LOUISVILLE, KY — Louisville Tourism reports that the city’s tourism economy has been gradually recovering over the past summer travel season. The city experienced a fairly steady summer tourism season with average hotel occupancy rate on summer weekends (Memorial Day weekend – Labor Day weekend) hitting 69.4 percent — with a peak of 86.9 percent the weekend ending June 12 when the Junior Volleyball Association’s 2021 World Challenge was held at the Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC). July 4-10 marked the first time since the pandemic began that the city’s weekly hotel occupancy surpassed 75 percent.
Hotel occupancy for the summer averaged about 55 percent, which is significantly up from the 33 percent average in 2020 but still down nearly 15 percent when compared to 2019. July came in at 63.5 percent, the best month for occupancy rate in Louisville since October 2019.
Despite the lingering pandemic, Louisville Tourism booked 122 events from Memorial Day to Labor Day, resulting in 125,361 room nights and $117 million in estimated economic impact.
Looking toward the future, Louisville Tourism has 167 shows booked from August through December, accounting for an estimated 174,409 room nights, hosting 480,981 attendees and achieving $79.5 million in estimated economic impact.
