Three of the nation's top five travel markets are located in the Midwest, according to hotel consultancy TravelClick, which last week released the results of its September 2011 North American Hospitality Review, detailing hotel bookings for the period Sept. 1, 2011, through Aug. 31, 2012.
Based on year-over-year occupancy growth, TravelClick ranked the top five strongest and weakest travel markets in the United States. The top five strongest markets, it found, are:
1. Detroit (committed occupancy up 10.5 percent)
2. Indianapolis (committed occupancy up 10.2 percent)
3. Philadelphia (committed occupancy up 6.9 percent)
4. Seattle (committed occupancy up 6.1 percent)
5. Chicago (committed occupancy up 5.2 percent)
The top five weakest markets, meanwhile, are:
1. Miami (committed occupancy down 6.1 percent)
2. Denver (committed occupancy down 3.3 percent)
3. Minneapolis-St. Paul (committed occupancy down 3.1 percent)
4. Honolulu (committed occupancy down 2.9 percent)
5. Washington, D.C. (committed occupancy down 2 percent)
Nationwide, hotel demand will continue to be strong for the remainder of 2011, thanks in large part to business travel, according to TravelClick, which said committed occupancy is up 2 percent year-over-year for the next 12 months, while average daily rate (ADR) and revenue per available room (RevPAR) are up 4.8 percent and 6.1 percent, respectively.
"As the late summer leisure travel season comes to a close, it is clear that the business travel segment will resume its role as the primary demand driver for U.S. hotels throughout the rest of 2011," said Tim Hart, executive vice president, business intelligence, TravelClick. "However, it is important to note that, while the outlook for the travel industry is strong, we need to pay close attention to the recent pace of bookings, particularly in group travel, which has slowed over the last 30 days. Over the next several months, it will need to be determined whether this slower pace is an aberration, or indicates a true slowdown in group demand."