This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. Utah’s travel and tourism industry is a key part of Utah, contributing over 100,000 jobs and more than $7 billion to our state’s economy. Jeff Olpin, the General Manager at Kimpton Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City discusses how they’ve fared and their future expectations.
JEFF OLPIN
As statewide hotel occupancy dropped to 26 percent in 2020, it’s safe to say that the pandemic has turned the hospitality industry on its head. And while the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City has struggled like many others throughout the pandemic, we are turning a corner as we’re seeing an increase in travel this year from both transient and business-related guests.
At the introduction of the vaccine and as COVID restrictions ease, people are feeling more confidence in travel. Additionally, as businesses return to their offices, we expect the numbers for business-related guests to continue to grow. After nearly two years of being cooped up, our guests are ready to forego virtual gatherings and celebrate in-person. As part of that trend, we recently hosted a wedding where the couple had delayed their celebration for two years, an indication of the return to normal life.
As theaters in our city are bringing entertainment back, we’re seeing that our guests want to make a night of it — by dining at our restaurant, Bambara, heading out to the shows like Riverdance, and then returning to the hotel for a stay downtown.
If you’re looking for a night out on the town, please consider staying with us at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco in Salt Lake City and dining at Bambara.
DEREK MILLER
Before the pandemic, Utah’s thriving travel and tourism industry was breaking visitation records. As the virus becomes more manageable, we expect Utah’s travel and tourism industry to rebound substantially this year, adding jobs and revenue to our state’s economy. I’m Derek Miller with the Salt Chamber, Chamber, Speaking on Business.
