Coronavirus - History for the tourism industry

It is obvious that the COVID-19 is causing struggles in the economy of the sunshine state and across the country. The fast-paced health crisis has led to a massive decrease of travel and tourism. Worldwide flights were 70% lower from March to April and is expected to decline even more as restrictions rise in some regions according to IATA. Florida is the fourth state in the U.S. with more establishments dedicated to Leisure and Hospitality and is third in the country with the most employees in this industry. Visit Florida reports that the number of airline seats scheduled to fly to Florida airports in the next three months has declined significantly since February 29, 2020.

Likewise, hotels and lodging accommodations have been affected in the area. Although people at vacation rentals are able to finish their stay, further reservations have been suspended until April 30 (unless extended by another Executive Order). The results? A -77.6% year-over-year change in the number of hotel room-nights sold in Florida for the first week of April. This translates to a total of -$343.2M in hotel revenue compared to 2019 for the same week. 😞

What about the capital of amusement parks?

In the past years, Orlando recorded over 75 million domestic and international visitors annually, making it the most visited destination in the United States. Today, the pandemic has drifted away this marvelous trend and has forced Disney, Universal and many other attractions to close for the longest time in history. Never before the popular parks have been closed for more than 48 hours! Not even during hurricane season nor 9/11. You can now imagine the magnitude of this emergency in the industry.

Of course, it impossible for companies to keep their employees with this domino effect. Hence, unemployment has become a big concern as in the sunshine state tourism supports, directly and indirectly, nearly 1.5 million jobs 🙌🏻. Just to illustrate... After almost a month sustaining the payment of their team members, Disney and Universal are furloughing great part their employees (+77,000), beginning mid-April and May 3, respectively. Unfortunately, Sea World was forced to do the same but with almost 90% of their entire workforce at the beginning of the month. These are only a few examples that account for the 4.3% increase on the unemployment rate from February to March.

As this wasn't enough, let's take into account the 175 state parks and 35 state forests in Florida, which are being closed until further notice (with the exception of some beaches that are reopening now). This certainly means another huge impact for the industry as most popular activities for domestic visitors were going to the beach and waterfront. It's a bucket of cold water thrown over us 🏖️

Now, what about food and drinks? Sadly, most restaurants are suffering the same devastating fate. Although these establishments were allowed to remain opened as long as they follow the CDC recommendations, which basically means only for delivery and take-out services, they are still facing layoffs and losses. Many customers wonder if it is safe to consume food prepared by others and they don't know if might be contaminated...

We all hope this crisis doesn't go further, but the truth is that the picture is not very optimistic. Statistics project an uncertain future for all industries, mostly tourism and hospitality, which have been negatively and greatly impacted by COVID-19 worldwide.

Below you will find some tips for the Corona season in Florida.

TIPS:

• Where to find official information about COVID-19?

• Rest stops remain open, but make sure you have a transponder because tolls on FL's Turnpike are only being accepted electronically (no cash payments, you'll be billed through TOLL-BY-PLATE).

• Theme parks updates on tickets and operations: Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort, Busch Gardens, Legoland, and Sea World.

• Bars and clubs in Florida are closed. 

• A No Sail Order for cruise ships is in effect as of March 14, 2020.

• Roadside checkpoints are set up on interstates to check for potential COVID-19 cases.

• Other FL safety information.

• Want more roadtrip tips for this Summer? Check out this link.

Stay safe... and not less important, stay informed! Subscribe and follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter! #VIPToursFL