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business Monday 4 May 2020
Battered global tourism industry makes reopening plans

By DEE-ANN DURBIN "I don't think my desire to
AP Business Writer travel and explore other
Six months ago, the global places is worth my risking
tourism industry was cel- the health of people in
ebrating a record year for those places," Barnes said.
travel. Now, it's decimated Others remain optimis-
and facing a recovery that tic. Dedy Sulistiyanto, the
could take years. owner of a tour and ad-
Tourism Economics, a data venture provider in Bali,
and consulting firm, pre- Indonesia, has been pro-
dicts global travel demand moting his business on so-
won't resume its normal cial media while it's closed.
pace until 2023. He has received so many
When tourists do finally positive responses that he
return, they will face a thinks tourism will resume
changed landscape that quickly when restrictions
incorporates social distanc- are lifted. Most of his clients
ing and other measures to are domestic tourists from
calm residual fears over Indonesia.q
COVID-19, the disease that
has so far killed more than
244,000 people worldwide
and infected millions more.
"It takes time to shake fear In this March 21, 2020 file photo, a sign advises people to practice social distancing to slow the
from the hearts of people, spread of the coronavirus at the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada" sign amid a shutdown
not to mention the econo- of casinos along the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas.
my," said Mahmoud Had- Associated Press.
houd, founder of Egypt service and lengthen- sees almost all of its tourists fortable with reopening.
Knight Tours, who doesn't ing dining hours so fewer arrive by air. Diklah Cohen Marco Michielli, who owns
expect foreign tourists to guests will be eating at the Sheinfeld, chief of staff of the 67-room San Marco
start trickling back into same time. the Israeli Tourism Ministry's Hotel in Bibione, a beach
Egypt until September. The road to recovery will director general's office, resort east of Venice, Italy,
Last week, Hilton, Marriott be long and hard for the said the tourism industry — said many hoteliers worry
and Airbnb all announced tourism industry. The United which employs 250,000 Is- their businesses will be ru-
enhanced cleaning pro- Nations World Tourism Or- raelis — was the first to be ined if the virus spreads
cedures worldwide to ease ganization predicts global impacted and will likely be on their properties. Some
travelers' minds. In Egypt, tourist arrivals — or visits the last to recover. would rather reopen next
Hadhoud is removing cruis- from tourists who come to "There are no tourists and year than serve guests this
es and hot air balloon rides their destinations and stay no entry to the country for summer with desk staff and
from his packages and re- at least one night — will fall tourists. The gates are to- bartenders wearing masks.
placing them with tours of 30% this year from the re- tally closed," she said. ''If we have rules approved
Egypt's vast western des- cord 1.5 billion in 2019. Air- In some places, govern- by the ministry, some ho-
erts, where travelers can lines have grounded nearly ments are stepping in to tel owners would be con-
keep their distance from two-thirds of their planes as help the sector. Serge vinced to start to open. But
one another. passengers vanish. Cruise Cachan, president of the if the hotel must look like a
At Universal Studios in Or- ships are docked; some Astotel hotel chain in Paris, COVID ward, many will re-
lando, Florida, multiple won't sail again until No- closed his 17 properties in fuse to open to guests,'' he
teams are working on sce- vember. March and expects to lose said.
narios, including putting Millions of people who de- 70% of his business this year. Others say they need re-
more space between rid- pend on tourism are laid But the French government assurance from science
ers on roller coasters, said off or furloughed. In the U.S. will help the chain get — not just tourist sites — be-
John Sprouls, the resort's alone, an estimated 8 mil- through it, he said. The gov- fore they travel.
chief administrative officer, lion tourism-related work- ernment is paying around Ema Barnes visited a dozen
at a recent virtual event for ers are jobless right now, 80% of furloughed hotel countries last year, includ-
tourism officials. or about one-third of total workers' salaries. ing Serbia, Vietnam and
Wynn Resorts CEO Matt U.S. unemployment, said Ander Fuentes, who works Chile. This year, she had
Maddox said his company Roger Dow, the president as a tour guide in Spain's planned trips to Jordan
may sanitize dice between and CEO of the U.S. Travel Granada province, thinks and South Korea.
users, put fewer seats at Association. travelers will shift away from But right now, Barnes is
blackjack tables and idle Alexandre de Juniac, CEO crowded beaches to the working remotely in a tiny
slot machines between of the International Air quieter interior mountains. town in her native New
players at its casinos in Las Transport Association, the "It could be an opportu- Zealand. Airports near her
Vegas, Boston and Macau. leading airline trade group, nity to develop a new kind are closed, so she's not sure
Gary Thulander, managing said carriers need to fill at of tourism, which is going when she'll get back to
director of Chatham Bars least 70% of seats to break to be good for Spain, be- New York, where she works
Inn, a 106-year-old resort on even on most flights. If cause in the last 10 years, in publishing.
Cape Cod, said the resort they're required to block or the tourism boom has been Barnes said she needs
is planning many changes remove many seats, they in quantity but not in qual- some peace of mind — a
when it reopens this sum- will either stop flying or raise ity," Fuentes said. He hopes COVID-19 vaccine, or test-
mer, including checking in prices 50%, he said. tourism there picks back up ing to make sure she isn't
guests via cell phones, let- That will delay recovery by mid-August. a carrier — before she re-
ting them opt out of room for places like Israel, which But not everyone is com- sumes her travels.