Travel Slump?
The Trump Slump for
USA
travel and tourism businesses. Is it real? Sooner or later
the spin and opinions will translate into the bottom line.
It's all about making money. Let's keep in mind
Colorado did get
a late start to the season with Vail not opening until after
Thanksgiving and World Cup races cancelled at Beaver Creek.
Plus an unusually warm spring complete with rain may
also play role in ski resort reservations being down. That
being said Lake Tahoe resort are enjoying an epic season,
and conditions didn't deter locals, spring breakers and even
the first family from taking trips to the mountains.
Let's talk about the unintended
consequences of the election of a temporary government
official. That's what Donald Trump is… a term-limited
elected official, who lost the popular vote under the
American electoral system. It's difficult to believe people
who voted for Trump wanted to hurt their fellow Americans
who earn a living in the hospitality and travel industries.
Although, no one has heard anything about keeping tourists
and visitors from visiting US resorts and destinations. So,
therefore "loyal customers" are simply proving they are not
that loyal.
So, your family takes a ski
vacation to the
USA every year
but, this year you decided to take a "protest trip" because
of Donald Trump? Take
Colorado for instance…
Colorado
did not go for Trump and embraces both workers and visitors
from all over the world… maybe you saws the X Games and FIS
Finals in Aspen.
These resorts also employee people from all around the
world, including
Mexico.
So, hurting businesses who will simply lay-off workers due
to low reservations is your strategy? Remember these are
workers with families who have always treated you well. So
making a statement with your "protest trip" certainly does
not make you any better then those who elected Donald Trump
with a "protest vote".
Perhaps the travel industry in America
needs to talk more about the perceptions of crime, violence
and drug cartels running
Mexico?
Perhaps American travelers should opt for beaches in the
USA
and Belize
until Mexico
elects a president who will give the impression the cartels
don’t run the country? But, that would make them as bad
as those individuals who turned their backs on their favorite resorts
and employees. Some one has to stop the vicious circle of
stupidity and stubbornness that puts politics ahead of
people.
Moving forward it looks like an
opportunity to re-focus on loyal customers and season pass
holders who should have been more of a priority commensurate
with the percentage of revenue they provide resort corporations season after season
anyway. These are real
"loyal customers" and they have been overlooked in favor of
foreign visitors who stay in luxury hotels and eat at over-priced restaurants. The next four to eight years
may be more challenging for those resorts and businesses who
are unwilling or unable to adapt
to the these circumstances. There is no guarantee fair
weather visitors will ever return.
