Evansville Hotel Occupancy Surges
BY JAMES T. WOOD, FCDME
PRESIDENT AND CEO OF VISIT EVANSVILLE
Some very positive news is emerging from Evansville’s hospitality industry post-pandemic. Evansville/Vanderburgh County hotels continue to see hotel occupancies rise back to pre-pandemic levels (2019).Â
The May 2021 hotel occupancy report reached 63.2 percent, back to where we were in May 2019 before the pandemic. Additionally, our hotel occupancy rate was the highest among cities Evansville compares itself to including Fort Wayne, South Bend, Indianapolis, and Owensboro, KY. This time last year, the region’s hotel occupancy rate was 29.6 percent. In the month of May, hotel occupancy figures show that Evansville’s hospitality industry is on the cusp of recovery in 2021, with a full recovery expected in 2022. Business travel is starting to return, demand for leisure travel is strong and the meetings and conventions and special events are scheduled to return. The numbers strongly indicate that we are returning to ‘business as usual’ for Evansville’s hospitality industry.
Deaconess Sports Park will host a full softball tournament schedule through October, including the Great Lakes Region Softball Tournament, which attracts over 200 girls’ softball teams from ten states. The 15U AA Ohio Valley World Series and the USA Softball Men’s and Women’s Slow Pitch National Championships are also coming to Deaconess Sports Park. We are also set to host the Indiana Archery Corporation – Mixed Northern Region Championship at Goebel Complex this July. In August we will see the return of the E’Ville Iron Street Rod’s Frog Follies at the Vanderburgh County 4H Center which is always exciting for the entire region to see these classic vehicles at local hotels, restaurants, and cruising along Evansville’s roads. At the Old National Events Plaza (ONEP) we are starting to see the return of the convention business including the 2021 INAFSM Annual Conference, Indiana Society of Association Executives Women in Associations Forum, 2021 IOGA Convention, 2021 National Beta Club, the 2021 Indiana League of Municipal Clerks and Treasurers as well as a host of other events scheduled at ONEP.
Though the pandemic made it extremely difficult for all businesses, we are very excited to be reopened and to see people venturing out and enjoying life once again, taking a family vacation, visiting friends and family members, attending a conference, taking in a ballgame, or going to a concert. Evansville has various first-class venues and entertainment options that attract visitors from around the tri-state region. Evansville’s hospitality community looks forward to providing great experiences as we are excited to welcome back our visitors once again.
