According to Thursday data, jobs quickly being lost in the hotel industry

The American Hotel and Lodging Association released data yesterday indicating that nearly 400,000 jobs have been cut in the State of Florida amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Florida hotels, and businesses that support the hotel industry, have made the layoffs as industry executives close or limit access to hotels, theme parks, beaches, bars and restaurants to contain the fast-spreading virus, also known as COVID-19.

“Hotels last year were, on average, roughly 67% full,” Chip Rogers, president and CEO of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, noted in a published interview that appeared in the Bradenton Herald. “This year, “We’re probably under 20% nationwide and headed south.  If, by the end of the year, we get up to 35% and nothing else happens, that will be about 4 million jobs lost.”

The hotel industry employs roughly 950,000 men and women in the state, according to the Association.  Florida’s tourism industry is vital to the state’s economy, producing billions of dollars in state and local taxes each year.

The Association said in the Thursday afternoon statement published by News Service of Florida that it is expecting 44 percent of hotel employees in every state will lose their jobs “in the coming weeks”.

American Hotel and Lodging Association and News Service Of Florida contributed information to this article, with our appreciation.