This week is National Tourism and Travel Week. During this period of staying home, the travel industry is suffering a devastating loss. In the vacation-rich region Lakeland is located, this is particularly concerning – as Central Florida tourism is a $75 billion industry.
It’s still too soon to tell exactly how much the pandemic will affect tourism in the coming months, but here’s what we know so far, by the numbers:
- 1.7M Floridians have filed for unemployment – many of them working in the local tourism or hospitality industry.
- 6. Florida’s ranking in WalletHub’s recent list of States Hit Hardest by COVID-19’s Impact on Tourism. To find these rankings, WalletHub compared 50 states (and D.C.) across metrics like the share of businesses in travel + tourism-related industries to travel spending per travel employee, and presence of stay-at-home orders. Hawaii was ranked no. 1 and Arkansas was ranked no. 51.
- $2 billion. The estimated loss FL hotels dropped in revenue, compared to last year.
While the tourism sector is by no means alone in its suffering – this crisis is making an impact on all areas of our community – in honor of National Tourism and Travel Week, we want to challenge our readers to support our fellow Lakelanders working in that industry in whatever way they can.
This could be an act as simple as grabbing takeout from your favorite restaurant, or shopping locally for a small gift for a friend (or frontline worker). It could also mean planning that staycation you’ve always dreamed about; booking a stay at a local hotel or sending money to an out-of-work server in Lakeland.
Whatever you opt to do, make sure to share it with us by using #LALtoday on social media to spread your positive message.