A new study released in Tourism Economics highlights how significant presidential inaugurations are in America as a way to boost tourism.
While the inauguration for the 46th President of the United States is expected to follow an unusual outcome, past inaugurations have been detrimental in exploring the extent of attraction for tourists compared to other tourist events.
Data racked from hotels as far back as 2010, showed the scope of tourism in the Washington D.C. area on inauguration day and thereafter.
The data led to the conclusion that the inaugurations for both the 44th and the 45th US presidents experienced the largest surge in hotel occupancy, more so than any other major tourism-related event, including sporting events.
“Regular events like baseball games may draw a few people from out of the area, but most are locals. You need something that is a once every couple – in this case, four– years event to get people to consider traveling,” one co-author of the study stated in a news release.
“My sense is that interest in attending inaugurals has come from lower relative costs of attendance over time, both because of improved roads and lower airplane costs, along with rising real incomes. It is far easier to get to Washington, D.C. from Morgantown since the completion of Interstate 68, for example,” the co-author explained.
The study was conducted at West Virginia University.
