SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – San Diego has reopened and tourists are packing up hotels in the area again over the weekend. But days of the week are a different story.
On Tuesday, tourism guides came together with a message that travel is safe and hotels are ready.
“If you work in the hospitality industry, you are here to serve, you are here to take care of each other, take care of the customers and the staff love to be back,” said Peter Strebel, President of Omni Hotels.
Strebel says, like many San Diego hotels, the Omni is over 90 percent full on weekends. During normal times, the hotels in the area are so full even on weekdays. But despite the reopening of the economy, hotel occupancy drops to 50 percent during the week.
Julie Coker, president of the San Diego Tourism Authority, said in order for things to be fully restored, conventions, business travel, hotel meetings and international travelers need to return in place.
“It is time our economy started working again, so we have to go back out and travel and we have to go out again to meet at conventions,” she said.
While conventions have returned – and one this week will attract 7,000 – attendance is around 25 to 40 percent of pre-pandemic levels. The convention center has booked 75 events by June 30, 2022.
Meanwhile, San Diego County’s recreational and hospitality jobs – which include hotels, restaurants, and attractions – remain about 20 percent lower than they were before Covid – or about 42,000 jobs.
“This city has a great package of hotel rooms within walking distance of the convention center, so there is a lot going on here,” said Strebel. “That will be brought on the way quickly.”
Strebel said he doesn’t expect a full recovery before 2023. While he says Zoom meetings could limit business travel forever, he sees an increase in larger meetings and conventions to make up for it.
