Delaware eyes business travel, vacations are strong.
Katie Tabling January 5, 2023
WILMINGTON — When it comes to tourism, 2022 continues to be a strong year for the First State, especially when it comes to leisure travel. But as we look to the future, the question remains: when will meetings and corporate travel fully recover? Two years after the Covid-19 pandemic forced companies to adopt door-to-door models, there may be.
Considering leisure travel, Delaware hotels averaged $144 per room in July, on track for the same month in 2021. DBT photo by Jacob Owens
WILMINGTON — When it comes to tourism, 2022 continues to be a strong year for the First State, especially when it comes to leisure travel. But as we look to the future, the question remains: when will meetings and corporate travel fully recover?
Two years after the COVID-19 pandemic Force companies to work from home models, there may be some lasting effects on business travel. 55 percent of hoteliers and industry experts expect hotel-based meetings to exist by 2023. Continue to be 90% or below Instead of pre-epidemic numbers, according to the annual survey Northstar Meetings Group/Cvent.
“The basic model has changed, and companies are working partially in the office. Some are realizing that virtual meetings help to avoid some problems, and they are used to doing business like this,” said board member Bill Sullivan. Delaware Hotel and Lodging Association and grounds manager at the Newark Marriott. “Whether you have a corporate flagship, it’s a big concern across the industry.
“I think we will probably have 60% or 70% [business travel] But next year, we will still work to get back to where we were, he added.
In November, 59 percent of all Delaware hotels were booked, just shy of where they were in the same month in 2021, a record year due to net demand and pre-pandemic 2019. Statewide median income per unit is still trending toward 2021 levels, hitting a high of $144 in July.
Meanwhile, tourism chiefs from around the state point to a room-lodging tax that helps fund part of their budget, another key sign that demand for Delaware tours is strong. Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau (GWCVB) Executive Director Jane Boyce said their budget is still down 25%, another sign of slow business travel.
“That said, our meetings and conventions are very strong. Our bookings are almost back to pre-Covid levels, and we are booking bigger events,” Boyce said. “Our class nights have almost tripled for those.”
In the year In 2022, GWCVB contracted for 14,217 room nights with 45 bookings for meetings and conventions alone, bringing many for business travel. In 2019, that number was 5,250 room nights.
“Wilmington remains an easy drive for about a third of the population, and bookings here are less expensive, when it comes to airfare,” she added. “I think online meetings have affected small gatherings, but I don’t think it’s going to take the place of face-to-face meetings.”
In Kent County, room rates hit record numbers, especially between August and November. Kent County Tourism President Pete Bradley credits the success of the Thunder Over Dover and Firefly Music Festival with future draws that he hopes will continue in 2024 – Firefly is taking a year off in 2023.
“We’re doing really well with metro areas like Baltimore and Philadelphia, because we have a quick break and we also have outdoor and historic attractions,” Bradley said. But some of our events, like the Amish Country Bike Tour, have been quietly growing. We expect next year to be a big year, especially as DE Turf continues to be the anchor.
Sussex County It continues to enjoy high occupancy rates with the beach as its main draw; But keep strong trends in the winter months. South Delaware Tourism Executive director Scott Thomas also noted that hosting a “summer White House” will help fill hotel rooms with staff, media and security when visiting President Joe Biden.
We have big autumn events like the Sea Witch Festival, but also [Biden] Here it takes the top spot on some weekends. There are a lot of factors working together and it will be interesting to see where it comes from.
Looking ahead, all Delaware counties will explore new marketing avenues, from local ads to connected TV for Kent County, or launching social media ads for the GWCVB in the spring, which will take advantage of the attention from the Biden presidency and the PGA tour.
From the state’s perspective, Delaware Tourism Director Jessica Welch said it may be time to tell the story of the first state beyond the typical drive-in areas. Now, her office is working with 1440 Film Company to showcase Delaware, targeting the Boston and Chicago markets.
“From the data we have, we have some visitors who may want to come to a warmer beach because New York is colder,” Welch said. “New York has always been our go-to place besides Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. But we are very much looking forward to attracting more people from these three cities.
In addition, Welch said her office will send representatives to travel and adventure shows to promote Delaware’s reputation in the vacation market — and she will also attend the American Bus Association conference to attract group tours.
