In another sign that pandemic concerns are easing, more Americans say they’ll travel over the holidays and stay in hotels this year.
The American Hotel and Lodging Association says over a quarter of Americans will travel for Thanksgiving, with 31% of that group saying they’ll stay in a hotel. That’s up from 22% last year.
Rik Villareal owns the Itty Bitty Inn in North Bend. He said a reservation tracking service he uses shows the rates being comparable to 2021. But many guests - troubled by world events- are really hitting up their concierge services.
“I don’t remember ever -in the last ten years - having so many people ask us to decorate their rooms for Christmas, or to help them find Thanksgiving dinner plans,” Villareal told KLCC. “We’ve never experienced this in our reservation-making, people planning on celebrating because they thought the world was getting kooky.”
The AHLA’s survey also shows that while COVID fears are fading, 85% of respondents said inflation and gas prices factor in whether or not they travel in the coming months.
Additinoally, 64% of Americans would be concerned about delays or cancellations if they traveled by plane right now, with 66% of these respondents reporting a lower chance of flying this holiday season as a result.
©2022, KLCC.
