New York City, for example, which relies heavily on international visitors, drew less than half the number of visitors in 2021 as it did in 2019; Chicago was down almost as much.
Leisure travelers continue to make up a majority of visitors coming to Cleveland – to visit friends and family, attend a ballgame, tour the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Group travel has rebounded nicely, as well, said Gilbert, as evidenced by an increasingly busy Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland.
* The hospitality industry employs 64,000 people in Cuyahoga County, an increase of 7,000 over 2020. The number, however, is still down 7% from 2019, when the sector employed 69,500. Overnight rates, however, continue to increase. The average overnight rate at a hotel room in downtown Cleveland this year is $175.18, according to STR, up 15% over three years ago.