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E L L I O T T' S TRAVEL NOTES
Travel news, opinion and analysis

April 22, 2004

Hotel Rates Poised to Climb
A recovering economy will offset rising gasoline prices and more Americans seeking the thrill of travel will boost hotel occupancy rates, according to consultants PricewaterhouseCoopers. "The summer occupancy levels are great news for the industry, as occupancy will recover to (year) 2000 levels when the industry had one of its strongest years ever," said Dr. Bjorn Hanson, global industry leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers Hospitality & Leisure Practice. Lodging occupancy from the Memorial Day weekend in late May through early September's Labor Day weekend period should rise 2 percent from last year to 69.1 percent, the highest since 2000, when occupancy reached 72.1 percent. The Memorial Day and Fourth of July holiday periods should show increases from last year and Labor Day occupancy should be similar to 2002, Hansen said. Average gasoline prices hit a record this month, but the increase would only depress hotel occupancy by one-quarter to one-half of a percentage point, Hansen noted. Reuters | Posted 7 a.m.
-- BTN: Hotels get bolder with increase in demand

• As hotels start doing better, I would expect properties to take a hard-line approach to items like surcharges and extra fees. Guests used to be able to talk their way out of them in tougher times. Send us your comments.

Car Rental Taxes Can't Fund Cowboys
Proposed tax revenue to help pay for a new $1 billion Dallas Cowboys stadium development might not be available if the facility is built in Fair Park, county officials say. The location where the State Fair of Texas is held annually has been the front-runner among alternatives for a new venue to replace the aging Texas Stadium in the Dallas suburb of Irving. But a portion of state law that forbids using rental-car taxes to finance a sports venue that is part of a city park and recreation system was cited by county officials as a likely impediment. They said the law also may forbid the use of hotel occupancy taxes. Fair Park, just southeast of downtown, has emerged in the last several weeks as the favorite site for the development, which includes an all-weather stadium with an estimated cost of $650 million. Team representatives have been meeting with city and county officials on the project, which would be financed with up to $400 million in hotel and rental car taxes. AP | Posted 7:10 a.m.
-- Morning News: Car rental taxes should be used for plan

Travel to U.S. Hurt After Restrictions
Top Bush administration officials said yesterday that restrictions on the entry of foreigners have prompted many to shun travel to the United States. They recommended a review. "This hurts us," Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said, citing a 30 percent decline in overseas visits to the United States over 2 years. "It's is not serving our interests. And so we really do have to work on it." Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said the security benefits derived from the post-Sept. 11 restrictions have had unwanted economic side effects. Powell and Ridge made their comments in testimony to the House Judiciary Committee. Powell cited the example of a Harvard PhD candidate from China who returned to his homeland to attend a wedding but was unable to resume his studies for months because he had neglected to reapply for permission for the return trip. AP | Posted 7:25 a.m.
<-- PBN: TIA warns that new rules will hurt tourism

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• And finally ... in the last issue of Elliott's E-Mail, some versions contained an incorrect link to the story about monkeys at Fort Lauderdale Airport. Here's the correct link. Posted 7:30 a.m. | Send us your comments.

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