How Has COVID-19 Affected the Tourism Industry?

It’s the topic on everyone’s minds today: the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19 seems to be affecting every aspect of our lives. But how is the tourism industry affected in Sarasota, FL?

The relationship between coronavirus and tourism in Sarasota, FL is fairly intricate and complex, and continues to change each day. New policies and precautionary procedures that are being established nearly every hour are keeping this industry in flux. Following are a few projections of how this will play out in the near future and down the road.

Foreign travel

Much of the tourism in the United States is domestic travel, but the tourism industry also relies heavily on visitors from other nations, such as China. Because China and other nations are placing bans on travel outside of their own countries, and the U.S. is putting similar restrictions in place prohibiting international travel, this will greatly impact the tourism industry.

From Chinese travel alone, the U.S. tourism industry expects to take a $10.3 billion loss over the next three to four years, according to Tourism Economics. The impact of these losses will be felt in waves and trickles throughout the tourism industry over time.

Hotel industry

Of course, as fewer travelers make their way to the United States, the hotel industry will experience losses. Visitors from China typically spend over two weeks in hotels when they visit, so their absence alone will have major impact. Hotel chains nationwide expect a total loss of $4.6 billion this year. Florida will feel this impact less, with the states of California, Utah, Oregon and New York taking the biggest hits from a lack of visitors from China.

General impact

As far as how the tourism industry is affected in Sarasota, FL, time will tell what the ultimate impact will be. Losses are expected, and businesses are taking measures to weather the storm and come out on the other side of the coronavirus crisis intact. Certain types of businesses may have to push pause on their offerings until the threat has passed. Others will need to reduce services or adjust how their services are delivered to ensure the safety of their customers.

Clearly, coronavirus and tourism in Sarasota, FL are intricately linked. The hope is to restore typical business operations once this crisis is over. Here at Charter Boat Shark, we are committed to the safety and wellbeing of our staff and clients. We are determined to make decisions that will move us forward so we can continue to provide industry-leading services to our customers both now and once we’ve made it through this difficult time.

Learn more

Would you like to learn more about how the tourism industry is affected in Sarasota, FL? Feel free to contact the team at Charter Boat Shark with any questions. We provide a genuine fishing experience for our clients. We own two 41-foot super sport fisherman boats, and our fishermen are Coast Guide-licensed captains. Give us a call to find out more about our services and how we can help you understand coronavirus and tourism in Sarasota, FL.

Categorised in: Florida Tourism