Soon, a celestial
spectacle is poised to create a lucrative swell in business for hotels in
locations that fall within the total
solar eclipse’s narrow path of totality—places where the sun will appear
completely obscured by the moon’s shadow.
SiteMinder, the one and only software
platform out there that’s designed to empower hotels to fully optimize their
revenue, has released new data on the U.S. cities that stand to benefit most
from the surge of visitors traveling to prime viewing spots on April 7 and 8 to
observe Monday’s heavenly event.
Evansville,
Indiana, emerges as a frontrunner with its inventory of hotels expected to receive
a fivefold (505%) increase in visitor arrivals over the two-day period, as
compared to the same dates last year. And, in keeping with this skyrocketing
demand, the average cost of a hotel room in Evansville now sits 48.7% higher
than in 2023, having increased from $224.73 to $334.18.
Buffalo, New York,
is also gearing up for a substantial influx of visitors, with projected hotel
arrivals for the two days soaring to almost three times higher (276%) than what
it witnessed during the same dates year. Correspondingly, room rates have
surged by an incredible 92.77%, rising from $161.56 to $311.44.
The largest
metropolitan area along the eclipse's path of totality, Dallas-Forth
Worth-Arlington will also see a staggering boom in eclipse-chasing visitors
over the two days. SiteMinder's data indicates that the city will see a 60.71%
increase in hotel arrivals on April 7 and 8, as compared with 2023, with
average room rates rising by 17.77%.
Moreover, SiteMinder’s
figures underscore the public’s extreme anticipation surrounding the total solar
eclipse event, with lead times on hotel bookings experiencing dramatic
year-on-year increases. Buffalo witnessed an astonishing 482.16% change, with
lead times pushed forward to over 130 days in advance, while Dallas observed a
similar jump of 342.54%, taking lead times from last year’s 35 days to 154 days
this year.
“Events
such as the upcoming total solar eclipse provide an opportunity for hotels to
bring in critical revenue by capitalizing on surges in demand,” said Jason
Lugo, Market Vice President for the Americas at SiteMinder. They have already
done the first part, which is ensuring their visibility to eclipse-chasers and
securing their bookings. Additionally, they have employed clever, dynamic
revenue management strategies to ensure their prices reflect the demand.”
He
added, “With their guests now due to arrive, it is time for hotels to take the
next important step of offering a frictionless and personalized guest
experience. This will maximize their opportunities to upsell to today’s
experience-led, deal-hungry travelers, thereby further increasing their
revenue.”
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