WASHINGTON- Aug. 31, 1998 - The American Hotel Motel Association
(AHMA) released its annual
Lodging Industry Profile (LIP), a statistical analysis of the lodging industry
for year-end 1997. According to the LIP, 1997 was the most profitable year
ever for the lodging industry, grossing$17 billion in pretax dollars --
nearly 40 percent more than in 1996. The LIP lists the industry's total
revenue, employment impact, average occupancy rate, average room rate,
and several other resourceful facts about the lodging and travel and tourism
industries.
After suffering losses nearly a decade ago because of declining occupancies
and slowing revenue per available room (RevPar) growth, the industry continues
to advance steadily. Total industry profits rose from $62.8 billion in
1990 to $85.6 billion in 1997.
Other facts found in the 1997 LIP:
There are 49,000 properties consisting of 3.8 million rooms. |
The industry supports more than seven million jobs -- totaling $18.93
billion in wages. In 32 states tourism also ranks as the first, second,
or third largest employer. |
Tourism is currently the third largest retail industry, behind automotive
and food stores. |
Tourism generated $481.5 billion in sales -- excluding nearly $21 billion
in international travelers' spending on U.S. air travel. |
Information contained in the 1997 LIP is based on data provided by D.K.
Shifflet Associates, Ltd., Smith Travel Research, the Travel Association
of America, and the U.S. Department of Commerce's Office of Tourism Industries/International
Trade Administration.
For a free copy of the LIP(a), call the AHMA fax-on-demand service at
800/701-7725, document No. 10, or the AHMA Information Center at 202/289-3193.
A full copy can also be found on AHMA Web site, www.ahma.com.
AHMA, founded in 1910, is a federation of state lodging associations
throughout the United States, with some 11,000 members worldwide, representing
more than 1.4 million rooms. AHMA provides operations, technical, educational,
marketing, and communications services plus governmental affairs representation
to the lodging industry.
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