Episode Details

America didn't travel in America the way we expected last summer—because a lot of the spend went overseas. Now the calendar flips, the event slate stacks up, and the question becomes simple: who travels, where do they stay, and what does that do to performance?

For hashtag#NoVacancyNews, I talked with Bruce Ford (SVP, Lodging Econometrics) from Atlanta on the eve of the Hunter Conference about what he expects this year—World Cup momentum, America's 250th anniversary, rising costs, and the "down-the-scale" shift that could help midscale and upper-midscale operators.

⚽ Bruce expects U.S. events to keep more travel domestic this year
💸 We talk cost pressure everywhere: gas, airfare/jet fuel, and what that does to trip decisions
🏨 Bruce thinks midscale and upper-midscale could benefit if travelers trade down to make trips work
🧑‍🍳 We hit the service squeeze: shortened restaurant hours, closed sections, and the "we're short staffed" reality
💰 Bruce brings it back to owner math: monetize every square foot and take care of frequent guests and rewards members without nickel-and-diming

Thanks to Actabl for supporting this episode. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com

.