In April, the first full month of COVID-19 mandates, the ban on all but essential travel and event and group cancellations led to a historic loss of hotel business in Duval County, according to statistics released May 20 by Visit Jacksonville.
“To say that these decreases are unprecedented is an understatement,” the report states.
Occupancy was 29.7%, a loss of nearly 62% compared to April 2019.
The average room rate dropped about $40 compared to April 2019. Revenue per available room was down $60, a loss of nearly 76%. Room revenue was down $32 million, a loss of more than 76%.
Year to date, occupancy is less than 59%, compared to 77.1% in the first four months of 2019. Revenue per available room through April is $55.32, a loss of nearly 30%, and room revenue is down 29.3%, a loss of about $50 million compared with the same period last year.
