Hurricanes Harvey and Irma Damaged Travel for Weeks
In the case of Houston, international arrivals fell 56.9% during the hurricane impact period (25-31 August) and it was six weeks until visitor arrivals returned to pre-hurricane levels. In the case of Miami, international arrivals fell 36.7% during the hurricane impact period (7-17 September) and it was nine weeks until visitor arrivals returned to pre-hurricane levels.
The negative impact on their respective states, Texas and Florida was similar but not quite so pronounced, with international arrivals during the hurricane impact period down 23.4% in Texas and down 31.9% in Florida. Looking at the ten-week period following the hurricanes, both Houston and Miami suffered a double-digit decline in international visitors, with Houston down 11.6% and Miami 12.8%.
In Texas, Dallas and Austin actually benefited when Houston limited its airport operations. During the hurricane impact period, international arrivals in Dallas jumped 13.3 % and in Austin 23.1%. However, in the aftermath, travel to all three Texas airports has fallen below pre-hurricane levels.
Olivier Jager, CEO, Forward Keys, said: “One would not expect the travel disruption caused by even a very bad storm, to a major first-world city, to last more than a few days. So, when you see the impact of these hurricanes on international visitor arrivals, enduring for several weeks, it underlines the severity of the damage they caused.”
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