We’re entering what is normally summer vacation season. But flights are far from full, and highways aren’t so crowded as the coronavirus pandemic wears on.
Theme parks are popular getaways in the summer. They’re not open yet, but when guests are allowed back in, Universal Orlando Resort CEO John Sprouls says attendance will be capped.
“We know the paramount issue for our guests will be feeling safe in our parks. If they don’t feel safe, they won’t attend,” says Sprouls, who was part of the governor’s Reopen Florida Task Force.
He says planners are still trying to figure out how to avoid letting sick guests into the parks – and how to maintain social distancing. “We also anticipate a slow ramp up with respect to our hotels, our restaurants, the food venues, and retail shops,” Sprouls says. “We’re working with all of those different industries.”
The unknowns are keeping Triple-A Auto Club from delivering its annual Memorial Day travel forecast.
“It’ll be the first time in 20 years,” says Triple A Spokesman Mark Jenkins. “The real reason for that is just the economic fundamentals. The data that we typically collect to formulate these forecasts have been significantly undermined by COVID-19.”
He says consumer confidence is slowly improving, but the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still urging Americans to avoid nonessential travel. So Jenkins says family vacations are likely to be by car for a while, and close to home.
“We’re seeing on AAA.com that online bookings are rising, though modestly, since about mid-April. What that’s telling us is that travelers’ confidence is growing, and when it’s safe to travel, we believe vacationers will have more of a preference for US destinations, mostly local and regional locations,” Jenkins says. “People will be driving to their destination maybe for a day trip, and then as things continue, people get a little more confidence, the first trip goes smoothly, then they venture a little bit further out.”
It’s too soon to say how many people will take trips in the coming months, although Jenkins says tourism is making a shift. “The travel industry is in a state of transition. Industry leaders are looking at ways that they can evolve with the times and make travelers feel comfortable as they’re flying or as they’re staying in their hotel,” Jenkins says.
Triple-A expects to make travel projections for the late summer and fall, assuming states ease travel restrictions and businesses reopen.
