A travel agency reorganized accommodation for numerous individuals following the cancellation of two-year-old bookings, which were then resold at increased rates
Hotel rates in states that will be affected by Monday’s solar eclipse have reached unimaginable heights. Travelling from different regions of the country, several eclipse fans have found that their bookings were cancelled and resold for several times the original cost.
It is predicted that millions of Americans would travel to see one of the most amazing astronomical events in recent memory. It is anticipated that the moon will pass through fifteen states, as well as portions of Mexico and Canada, during its total lunar eclipse. This will provide local businesses a significant economic boost of over a billion dollars.
Travellers looking for lodging during the “great American eclipse” have been met with high rates and completely reserved motels. An investigation by the New York Times found that a motel in Grayville, Illinois, was charging almost ten times the going cost for rooms.
According to research by Chase Travel, hotel and airfare bookings for Buffalo, New York, tripled over the same period last year, when up to a million people are expected to come together for a perfect viewing spot during the eclipse.
Two years ago, reservations at two hotels in Buffalo were cancelled, forcing a travel firm to reschedule accommodations for more than 150 people during the last minute rush. According to Chris Donnelly, owner of Sugar Tours, rooms that were first going to cost $129 to $159 were cancelled and resold for $450 or more. He called this “total price gouging.”
“It was obvious that the goal was to maximise profits,” Donnelly said. “I believe they just sold our rooms without ever entering them into the system, nor telling us until thirty days in advance. I have been in this industry for thirty years, and I haven’t seen anything like this.”
The Aloft Buffalo Airport and Hampton Inn & Suites Buffalo Airport are owned by the Manga Hotel Group, which blamed an overbooking fault for the cancellations of rooms. It made clear that no cancelled rooms were offered for sale as brand-new bookings.
The region’s tourism bureau, Visit Buffalo Niagara (VBN), said it helped people who got cancellation notifications and said it didn’t like that people cancelled hotel reservations.
“We find it shameful that longtime customers and new visitors are being treated this way,” said Patrick Kaler, president and CEO of VBN. It is immoral to prioritise avarice over the enjoyment of tourists and the reputation of the place.”
