On December 14th, Rachel, J.C. Fu, PhD, Chair of the UF Department of Tourism Hospitality and Event Management, and Director of the Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute spoke with the Wall Street Journal to give her perspective on the current tourism numbers and what they reveal.
WSJ: What is the general prognosis for travel now in light of the pandemic?
Dr. Fu: No one would have predicted in March 2020 that we’d be able to travel domestically and internationally by now. Omicron has just become a stressor for this winter. The world is still waiting to learn more about this variant. Is it less life-threatening but more contagious? How can we travel smarter and safer? Shall I ask my family and friends to take rapid COVID tests before our holiday gatherings? We can see the bright side, assuming virus issues are solved collaboratively and in a timely manner.
Whatever businesses can turn this crisis into an opportunity will succeed. Whoever can adapt will gain customers’ trust.
WSJ: What parts of the country are people traveling to?
Dr. Fu: Nationally, we can see that travel flows have been increasing in making trips to destinations such as Florida, New York, Colorado, and various national parks since summer 2021. One reason for this was that…READ THE FULL ARTICLE
