OCEAN CITY, Md. - Ocean City tourism and hospitality leaders say softer May tourism numbers are worth watching, but may not define the rest of the summer season.
The town’s latest tourism report showed hotel occupancy was down year over year in May, while revenue per available room dropped nearly 25%. Hospitality leaders and hotel managers said the month was affected by poor Memorial Day weekend weather and the absence of Boardwalk Rock, a major May concert that helped boost numbers last year.
Susan Jones, executive director of OCMD Hospitality, said May was different from past years for two major reasons.
“We certainly had a different May this past May,” Jones said. “We not only had the horrible weather on Memorial Day weekend, we also did not have the concert.”
Jones said events are important because they give people a reason to travel even when the weather does not cooperate. She pointed to youth sports tournaments as an example, saying families still came to Ocean City for a basketball tournament during Memorial Day weekend despite the weather.
“We really do need a sports complex,” Jones said. “They don’t care about the weather.”
Keith Whisenant, general manager of the Residence Inn by Marriott in Ocean City, said his hotel did not see the same level of decline reflected in the broader report. He said May was hurt by two specific factors: the loss of Boardwalk Rock revenue and a rainy Memorial Day weekend.
“May’s the outlier because of the events structure and the washout Memorial Day weekend,” Whisenant said.
Whisenant said the hotel had strong weekends after Memorial Day, including the first weekend in June and Juneteenth weekend. He said July Fourth bookings were also strong, with only a room or two left to sell at the time of the interview.
Tom Perlozzo, Ocean City’s tourism and business development director, said the town uses pacing reports to monitor hotel and short-term rental bookings, but the data does not include every property in town.
Perlozzo said May was down compared with last year because Ocean City lost a major event. However, he said when comparing May 2026 with years before Boardwalk Rock, the town views the month as being more in line with past performance.
“Short-term rentals, hotel bookings, seem to me on par with every other year here,” Perlozzo said.
Perlozzo also said weather plays a major role in beach travel, especially as booking windows shrink. He said some visitors are waiting longer to book trips, making decisions closer to their travel dates based on the forecast.
Jones said the industry is also seeing shorter stays and more careful spending. She said higher costs for gas and other expenses are affecting how people budget for vacations.
Still, hospitality leaders said there is cautious optimism for July and August. Jones said advance reservations are pacing ahead, while Perlozzo said the town is adjusting its marketing based on visitor interest, feeder markets and booking trends.
Jones said Ocean City businesses also need to focus on service once visitors arrive.
“We absolutely have to shine when it comes to service,” Jones said.
