SEATTLE — Seattle is now four years removed from the start of the pandemic, when tourism took a nosedive. The city has not yet rebounded all the way with visitation, but has made progress.
Visit Seattle recently released their hotel occupancy rates for the month of March, which show visitation increasing since the pandemic, but not yet back up to pre-pandemic levels.
The hotel occupancy rates for the past six years for March were:
2024: 72.1%
2023: 65.1%
2022: 54%
2021: 25.3%
2020: 18%
2019: 78.8%
Business owners say they have been seeing an increasing number of visitors and feel like the city is on the right track with getting tourists back.
“We've definitely noticed a steady increase of people coming back, but it’s not there yet,” said Neal James, the owner of Ye Olde Curiosity Shop on the waterfront. “We're hoping that this summer is going to be good, but, you know, we shall see.”
The Ye Olde Curiosity Shop has been in Seattle since 1899 and has been owned by James’ family from the beginning.
“My great great grandfather started it,” said James.
He said the store has always been frequented by tourists and said the pandemic was a hard time for them with tourism taking a big hit.
“It was rough, and it was extra rough down here because all of us had already been through all the construction that has been going on out here for so long,” said James about construction in the waterfront area.
Neal said each summer since the pandemic there have been more visitors, and he is hopeful that will continue to be the case going forward.
“I don't expect that we're fully going to feel like it's back until next year probably,” said James. “But I hope that this summer can at least feel more like, or pretty close to, a normal summer.”
While Neal’s business is down on the waterfront, businesses in Pioneer Square also get a lot of business from tourists.
“We have three hotels within like a three block radius,” said Jesse Spring, the owner of Bad Bishop in Pioneer Square. “So that really, really helps a lot. And there are the underground tours down here and some people go to baseball games, and soccer games.”
Spring said he has seen both foot traffic from office workers and tourists picking back up and he is hopeful it will continue.
“I just watch people go up and down the streets and seeing more and more traffic coming,” said Spring. “It's a steady increase and it's really awesome to see.”
He said big events seem to bring in a lot of visitors and he hopes the city will continue to bring in shows, attractions, and sporting events that attract visitors.