After two slow and uncertain years during the pandemic, tourism in Boston is rapidly recovering, with sports and recreational activities drawing visitors to the city and nearly filling hotel rooms.
The NBA Finals will take place on Wednesday at TD Garden, with another game on Friday. The US Open in Brooklyn starts on June 16th. There will also be a series of concerts at Fenway Park this summer. Plus, it’s wedding season, and experts say June tends to be the most popular month for weddings.
“The energy in the city is contagious, the Red Sox are warming up. We are having one of the strongest wedding seasons ever,” said Boston Park Plaza General Manager Shane McWeeny. “We will have extremely high occupancy rates. It won’t be the same level as 2019, but in terms of guests and staff experience, it will be very, very close.”
Most hotel rooms in the city will be about 90% occupied in June, about 30% more than last summer when the delta option disrupted travel plans, analysts said.
The influx of tourists is also a boon for almost any business.
“If someone is staying at a hotel, they are more likely to spend more money while they are at their destination on dining out and sightseeing,” said Martha Sheridan, president and CEO of the Greater Boston Bureau of Conventions and Visitors.
Demand tends to drive up room prices, which means consumers may notice higher prices, especially during peak tourism in June.
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