The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 2024 Economic Impact Research (EIR) has today revealed that Tunisia’s Travel & Tourism sector is set to inject a record-breaking TND 23BN into the national economy this year.
22.06.2024 - 02:41 / skift.com / Jan Freitag / Dawit Habtemariam
In a possible reversal of fortune, San Francisco’s hotel sector appears to be experiencing a resurgence, helped by the city’s burgeoning AI industry. But the city’s downtown faces an uphill battle for a full tourism recovery.
Recent data from CoStar paints a good picture: Last week, 79% of San Francisco’s hotels were filled, making the city America’s top hotel market from June 9 to June 15. CoStar attributed the strength to a conference on AI put on by Databricks.
May was promising too. Occupancy hit 71%, up 4 points from last year.
Still, the hole was deep. “It’s relatively better, but not at pre-pandemic level,” said Jan Freitag, senior vice president of Lodging insights for STR and national director, of hospitality analytics for CoStar Group. He noted that over the past five months, room rates in the city have been essentially flat.
This nuanced view reflects the complex reality of San Francisco’s recovery. The convention business, a traditional mainstay of the city’s hospitality sector, is regaining ground but at a sluggish pace. The average group daily rate was $383, higher than the top 25 average of $268 and up 2% from last year, Freitag said.
The pandemic’s long tail continues to whip at San Francisco’s recovery efforts. The disruption of normal sales cycles has left a gaping hole in the city’s convention calendar, particularly for 2024. With most large events booked three to five years in advance, the inability to market and sell the city during the height of the pandemic has created a vacuum that cannot be easily filled — though other cities seem to have rebounded more quickly.
Some of the largest conventions — those drawing over 45,000 attendees — may have parted ways with San Francisco for good. The city’s limited hotel capacity of just over 40,000 rooms presents a challenge for hosting such massive gatherings, a limitation that transcends issues of safety or reputation.
However, challenges in the meetings sector may be offset by an unexpected savior: artificial intelligence.
The rise of AI has breathed new life into San Francisco’s commercial real estate market.
“There is absolutely more activity in downtown San Francisco and absolutely more AI companies renting office space downtown,” observes Freitag. This influx of tech talent is driving demand for accommodations, particularly in the luxury segment.
Some tour operators reduced their trips last year or avoided the city due to negative customer feedback.
G Adventures, for instance, cut the number of days it spent in the city due to complaints about safety. The tour operator has no plans to come back.
The shift to remote work has dealt a blow to San Francisco’s downtown core, traditionally the beating heart of its tourism ecosystem.
The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 2024 Economic Impact Research (EIR) has today revealed that Tunisia’s Travel & Tourism sector is set to inject a record-breaking TND 23BN into the national economy this year.
The last time my husband and I visited an adults-only, all-inclusive resort was over a decade ago. My memories of that trip are hazy, filled with drinks at the swim-up bar, wine-fueled dinners, and feeling a bit hungover each morning. Since then, I've chosen an alcohol-free lifestyle, but my husband still drinks.
I've lived in Los Angeles for five years, so I'm about 30 minutes inland from Santa Monica. It's a beautiful, classic Southern California destination with a beach, a pier, and an abundance of classy shopping and dining spots.
When JetBlue debuted its swanky Mint cabin a decade ago, there were plenty of skeptics. Essentially a lie-flat business-class seat, Mint marked a dramatic departure from the egalitarian cabins that had defined the airline since its launch in 2000.
Miami-based couple Carlos Adyan and Carlos Quintanilla lead busy professional lives: Adyan is the host of the NBCUniversal Telemundo show En Casa Con Telemundo and co-proprietor of restaurant A Fuego Lento, while Quintanilla is the vice president of original content for Sony Pictures Television. Given the couple's high-profile jobs (and their combined Instagram following of nearly 700,000), when it came time to plan their wedding, the couple felt like they needed to step away from their home city to get into a nuptial mindset. “We thought a destination wedding would take us out of our setting—we’ll feel like we’re on vacation, not like we have to go to work tomorrow after the wedding,” says Adyan.
ⓒBusan Tourism Organization
There’s a reason Mark Twain is still incorrectly quoted as saying “the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” While other parts of the country are sweltering, average summertime highs in San Francisco range from 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, making the City by the Bay a refreshing escape from the heat. Those looking to cool down can explore the city’s iconic sites, scenic nature, walkable neighborhoods, exciting culinary scene, and vibrant arts and culture while taking advantage of summer promotions, night markets, festivals and new activities.
San Francisco's newest airport terminal is getting its first Priority Pass-accessible lounge.
Thailand on Monday announced the extension of its free insurance scheme for international tourists until the end of 2024. This initiative provides international tourists with medical coverage of up to THB 500,000 ($13,650) for accidents or natural disasters.
The global travel industry made significant progress in its recovery from the pandemic last year. But the tourism boom has brought challenges to certain destinations, including helping make some services more expensive.
The Four Seasons Hotel New York, which has been closed since the start of the pandemic, will reopen this September.
On this episode of The Last Resort, host Christina Jelski talks to Brandon White, owner of Share the Magic Travel, to talk about his recent visit to the Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.