To quote a certain “billionaire” hotelier, this seems YUGE: Bookings for Donald Trump’s hotels have plummeted nearly 60% for the first half of the year, according to online travel website Hipmunk.
“The decrease in the share of hotel bookings going to a Trump property indicates that this particular audience chose other accommodation options over the Trump brand at a higher rate than they did the year prior,” said Hipmunk CEO.
“For the first quarter, it found reservations tumbled 59.36% compared with the previous quarter, and for the second quarter, the group suffered a 57.46% decline, according to Chipmunk.”
“The share of Trump bookings is smaller than the same time frame of 2015.”
According to some anecdotal testimony from nationwide travel agents, Donald Trump’s racist rhetoric — which has only gotten worse since the launch of his campaign, despite laughable claims that a “general election pivot” is approaching — is driving away potential customers.
Robin Neil, a travel agent from Seattle, say several clients have told her flat-out “anything but a Trump hotel.” “I don’t question it,” she says, adding, “I am not going out of my way to support or sell his properties.”
Timothy Arnold, a meeting planner from Dallas, says his experience also reflects the Hipmunk numbers. “I have sourced Trump hotels for many meetings, but have not booked one since Donald Trump threw his hat in the ring for president,” he says.
There’s a pragmatic reason for steering clear of a Trump hotel, he adds. “The majority of my clients feel that booking one of his hotels would be too polarizing right now, potentially driving away a good portion of their members,” he says.
“There is clear concern about driving away attendees who are or might be against his bigotry, racism, xenophobia, and intolerance.”
Last year following his despicable remarks calling immigrants from Mexico criminals and “rapists,” Americans across the nation launched “Dump Trump” campaigns that saw the Presidential candidate’s products removed from Macy’s, as well as forced an end to his business relationships and deals with Univision, Televisa, NBCUniversal, NASCAR, Serta, the PGA, and many others.
