NORFOLK – Much of the hotel industry in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia has recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic faster than almost any other market in the United States, according to an economic report released Tuesday.
The State of the Region, an annual analysis by economists at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, reports that the region’s hotel revenues in June this year were 10% higher than in June 2019, before the pandemic began. At the national level, hotel sales fell by 12%.
Part of the reason it is recovering so quickly is that Hampton Roads hospitality relies more on vacationers than visitors to major events such as conventions, conferences, and concerts.
ODU economists too told Last year’s Virginian pilot, with visitors typically arriving by car rather than flying, a travel method that has fallen out of favor for many during the pandemic. Virginia Beach is typically a 3 1/2 hour drive from Washington, five hours from Philadelphia, and about seven hours from New York.
There is one exception, however. According to the report, the Williamsburg hotel market has not performed as well. The COVID-19 pandemic had temporarily closed attractions such as Busch Gardens and Water Country USA. And Colonial Williamsburg saw a drop in visits even before the pandemic.
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