The local tourism industry, devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic, could be headed for a rebound in 2022.
At least that’s the assessment of Adam Sacks, president of Tourism Economics, a Wayne, Pa., firm that provides forecasting, market assessments and other information for the industry.
During a meeting Wednesday with members of the local hospitality community, Mr. Sacks predicted that Allegheny County tourism would bounce back close to 2019 pre-pandemic levels.
He estimated that hotel occupancy throughout the county would average 63% this year — a 28% increase over 2021 levels. Average daily room rates should hit $120, a 5% increase over last year.
Even better, both numbers are far greater than what the local hospitality industry experienced in 2020 when county hotel occupancy averaged 34% and the average daily rate was $94.
In all, local hotel room revenues are expected to grow 30% year over year to $521 million in 2022 — or just 10% below 2019 levels, he said.
Tourism Economics calculated that visitor spending in Allegheny County this year will reach $6.1 billion, or just 7% less than the $6.5 billion hit in 2019.
While the pandemic continues to put a damper on travel, a recent survey by Destination Analysts, another industry consultant, found that 72.8% of U.S. travelers are excited about traveling in the next year.
The forecasts are welcome news to a local tourism industry that has been battered by the pandemic for much of the past two years.
During the early days of the crisis in 2020, amid lockdowns and closings, hotel occupancy in the county plummeted to 11.8%. In Downtown, it plunged even more, to 4.6%.
The lack of business forced many hotels to close for months. Some never reopened.
While occupancy has rebounded since then, it has yet to approach pre-pandemic levels.
At the same time, local tourism group VisitPittsburgh and the David L. Lawrence Convention Center could do little more than grimace as hundreds of business and sporting events and conventions were canceled because of the pandemic, costing the region billions of dollars in revenue.
For Jerad Bachar, VisitPittsburgh’s president and CEO, the 2022 forecast represents a break in the clouds after two stormy years.
“The travel and tourism economy across Allegheny County reached record highs in 2019,” he said in a statement. “The outlook Adam provided this morning is certainly what our community is looking forward to after a tough two years.”
Some big events and conventions also will be on the docket in 2022.
The five top events slated for the year include the Pittsburgh Marathon, which will generate an estimated 9,320 room nights, and Anthrocon 2022, the annual furries convention, with 7,596 room nights.
Other major events are the Tesol International Convention and English Language Expo, with 8,835 room nights; AISTech 2022, with 8,282 room nights; and the International Association for Food Protection annual meeting, with 6,840 room nights.
But in some cases, the effects of the pandemic continue to linger. So far, four business events booked for 2022 have been canceled, representing nearly 4,000 room nights and an estimated $3.48 million in direct visitor spending.
Nonetheless, Mr. Bachar believes that 2022 should be a “very critical year for the continued rebound of travel and tourism” in the county.
“There’s incredible optimism for a sustained and strengthening rebound for the county’s tourism economy, and I look forward to working with our community leaders and partners as we welcome more visitors back to Pittsburgh,” he said.
Mark Belko: mbelko@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1262
First Published: January 20, 2022, 1:45 p.m.
