Hotel bookings in Bend last month raised some eyebrows — because of how low they were.
Visit Bend says there was a 15% drop in hotel occupancy rates compared to November 2021. That’s not something the city usually sees.
With the exception of the COVID-19 pandemic, the city typically expects to see up to 8% increases each year.
Visit Bend CEO Kevney Dugan says no one is pushing the panic button just yet.
“We’re already at a much slower time of year. So being off 15% is not a massive revenue issue if you will,” said Dugan. “It’s more an indicator of ‘Are we losing some of that luster as a destination and is this a trend that is going to stick around?’”
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Dugan also says it’s important to point out that bend is coming off 2021 which was exceptional for hotel bookings because more people wanted to travel after COVID. He says if we compare this year’s numbers to those before the pandemic, we’re not too far off.
The next few months will offer a much better indicator of whether this drop in hotel bookings is a trend or an anomaly.
