The coronavirus continues to give what to talk in the United States. She is back in force in Floridawith more intensity than in the rest of the country.
This could affect summer tourism in Miamiwhich is experiencing the largest wave of COVID-19 infections since the Omicron variant swept through the region in January.
According to figures According to the Florida Department of Health, as of June 13, the positivity rate for coronavirus tests in Miami-Dade soared to 21% from 5% in early April, prompting alarm from health officials. local public health and turned one of America’s top tourist destinations into a coronavirus hot spot.
The last time Miami-Dade saw positivity levels this high was during the Omicron wave, when the county hit a 35% positivity rate.
It is true that tour operators in Miami have recovered considerably during the winter and are taking advantage of the strong momentum of the summer season. But the sector remains a source of revenue for Miami-Dade, so another pandemic-induced travel shutdown would be devastating for airlines, hotels, cruise lines and local restaurants and bars.
Although the coronavirus threatens the area and much of the United States again, more and more tourists say they are not scrapping summer travel plans, since much of the adult population is vaccinated and reinforced. Unlike the invasion of the Omicron variant in late December and early January, which forced a drop in tourism to Miami during the busy winter months, the new wave doesn’t appear to have instilled that level of travel fear in consumers. .
“Most people already have the mentality that it is an endemic and not a pandemic,” he told the newspaper. miami herald Michael Cheng, dean of the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Florida International University. “Most people who get it today seem to treat it as a minor inconvenience. People have overcome the mentality of fear of COVID and its consequences,” he added.
Cheng predicted that “if there will be a bump” in summer tourism in Miami, “it will be very short.” As COVID-19 cases approached the week of June 6, Miami-Dade hotels had an average occupancy of 67% and an average daily room rate of $205, compared to 74% average occupancy to $155 a night during the same week in 2019, before the pandemic, according to data from STR, a hospitality analytics company.
Glenn Sampert, the general manager of the Intercontinental Hotel in downtown Miami, said there have been some recent virus-related cancellations, but not many.
“Recently we have experienced some last minute cancellations due to people getting sick, or a close family member. However, there are no signs of significant cancellations. Our booking trend remains strong,” he stated.
And while the area suffered from outbreaks of the virus during the worst of the pandemic, cruise ships are now booming. Leading world cruise lines including Royal Caribbean and Carnival, both based in Miami, said they have had record passenger bookings for summer and fall voyages.
