BWH Hotel Group, Industry Leaders Discuss Summer Travel Rebound
During the 15th annual BWH Hotel Group Travel Summit, travel industry leaders discussed an uptick in bookings and trends shaping the industry.
The panel, moderated by Dorothy Dowling, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of BWH Hotel Group, included Greg Staley, senior vice president of communications for the U.S. Travel Association; Nelson Boyce, managing director of Travel for Google; and Paula Twidale, senior vice president of Travel for AAA.
Panelists discussed how stimulus checks, savings, and the vaccine rollout have impacted consumer sentiment and pent up travel demand, which was highlighted by AAA’s Memorial Day Holiday Travel Forecast. AAA’s findings predict that 37 million Americans will travel this Memorial Day weekend (May 27-31), a 60% year-over-year increase from the 23 million Americans that traveled during the same time period in 2020. This is expected to kick off a busy summer travel season.
Dowling also discussed BWH Hotel Group’s focus on remaining agile, boosting consumer confidence, providing value and prioritizing guest loyalty this summer travel season.
“Following a devastating and catastrophic year for travel, I can’t help but express my gratitude for this esteemed group of people and their respective companies,” said Dowling. “Their partnership and invaluable insights have been integral in us understanding the landscape around us and helping us navigate a truly unprecedented time. It’s a pleasure to reconnect with them today, to share and learn from each other as we embark on what is anticipated to be a very exciting time in our industry’s path to recovery.”
