The US tourism industry is about to "revive" after 18 months of closure

 The US tourism industry is about to "revive" after 18 months of closure

The US government will spend $ 314 million to support 34 states and the District of Columbia to revive the tourism and travel industry; at the same time as lifting travel restrictions for foreign visitors from 33 countries.

International arrivals to the US fell 75.5% in 2020, and spending from foreign visitors fell 64.3%, or about $150 billion. Areas along the U.S. border with Mexico and Canada were hardest hit, as the tourism industry relies on foreign visitors.

Starting from November 8, travelers from 33 countries can enter the US provided that they have received 2 doses of the vaccine (approved by the US CDC) and tested negative for COVID-19 before departure. Among the 33 countries are important US markets such as China, Europe, India, Mexico and Canada.

Visitors from Canada arrived in the US on November 8, after the US opened its doors to international visitors. Source: Reuters

The US Department of Commerce announced on November 8 that the agency had awarded $314 million in grants to 34 states and the District of Columbia to "revive" travel, tourism and entertainment. US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said the tourism industry is still struggling, but will be stimulated quickly due to high demand: "People are worried about travel, but the demand is still there. I think we are about to see real increases in this area.”

At the US-Canada border area, the reopening of tourism has unleashed "huge pent-up demand" of visitors after nearly 20 months of restrictions. Ms. Marty Firestone's travel insurance company said its business grew 25% last month, compared with the same period in 2019.

According to statistics from Canada, about 12.5 million cars crossed the country's border to travel to the US in 2019. Mr. Patrick Kaler - CEO of Visit Buffalo Niagara said that Canadians do it. hundreds of thousands of cross-border trips, including stay or return on the day and spending nearly 1 billion USD per year, in the period before the Covid-19 pandemic.

United Airlines President Brett Hart forecasts international travel will return to pre-pandemic levels by 2022 as bookings to Europe have surpassed 2019 levels, but to Asia remains slow. According to the Trivago platform, travel demand from Europe to the US has skyrocketed after the reopening announcement a few weeks ago, especially from the UK, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Italy and Greece.

Not only for the United States, the return of international tourists to the United States plays an important role in the recovery of global tourism, especially when many destinations struggle because of the absence of the Chinese market. Mr. Steve Lima - Sales Director of G Adventures said that the reopening of the US will be a catalyst for other countries, in announcing international pickup protocols and adding air connections.

For cruise lines, this is also a good sign. Jennifer Tombaugh, President of Tauck, said this is a great step forward for the US tourism industry, and affirmed that the world has made new progress in fighting Covid-19. Ms. Tombaugh affirmed that international tourists are very eager to travel, so the US or other destinations around the world need to be prepared.