More hotel beds means more opportunity the city’s head of tourism says.
Paul Pepe said council’s approval Monday of a new 140-room Marriott hotel is great news because the city had the second highest hotel occupancy rates in the country in 2011.
“Business here is booming across a number of sectors,” Pepe said Tuesday. “All of our markets are showing an upswing in growth.”
That growth is being seen in everything from sports tourism to mining. And because a hotel’s decision to move to a city is market driven, operators do their due diligence before building.
“It’s a sign of confidence,” Pepe said.
The lack of hotel rooms in the city has put Thunder Bay at a disadvantage because it cannot compete for events. Every new hotel room is a step toward bigger successful bid Pepe said.
