SEATTLE — Demand for downtown Seattle hotels has officially surpassed pre-pandemic levels, potentially marking a significant milestone in the city's economic recovery.
According to new data released by the Downtown Seattle Association (DSA), total visitors and the number of average daily in-person workers also increased last month.
"There is an optimism and a commitment to our downtown and to our city," said DSA President Jon Scholes. "It's more economic activity, more jobs, more small business, more tax revenue for our city, which benefits everyone in the city whether you work in downtown Seattle or not."
Each month, DSA releases a new set of numbers showing the economic impact on the area after COVID-19.
On Wednesday, the data for July was released, revealing growth in all key metrics.
Nearly 3.1 million people visited downtown last month, which equates to 94% of the visitors seen in July 2019, just months before the pandemic started.
During that same time, more than 400,000 hotel rooms were sold downtown, which is the highest monthly total since 2020, slightly surpassing the July 2019 demand.
According to the DSA, there was also an average of 90,000 daily in-person workers downtown last month, a 14% increase over the same time last year, and 62% of the daily workforce was seen in July 2019.
"It means more business for our small businesses and the opportunity to open new businesses," Scholes said. "There's a lot to see that's back, that's reopened and alive again. But also new things that are coming. New restaurants, new attractions, the aquarium expansion that will be open later this month and a few short months from new, a brand new waterfront."