Prof: Demand up for summer travel season, workforce challenges remain

A professor in the Department of Tourism, Event, and Sport Management at Indiana University says the tourism industry is very optimistic about the demand for travel this summer. The U.S. Travel Association recently stated that leisure travel is expected to be at record highs this summer, with 55% of Americans planning to prioritize travel over home improvements, large purchases, or other entertainment options.

Amanda Cecil says spending and demand for travel services are increasing compared to 2019 and 2022 levels, but workforce challenges in the hospitality industry continue to linger.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Cecil said one area of tourism that is lagging behind is international travel, both inbound and outbound.

“We know that’s due to lingering pandemic concerns in certain parts of the world,” Cecil said. “So we are watching international travel, and we’re hopeful in the near future that that will also rebound. If you are looking to do international travel, this would be a great time to do it since the demand is a little bit lower. So if you’ve got that dream trip on your bucket list, maybe this summer is the time to take a look at booking that ticket.”

Cecil said the workforce in the hospitality and tourism space is not keeping up with demand, which is causing challenges for hotels, restaurants, and attractions.

“Our workforce is really struggling and keeping up with that increased demand as we go into the summer season,” she said. “We know that we’ve got to really work hard to meet these consumer and traveler demands, and so workforce issues is on our top priority. And as a community and as an industry, we are addressing this in hopes that, again, we can meet those increased traveler numbers and our traveler expectations.”

Cecil is encouraging patience for those who are traveling this summer, saying there will be longer lines in the airport, potential delays in getting into a hotel room, or even extended wait times at restaurants.

Indiana’s tourism sector is also continuing to grow. Last month, the Indiana Destination Development Corp. released a study saying the state saw a 16% growth in total visitor volume to 77.3 million “person trips” and visitor spending increased more than 28% to $13 billion in 2021.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.