SEATTLE — It’s early May, and Seattle’s tourist hot spots are all but empty.
Visit Seattle tracks hotel occupancy, and President and CEO Tom Norwalk says hotels that are usually 75% to 80% occupied now have just 8% of their rooms filled.
"It's as bad as I've ever seen it in my career," Norwalk said.
And yet, Norwalk is an optimist.
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"We're totally optimistic that we will get through this and that we'll see some summer travel. It may be regional in nature to start."
Norwalk predicts there may even be a few cruise ships by the end of the season.
He says whenever travel reopens, Washington will be well-positioned, because of the local approach to containing the virus.
"It's also a benefit to us long- term to hear so much about Seattle positively in the news," Norwalk said.
Across the country, planes are parked, and cruise ships are tied up.
Monday, Carnival became the first major cruise line to announce it will resume some cruises from Texas and Florida Aug. 1.
Also Monday, the U.S. Travel Association, an industry group, sent new guidelines to the White House and all 50 governors that include physical distancing, sanitizing, and using touchless technology for check -ins and payments.
President and CEO Roger Dow said high standards are needed across the industry.
"We're not going to tell people to travel before the health experts say it's safe to travel, and one city may be a little later than another city, but when it's ready we want the industry to be ready," Dow said.
Dow said people would start traveling again when they are confident it is safe and that the proper protocols are in place.
“That’s going to happen when a few of us venture out and start traveling. We come back and tell our friends, ‘Everything I saw in the hotel, everything I saw in the airport and on the plane were great,’” Dow said.
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