It’s not just Canada that’s taking it on the chin when it comes to tourism.
According to WCJT, a group that operates a PBS television station and National Public Radio station in Jacksonville, the Sunshine State is looking at a rather cloudy tourism picture for the second quarter of this year.
“Florida’s vital tourism industry suffered an estimated 60.5% drop in visitors as the COVID-19 pandemic hit hard during the year’s second quarter, with international travel off more than 90%,” they said.
During the second quarter, an estimated 12.801 million people — almost all traveling from other states — came to Florida as businesses were shut down in April and amid harried reopening efforts in May and June, according to numbers posted Sunday by the Visit Florida tourism-marketing agency.
In 2019, Florida recorded 32.4 million visitors in the second quarter and 68.2 million for the first six months. For the first half of 2020, the state saw its tourism numbers drop 35.2 percent, attracting 44.188 million visitors.
Unless things turn around in the final quarter, typically one of the busier ones for Florida tourism, the yearly numbers will be nothing short of disastrous. And that’s a terrible thing for so many workers in the business.
As a dedicated Florida lover who’s been up and down the state dozens of times, I find it personally heartbreaking as well.
The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse in Florida. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Of course, this goes for states all over the U.S., including Hawaii, California, New York and Texas. And it’s a similar story for countries around the world, including Canada, the UK and others.
Some folks in the tourism business have been hoping that visits from locals might help make up for the loss of international visitors. But it’s been a struggle for most operators.
According to the most recent Longwoods International tracking study of American travellers, the inconsistent and ever-changing travel restrictions and health protocols across cities and states is causing American travellers to be hesitant about traveling in the U.S.
About half of U.S. travellers are aware of there are different restrictions regarding travel in various destinations they might visit, but they are unclear exactly what those restrictions are. And about four in ten American travellers are aware that different destinations have instituted individual health protocols (mask and social distancing requirements), but they are confused about the precise protocols for destinations they are considering.
“The price for not having a standard response to COVID-19 across the country or even within a given state is that travelers are confused about how each destination is reacting to the pandemic,” said Amir Eylon, President and CEO of Longwoods International. “And that confusion leads to overall safety concerns and is a barrier to consumer travel, further damaging the tourism industry coast to coast.”
According to the survey, 40% of American travelers do not feel safe traveling outside their home communities. And only 45% feel safe dining in local restaurants and shopping in local stores. This last factor is critical to monitor as leisure travel is unlikely to accelerate its growth until more travelers become more comfortable moving around within their own communities.
I know a lot of folks who are out there moving about, but I get the feeling that most Canadians don’t even want to wander into the next town, let alone drive from Ontario to Quebec or B.C. to Alberta.
