In 2009, the U.S. lodging industry posted pre-tax profits of $16 billion, down from $25.8 billion the previous year, according to the AH&LA Lodging Industry Profile (LIP). Additionally, hotels experienced $127.2 billion in sales, as opposed to $140.6 billion in 2008.
The percentage of international travelers to the U.S. decreased from a record 58 million in 2008, to 54.9 million in 2009; arrivals from overseas travelers declined 6 percent to total 23.8 million. The top 10 countries in terms of arrivals for 2009 were Canada (18 million), Mexico (13.2 million), the United Kingdom (3.9 million), Japan (2.9 million), Germany (1.7 million), France (1.2 million), Brazil (893,000), Italy (753,000), South Korea (744,000), and Australia (724,000). These 10 countries accounted for 80 percent of U.S. international visitors.
“With the softening of the economy in Q4 of 2008 and into 2009, our industry saw an end to our six-year streak of increased profitability,” says AH&LA president and CEO Joe McInerney. “The industry suffered a one-two punch between the fallout from the 2007 credit crisis and the Lehman Bros. collapse in September 2008, with financing for hotel construction and renovation going by the wayside. After two years of streamlining budgets, cutting staffs, and revising service protocols, the industry is lean and ready for recovery and 2010 is being billed a transition year.”
AH&LA’s LIP also includes other significant facts about the lodging, travel, and tourism industries, including employment impact; international travel statistics; and property and room breakdowns by location, rate, and size.
