. Occupancy was in the 30’s last year at this time, says Gilbert.
“Same thing for July: 73% in 2019. We’re at 63% this past July. That’s almost double where it was last year,” Gilbert continued.
Cleveland’s hospitality and tourism industry is seeing a “significant” rebound, according to Gilbert, “but we’re not there yet.” The recent surge in COVID cases due to the Delta variant is already having negative effects on the industry.
“We’re seeing a handful of cancellations because of Delta, and travelers, for the first time in months, are putting off their travel and being far more cautious. We just don’t know how long the effects of the Delta variant will last, and people are afraid again to travel, go into restaurants, hotels, et cetera, but we’re very optimistic for the future,” says Gilbert.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The video in the player below is from a previous story.