PHOENIX — While restrictions have loosened up in Arizona, tourism and business have not yet bounced back to pre-pandemic levels.
Tourism forecasts aren't expecting the industry to reach 2019 spending levels for several years.
Downtown Phoenix businesses struggling
Even with just a glance at the grill during lunch hour at Paradise Hawaiian BBQ in Downtown Phoenix, you can tell business isn’t the same.
“It would be full with meat and stuff during lunch hour, you know, but now, just a little bit,” Diana Kang, owner of the restaurant said.
Kang has been in business for 13 years, two of those at her Downtown Phoenix location.
"It’s just tough for everybody here,” Kang said.
The pandemic took away a lot of her business, with people not coming to work downtown, no meetings at the Phoenix Convention Center, and sporting events nearly non-existent.
“We’re depending on all the office people but right now they’re still all working from home,” Kang said.
Restaurant owner Denise Bismore is experiencing the same thing a few doors down at Spoonz Café.
“I ended up ultimately furloughing all my staff,” Bismore said.
Bismore said she’s just now starting to bring staff back on.
“It’s like a roller coaster, some weeks are good, some weeks are not so good,” Bismore said.
Bismore credits part of how she’s stayed afloat to the additional help from different government entities.
“The government and city funding and support has really helped the small businesses that have been able to make it,” Bismore said.
Some signs show Arizona tourism is looking up
The Arizona Office of Tourism is finding some bright spots as the tourism industry works its way back to pre-pandemic levels.
Becky Blaine, Deputy Director of the Arizona Office of Tourism said signs like hotel demand in metro Phoenix beating records from 2019 during the weeks of March 21 and April 11, and more people being expected to travel are signs things are improving.
“It is a big economic engine, it’s a huge industry,” Blaine said. “Indirectly it’s over 300,000 jobs and we’ve got to get those jobs back.”
Full recovery not expected for several years
The U.S. Travel Association forecast is not expecting to see total travel spending reach pre-pandemic levels until at least 2024.
A report for the San Diego Tourism Authority isn’t expecting their visitor numbers to bounce back until 2023.
But eyes in Phoenix are on the fall for business travel to start to resume.
“We’re seeing a lot of meeting planners saying they’re coming in the fall, and rebooking those meetings for the fall, so that could be a strong indication that business travel will be on it’s way back,” Blaine said.