According to a new report from the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and Kalibri Labs, U.S. hotel leisure travel revenue for 2022 is projected to be 14% above 2019 levels.
Although the business travel sector has been slower to rebound, the AHLA and Kalibri Labs expect U.S. hotel business travel revenue to come within 1% of 2019 levels.
The analysis also indicates that while 80% of the top 50 U.S. markets are on track to record hotel leisure travel revenue that surpasses 2019 levels, just 40% are expected surpass 2019 levels for business travel revenue.
Business travel revenue lagging
Among the top U.S. markets that remain well behind 2019 when it comes to hotel business travel revenue are New York, the Washington area and San Francisco, which are projected to remain 22.4%, 28.2% and 40.1% below 2019 levels, respectively.
Related hotel news:
Florida, meanwhile, is home to several of the top U.S. markets recording some of the highest jumps in hotel leisure travel revenue compared with 2019. These markets include Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, which are expected to be 44%, 35% and 33% above 2019 levels, respectively.
These projections, however, are not adjusted for inflation, with the AHLA stating in a press release that real hotel revenue recovery in the U.S. could likely take several more years.
"The hotel industry continues its march toward recovery, but we still have a way to go before we fully get there," said AHLA CEO Chip Rogers in a statement.