SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Hotels were some of the first businesses to close at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, industry leaders worry they’ll be the last to re-open. The American Hotel and Lodging Association says COVID-19’s impact on the travel industry has been nine times that of 9/11. In fact, the group says it doesn’t expect to return to pre-pandemic levels of employment until 2023.
2020 was the worst year on record for the hospitality industry. Yet, Illinois hotel leaders don’t expect a full recovery until 2024 at the earliest. Over 20,000 Illinois hotel employees have lost their jobs during the pandemic. That doesn’t take into account other industries that heavily rely on hotels and tourism.
The Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association says the majority of those employees could come back when the demand returns. But first, they want the Pritzker administration to ease back restrictions on gatherings. IHLA President Michael Jacobson says Illinois is losing business to neighboring states and people hosting large parties in their backyards.
“These people are still getting together and having these gatherings,” Jacobson said. “Why not have it in a space that we can easily monitor and control and safely implement some of these safety protocols?”
Right now, regions in Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan can only allow 50 people for meetings or events. Jacobson hopes the governor can find a middle-ground for hotels before the state reaches Phase 5, allowing events at full capacity.
Preventing further spread
The Pritzker administration says Illinois continues to rely on advice from public health experts, doctors, and scientists. Press Secretary Jordan Abudayyeh explained state guidance focuses on best practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and overwhelming hospitals.
“Right now, experts are sounding the alarm regarding the new UK variant that has made its way to Illinois and could threaten the positive trajectory of our health metrics,” Abudayyeh stated. “Keeping all of this developing information in mind, our public health guidance has regularly been revised and we look forward to continuing these conversations with the public health experts and following their recommendations as we hopefully transition to a new phase of this response which includes more people being vaccinated.”
Illinois hotels received some relief through PPP and federal relief programs. Still, industry leaders say hotel owners are just trying to survive at this point. Jacobson stressed that adjusting the current capacity restrictions for groups and meetings could give owners a lifeline while the entire country waits for enhanced vaccine distribution. He also noted most hotels are owned by local citizens and franchisees of the major brands.
“It’s the little mom-and-pop owners that are suffering the most and trying to find how to make ends meet to try and meet their mortgage payments and pay their property taxes so they don’t lose their entire livelihoods,” Jacobson said.
Illinois hotels generated $8 billion of tax revenue annually before the pandemic. IHLA found taxpayers would be on the hook for more than $1,600 in taxes each year without hotel revenue. In that sense, Jacobson says the success of the hotel industry matters to your bottom line.
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January 27, 2021 at 07:59AM
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Hotel leaders hope Pritzker will ease gathering restrictions to help industry - WSIL TV
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