California hotel lodging association

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For Immediate Release Inquiries Oct. 14, 2020 Pete Hillan: 831-227-5984 pete@ NO INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS COSTING CALIFORNIA 227,000 JOBS IN 2020$2.7 billion lost each month resumption delayed, study concludes SACRAMENTO, CA. – (Oct. 14, 2020) – California will lose 227,000 jobs and $32.8 billion in meeting-related spending in 2020 directly attributable to the lack of meetings, many of which are held at hotels, according to a new Oxford Economics study.For every month the resumption of meetings is delayed, the state economy will lose $2.7 billion in spending, the “Economic Impact of Meetings in California 2020” study found. The loss of current and future meetings directly impacts hotel employees, the hospitality industry and city tax revenues.“Our hotels are safe for guests, employees and meetings,” said Lynn S. Mohrfeld, President and CEO of the California Hotel and Lodging Association. “We implemented health protocols, trained our employees and have the protective gear to ensure the well-being of meeting attendees. It’s time California allows individual meetings to resume.”The loss of meetings has had a devastating impact on San Diego hotel and hospitality employees. More than 77,000 local tourism jobs have been lost due to the global pandemic and continued economic shutdown. Visitor spending in San Diego declined $4 billion from March through July 2020.“We anticipate it will take five years – that’s 2025 – before we return to pre-pandemic tourism levels,” said Julie Coker, President and CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority. “We already are losing business to competing regions as other states are allowing meetings and sports tournaments to occur and theme parks to reopen.” Next week, CHLA plans to release statewide guidelines for individual meetings supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and California Department of Public Health guidelines.State hotels have worked closely with CDC recommendations, Gov. Newsom, CDPH, Cal/OSHA and county public health departments to develop, implement and update health safety standards that exceed any other non-medical industry. CHLA’s Clean + Safe guidelines were issued April 30, more than two months before Gov. Newsom allowed California counties to reopen hotels for tourists. The hotel standards include:Customized COVID-19 plans for hotelsEmployee safety trainings in English & SpanishClear and appropriate social distancing signageDelivery and use of personal protective equipment for employeesCleaning directions that keep employees and guests safeHotels throughout California have safely hosted leisure travelers without restrictions on occupancy and without major incident since June 12 when the state allowed tourism to resume. Destination cities such as Orlando, Dallas, Seattle, San Antonio and Las Vegas, which recently approved hosting meetings up to 1,000 people, have reopened for individual meetings, putting California businesses at long-term risk.The Oxford Economics study analyzed the overall economic impacts of meetings in California in terms of output (business spending), jobs, labor income, GDP (gross domestic product), and fiscal (tax) impacts using a proprietary model. The study estimated losses in meetings-related direct spending and total economic impacts attributable to COVID-19 through July 2020 and forecasts of losses through December 2020About the California Hotel and Lodging AssociationThe California Hotel and Lodging Association is the leading resource and advocate for California’s more than 6,000 hotels, motels and boutique inns that employ more than 285,000 workers. CHLA, established in 1893, is the largest state lodging industry association in the nation and is a partner with the American Hotel & Lodging Association. For more information, go to .###