In PricewaterhouseCoopers' most recent U.S. lodging forecast, RevPAR (revenue per available room, which is the best indicator of the lodging industry's long-term financial health) was expected to decline by 15 percent in the fourth quarter of 2001. The study also predicts a total 7.1 percent decline in 2001 — the lowest since this type of data was first collected 34 years ago.