Houston should expect to see an increase in visitor traffic for the next couple of weeks tied to Spring Break and the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. According to Houston Airports, Spring Break is the first major travel rush of 2025, with expected inbound and outbound traveler estimates at around 2.3 million between March 6 and March 17.

In addition to Spring Break, major events, both leisure and business, will drive demand to the region. The Rodeo, which started with the annual World Championship BBQ cookoff at the end of February, runs through March 23 and will attract many spring breakers as well as visitors coming in specifically for the Rodeo.

Last year, the Rodeo drove occupancy rates at around 75% in the Medical Center/NRG submarket and promoted strong year over year gains across the Medical Center/NRG, Uptown/Greenway Plaza and CBD/Downtown submarkets. With HLSR expecting a record attendance year, estimated to be over 2.6 million attendees, Houston should expect similar rates of growth in the market. This expectation is showing up in the data, as March is currently tracking 19% ahead of last year for leisure bookings pace.

Beyond leisure events, Spring Break week will be a strong period for business demand as well. Starting March 10, the George R. Brown Convention Center will host CERAWeek, the foremost annual gathering for the energy sector, both domestically and internationally. CERAWeek is anticipated to host over 10,000 attendees and more than 1,400 speakers across 80 countries.

The incoming international traffic will benefit from the recent opening of IAH Terminal E Ticketing lobby, which was opened at the end of February. Last year, CERAWeek showed occupancy rates at over 80% Downtown at the height of the conference and compression in the Uptown/Galleria submarket with major gains in occupancy and ADR. The market should expect similar success from this year’s CERAWeek as business booking pace for March is currently 9.2% ahead of March 2024.

Written by Megan Henson