How to Prepare for Future Election Cycles as a Hotelier

Travel patterns impact business travel and the perception of safety that folks have as they make their way around the country. How attuned are you to how they might impact your business or region?

Travel Weekly and Investopedia cited hospitality experts who noted the presidential race’s impact on the hotel business heading into the election just weeks back. The two aren’t generally thought of by the public as influencing one another, but that doesn’t mean they exist in two different worlds. What should you be considering as the country looks toward future election cycles?

Security will always be a concern

The United States is in a space where political violence is a constant threat on the minds of plenty of Americans, and there is no reason that hotels would be immune to such pressures and potential unrest.

Researchers from Florida International University have already acknowledged that luxury hotels, in particular, have been a target for terrorists in years past and also that they may continue to be in the years to come.

At this point, the specter of any attack might be especially troubling because of strikes happening across the country.

Hotel workers are pushing for better pay and benefits, but in the short term, hotels need to think about how they can adequately consider and prepare for these threats with a staff that isn’t as robust as they would want in an ideal world.

If you’re in a city with political events or high-level personnel, be on high alert

Larger political events can attract many travelers and paid-for rooms to your hotel, but that also comes with some complications today.

Having the country’s eyes on a particular city could make hotels there much more susceptible to political and religious zealots who feel they have a salient point to prove. You can no longer plan for these huge events without considering the outside factors that might impact your guests’ experience.

The most recent Democratic National Committee meeting took place in Chicago. The event’s Republican counterpart took place in Milwaukee.

Before Republican leaders picked a location, cities like Nashville, Pittsburgh, and Salt Lake City were all under consideration. If rampant political unrest means that people travel less, it could impact your bottom line, but it could also be on the minds of your guests whether their fears are overtly political in nature or not.

Political unrest could mean less travel

The Austin-based Texas Hotel & Lodging Association found in 2023 that geopolitical turmoil impacted both domestic and international travel, which affected the operations of hotels and motels in the state.

Immigration concerns, for example, might have kept travelers from China and Russia that might have otherwise entered the country.

A longstanding iteration of the conflict between Israel and Hamas also impacted the industry in Texas and the United States more generally, as consumers seek to make their opinions known and respond to a government that may well be engaged in activities that some citizens are uncomfortable with.

NBC News reported that many Americans found themselves reconsidering travel just before the most recent election because of what they thought could be political violence, depending on the result. Wherever you stand on the political spectrum, if your prospective guests have that concern, you had better be considering them and how you can respond formally or informally.

Cybercrime is a concern, too

Almost every modern American business manages a significant portion of its operations online, leaving it open to exploitation.

Hackers and other bad actors don’t mind creating chaos with a political aim, and a hotel where some government bigwigs might be staying, or frequenting could be a target under the right circumstances.

If foreign nations like Russia, China, and Cuba can actively sow discord on social media, there’s a case to be made that bad domestic actors could attack a hotel with the intent to disrupt or undermine a political event, especially during midterms or another federal election year.