Hospitality check-in: A 'Trump bump' in Florida, and immigration-policy concerns

Clockwise from top left: Hotels editor Christina Jelski, Peter Ricci, a professor at Florida Atlantic University, and host Rebecca Tobin talk about the "Trump bump" and immigration policies.
Clockwise from top left: Hotels editor Christina Jelski, Peter Ricci, a professor at Florida Atlantic University, and host Rebecca Tobin talk about the "Trump bump" and immigration policies.

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How has the Trump administration has been impacting hotels and travel? One might look at the visitation numbers in the Palm Beaches area of Florida, where President Trump's Mar a Lago estate is located, to see one impact of a "Trump bump" on visitation. Another aspect is the immigration crackdown -- and whether the administration's plans to deport illegal workers has had any impact within the hospitality business.

In this episode, Travel Weekly hotels editor Christina Jelski and Peter Ricci, the director of the Hospitality and Tourism Management program at Florida Atlantic University, talk about both topics.

In our first section: How the Palm Beaches has surpassed Miami-Dade in key hotel metrics and why Trump's presence might be drawing visitors to the region. In the second half of the episode: Whether hotels should be concerned about the specter of mass deportations, and the continuing scarcity of hospitality workers.

Episode sponsor

This episode is sponsored by The TTC Tour Brands

Related links

Palm Beach's presidential presence gives the area's tourism a 'Trump bump'

Hospitality grapples with the specter of mass deportations

Immigration policy concerns take center stage at the ALIS conference

Peter Ricci's bio

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