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Local tourism is on the rebound from the pandemic but still has gains to make, industry leaders say

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The tourism and hospitality industries are seeing a welcome return of business, but some are still not at pre-pandemic levels, industry leaders said Friday.

In 2020 and 2021, the city of Boston and the state of Massachusetts lost about $500 million in tax revenue that they otherwise would have had, had the travel trends continued at pre-pandemic levels.

Beth Stehley, senior vice president of sales at the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau, said they’ve been eagerly awaiting the chance to host more events, businesses and families in Boston.

“It looks like that opportunity is finally here in full swing,” she said, “and we want to send a strong message to travelers and event or conference planners that Boston is open for business and ready to welcome them back.”

Business travel, including major events and conferences, took a particularly strong hit during the pandemic, especially business travel, including major events and conferences.

But a recent national survey shows that 77% of business travelers say it’s crucial to bring back business travel. The same survey showed almost ⅔ of business travelers said the increase in reliance on virtual worked negatively impacted their productivity.

Leisure travel is bouncing back, with a recent survey showing 69% of Americans plan to travel for leisure this summer, while 60% said they expect to take more vacations in 2022 compared to the last two years.

Bob Luz, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, said tourism plays a huge role in supporting his industry.

“Filled hotels and convention centers drive a steady flow of guests to our restaurants across the city and region,” Luz said.

Paul Sacco, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Lodging Association, said hotels are preparing for an influx of leisure and business travelers back to Boston.

“Boston hotels are on a hiring initiative to help bolster our staff, anticipating more guests and events over the coming weeks and in order to ensure that guest expectations are met, he said.”

Some hotels are calling employees they laid off due to the pandemic. But Carlos Aramayo, president of UNITE HERE Local 26, which represents 12,000 hospitality workers in Greater Boston and Rhode Island, said that many of those workers have moved on after decades on their jobs because some hotels expected them to reapply and start at entry-level pay.

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