At the US hotels that Meade Atkeson manages, a drop in tourism weighs heavily on business, but hoteliers like him hope that FIFA World Cup enthusiasm would soon eclipse wariness over US President Donald Trump’s policies.
The US hospitality sector has been reeling from a tourism slump in the world’s biggest economy, which became the only major destination to see a drop in foreign visitors last year.
“Just financially, it’s difficult when international travel is down,” Atkeson said, adding that such visitors tend to stay longer.
Photo: Amber Searls-Imagn Images
Foreign travelers account for about one-quarter of business at the three hotels under Sonesta group that he manages — two in Washington and one in Miami Beach.
Yet, in the first eleven months of last year, US official data showed that inbound travel dropped by 5.4 percent.
Canadians were noticeably absent, with travel plunging by 21.7 percent from 2024, translating to about 4 million fewer people. The decline was nearly 7 percent for French visitors.
Industry professionals see this as a consequence of Trump’s policies, even if they might not openly say so.
Visitors have chafed at the Republican president’s sweeping tariffs on foreign goods, broadsides against other countries, tightening immigration rules and portrayal of certain Democrat-led cities as ridden with crime.
Canadians “were asked to be the 51st state, right?” Atkeson said.
“If you talk to Canadians, many of them have chosen not to travel out of conscience” or on principle, he added.
Meanwhile, Brazilians “can go anywhere they want,” he said. “And so they may have gone to Europe, they may have gone to the islands.”
Thousands of kilometers away, the major resort city of Las Vegas in Nevada — boasting 150,000 hotel rooms — has also had a bad year.
Elsa Rodan, a chambermaid at the Bellagio resort and casino, said her establishment is “blessed” compared with others.
However, even so, it has had to lower prices to attract guests, said Rodan, a representative of the Unite Here union who spoke at a news conference in Washington.
Unite Here president Gwen Mills urged for a renewed effort to lobby the Trump administration over policies and rhetoric that she believes are jeopardizing the sector employing more than 2 million people.
Hoteliers are not pushing the government enough, she said.
Employers express “fear, the fear of picking your head up,” she said.
Fewer visitors and overnight stays, alongside a drop in revenue, triggered a US$6.7 billion shortfall for Nevada hotels last year, to the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) said.
However, the organization hopes that this year would be a turning point — it is counting on the World Cup, from June 11 to July 19, to attract visitors.
Eleven US cities are to be hosting matches.
“It’s being equated to having nearly 80 Super Bowls in just over a month,” AHLA spokesman Ralph Posner said.
“The economic lift won’t be limited to host cities,” he added. “Destinations across the country are hoping to benefit, as international visitors extend their trips and travel between markets.”
For example, Las Vegas hopes to draw fans who might stop there before or after a game in Los Angeles or Kansas City, Missouri.
Organizers say that besides the 7 million spectators in stadiums, the World Cup is set to attract 20 million to 30 million tourists.
The whole event can generate US$30 billion for the US economy, they say.
“I hope that things will look better,” Atkeson said.
His Miami hotel is under renovations and cannot host much World Cup-related activity, but his Washington establishments are highlighting their proximity to Philadelphia, where several matches are to be held.
Another complication is war in the Middle East following US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which could snarl travel.
“It’s a little too soon to tell how we’re going to do with that, but we’ll see,” Atkeson said.
EVERY DAY A VICTORY: Players on the women’s team faced pressure from society just getting out onto the field as they prepare for their first Women’s Asian Cup game today Bangladesh’s national soccer team face daunting odds at their first-ever Women’s Asian Cup, but have already scored a major victory by qualifying. In the South Asian nation of 170 million, social stigma, family expectations, poverty and religious hardliners have long relegated women and girls to sports sidelines. The first women’s soccer league matches took place in 2011 and the squad, known to fans as the Red and Green, have kept pressing forward despite deeply embedded prejudices. “Many more girls would have joined us if the community had been even slightly supportive,” captain Afeida Khandaker told AFP ahead of her side’s March 3
Soccer officials yesterday offered “full support and assistance” to the Iranian team in Australia for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup after the US and Israel launched massive attacks on their homeland. Iran’s 26-strong squad arrived on the Gold Coast days before the strikes on Saturday killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as Washington and Tel Aviv seek to topple the Islamic republic. They are due to open their tournament today against South Korea. The AFC in a statement said it “continues to closely monitor the recent developments in the Middle East during this challenging period.” “The AFC’s foremost priority remains the welfare, safety and
ROAD RASH: Marc Marquez retired after a crash, marking the first time after 88 consecutive races stretching back to 2021 that a Ducati bike failed to make the podium Marco Bezzecchi yesterday won the MotoGP season-opening grand prix in Thailand from pole position as defending world champion Marc Marquez retired late with a buckled wheel. Aprilia’s Bezzecchi led from start to finish to top the podium in Buriram, with KTM’s Pedro Acosta second and Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez third. Ducati’s Marquez is chasing a record-equaling eighth world title this season, but he exited the race in dramatic fashion while in fourth place with five laps to go. The Spaniard, who started from second on the grid, took a corner wide, with the jolt to his bike dislodging the rear tire, badly damaging his
Liverpool on Tuesday suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers as Andre’s stoppage-time strike sealed a dramatic victory for the English Premier League’s bottom club. Arne Slot’s side fell behind to Rodrigo Gomes’ strike in the closing stages at Molineux. Mohamed Salah hauled Liverpool level with his first goal in 11 top-flight games dating back to November last year. However, Andre’s first goal for Wolves inflicted the latest humbling loss in a chastening season for Liverpool. It was the first time the Premier League’s bottom club had beaten the reigning champions since Crystal Palace defeated Chelsea in 2017. Liverpool
RSS