First-quarter U.S. hotel bookings made using HotelHub technology dropped nearly 7.8 percent year over year, according to the company. The decline, which it called "striking," was an outlier among other large Western countries, according to HotelHub, which provides travel management companies with hotel booking technology.
Total global first-quarter bookings "changed little" year over year at more than 1.9 million, according to HotelHub. Average daily hotel rates also held steady globally year over year, according to the company.
HotelHub in a statement noted year-over-year Q1 hotel booking increases of nearly 10 percent in Canada, more than 7 percent in the United Kingdom and more than 3 percent in France.
The drop in U.S. hotel bookings came during the incoming Trump administration's actions on tariffs, government spending and international relations, which have had some effect on government and business travel.
"It is too early to say whether this trend points to a definitive shift away from travel to the U.S.; however, the increased booking volume in other regions may be indicative of businesses upping their in-person meetings as they navigate the implications of inconsistent U.S. policy," HotelHub said.
First-quarter hotel bookings in Washington, D.C., dropped 7 percent year over year and those in New York City dropped 13 percent, according to HotelHub.
Global ADR increased 0.19 percent in the first quarter to $177. Average rates in Los Angeles (down $44 to $242) and Toronto (down $40 to $219) each declined 15 percent year over year, while ADR in New York, Paris and London each dropped more than 3 percent.