Government contracts buoy Valley hotels — but long-term growth may hinge on tourism

If you’ve been to a hotel in the Rio Grande Valley in the last few years, you’ve likely noticed that lots of your fellow guests aren’t families on vacation or businesspeople traveling for work.

Instead of Hawaiian shirts or suits, many of the guests at Valley hotels are wearing fatigues or uniforms, and have been for years.

Law enforcement or military personnel make up a significant portion of guests at local hotels as part of border security operations. 

It’s not easy to put a firm number on the percentage of Valley hotel rooms being used by government employees, but industry experts agree that the number is high — some say between 30 and 60% at non-extended-stay locations, depending on the hotel and its location.