Influx of March Madness fans boosting local hotels

Local hotels are hoping for a March Madness rush with the announcements that Mackey Arena will host several games as part of the 2021 NCAA men's basketball tournament and that 1,400 fans will be allowed.

Since the beginning of the pandemic.

That's resulted in mass layoffs and a grim outlook for the future.

News 18's joe paul spoke with a local hotel manager and an industry expert about why they're excited for an influx of basketball fans.

He joins us live with more from those conversations.

Joe?

Only 14-hundred fans will be allowed inside mackey arena when it hts several games for the 2021 ncaa men's basketball tournament.

But even a limited number of fans could provide a critical boost in business for local hotels.

< nat pop the union club hotel at purdue university wants more calls from basketball fans catching ncaa tournament games at nearby mackey arena.

Wicks: "we've seen that weekend begin to be reserved, so we have a few fans coming in."

General manager vicki wicks says it's a welcome boost for the hotel, which reopened in the middle of the pandemic after major renovations wicks: "we've had not the year that we imagined but certainly a successful year in establishing ourselves here at the university."

Most people would rather see mackey packed to the brim for the tournament.

Wicks: "but the fact that we are just steps away from mackey arena, i think that we will have a little more impact than your typical hotel."

The 12 to 13 percent of seats reserved for fans is better than nothing for an industry hit hard by covid-19 restrictions.

Wade: "we'll take all the business we can get is really what i'm saying."

That's jo wilson wade, president and ceo of visit lafayette/west lafayette.

Wade: "and if it's 500 rooms, they'll be thrilled, the hotels will be thrilled to have that much business."

That could make-or- break an industry that laid off 95 percent of workers in indiana during the shutdown.

Tamm: "right now we have to be thankful for what we have and not what we don't."

Patrick tamm, president and ceo of the indiana restaurant and lodging association, says business won't rebound until 2024, so hosting tournament games is a reason for celebration.

Tamm: "hotels in the lafayette west lafayette area will experience some additional demand ... that gets that housekeeper some extra hours, the front desk some extra hours."

Wicks says the union club hotel is following all covid-19 guidelines to help guests feelse biggest challenges is making sure that that smile comes through regardless of a mask, right?

We want people to feel our genuine hospitality."

Basketball fans back at mackey: that's reason enough to.

Wicks: "we're in masks, we have hand sanitizer everywhere, but hope is on the horizon and i think that's wonderful for everyone."

Tamm tells me hotels nationwide are expecting their 2021 capacity to fall below 50 percent.

And wilson wade says hotels need to maintain 52 percent capacity to turn a profit.

So any bump in business right now is a good thing for their bottom line.

Reporting in tippecanoe county, joe paul, news 18.

Attorney general todd rokita is warning basketball fans to