Article - Birmingham, Alabama Hotel Market: Setting Up to Knock It Out of the Park - By Brett Testa - With a steadily growing population that recently passed the one-million-residents mark, Birmingham is proving itself a rising star in the southeast following its swift recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The largest city in Alabama is now positioning itself as a leader in the field of sports entertainment.
The Magic City, so named because its soil contains the three elements needed to produce iron, was able to steel itself against long-term hospitality demand loss in 2020 better than many hotel markets across the U.S. The city’s proximity to outdoor demand generators, its rapidly growing sports entertainment industry, and the dedicated work of local municipal offices and aid organizations were all important factors that supported the swift recovery of Birmingham hotels.
Atlanta’s rise in reputation as the event and convention hub of the southeast, a vision first ignited by the hosting of the 1996 Olympics, reached a zenith in 2019 with the hosting of Super Bowl LIII, marking Atlanta’s second time hosting the Super Bowl in the last 20 years. The data below, provided by the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, illustrate the steady growth in visitors to the city and their spending in the years preceding the COVID-19 pandemic.