File photo
File photo
Waco’s tourism industry, which has suffered greatly because of the COVID-19, appears to be on the comeback trail.
Recent unemployment figures from the Texas Workforce Commission show that Waco’s jobless rate dipped from 10.5% to 10% between April and May.
The decrease is attributed in part to attractions like the Dr Pepper Museum and the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum receiving visitors again, as well as a 10.8% rise in the local lodging occupancy rate, the Waco Tribune-Herald reported.
Carla Pendergraft with the Waco Convention Center told the publication that Waco’s 40.3% showing in May was better than the statewide norm of 36.2%.
A major bright spot was the July 1 reopening of the Waco Hilton.
“We are all trying to hire our team members back, but a few have found employment elsewhere during this time and some have moved,” manager Justin Edwards told the Tribune-Herald.
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