The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on many of America’s “non-essential” industries. That includes tourism, as countless attractions have closed down, from commercial hotspots like Disney World to natural wonders like Grand Canyon National Park. Even if tourist spots were open, though, they wouldn’t see much business, as Americans are either encouraged or mandated to practice social distancing and stay at home.
As tourism suffers, workers will bear the brunt of the difficulty. According to data from the U.S. Travel Association and Tourism Economics, there could be as many as 5.9 million jobs lost due to declining travel by the end of April. However, the stimulus package signed by President Trump may provide some aid to the industry in the form of business loans, tax relief and other financial support.
Some states have taken more of a blow to their travel industries during the COVID-19 crisis than others. In order to find out which states have been hit the hardest, travel experts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 10 key metrics.
The research found that overall, Hawaii tourism industry was the most affected due to COVID-19.
COVID-19 Impact on Tourism in Hawaii (1=Most Affected, 25=Avg.):
- 2nd – Share of Travel & Tourism Industry Generated GDP
- 2nd – Share of Businesses in Travel & Tourism-Related Industries
- 1st – Share of Employment in Travel & Tourism-Related Industries
- 18th – Default Probability on Loans of Businesses in Travel & Tourism Industry
- 1st – Travel & Tourism Consumer Spending per Capita
- 14th – Travel Spending Per Travel Employee
- 1st – Share of Consumer Expenditures on Travel
The research data set ranges from share of businesses in travel and tourism-related industries to travel spending per travel employee and presence of stay-at-home orders.
States Where COVID-19 Has Had the Biggest Impact on Tourism
Overall Rank | State | Total Score | ‘State Dependency on Travel & Tourism Industry’ Rank | ‘State Aggressiveness Against Coronavirus’ Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Hawaii | 81.38 | 1 | 2 |
2 | Montana | 67.75 | 3 | 10 |
3 | Nevada | 66.92 | 2 | 41 |
4 | Vermont | 64.60 | 5 | 5 |
5 | Massachusetts | 61.38 | 11 | 4 |
6 | Florida | 60.77 | 4 | 29 |
7 | New Hampshire | 59.64 | 6 | 18 |
8 | District of Columbia | 59.50 | 7 | 15 |
9 | New York | 59.33 | 8 | 14 |
10 | California | 56.88 | 10 | 23 |
11 | Maine | 56.70 | 15 | 8 |
12 | Rhode Island | 56.56 | 16 | 3 |
13 | Connecticut | 55.25 | 12 | 21 |
14 | Alaska | 55.16 | 17 | 1 |
15 | Wyoming | 54.45 | 9 | 45 |
16 | New Mexico | 53.49 | 14 | 12 |
17 | Maryland | 52.85 | 21 | 6 |
18 | Colorado | 52.52 | 13 | 36 |
19 | Arizona | 49.25 | 18 | 24 |
20 | Idaho | 48.38 | 19 | 29 |
21 | Washington | 47.89 | 22 | 17 |
22 | Tennessee | 47.66 | 20 | 33 |
23 | Delaware | 46.95 | 34 | 7 |
24 | Illinois | 45.89 | 23 | 28 |
25 | Oregon | 45.45 | 24 | 31 |
26 | South Carolina | 44.70 | 25 | 34 |
27 | Louisiana | 44.68 | 27 | 22 |
28 | Georgia | 43.78 | 28 | 35 |
29 | Virginia | 43.04 | 29 | 38 |
30 | Texas | 42.97 | 31 | 27 |
31 | New Jersey | 42.56 | 33 | 16 |
32 | Utah | 41.48 | 32 | 43 |
33 | West Virginia | 40.91 | 38 | 13 |
34 | Missouri | 40.74 | 35 | 37 |
35 | North Carolina | 39.95 | 36 | 39 |
36 | Kansas | 39.33 | 39 | 19 |
37 | Kentucky | 38.73 | 48 | 11 |
38 | Ohio | 38.07 | 51 | 9 |
39 | Michigan | 37.65 | 41 | 40 |
40 | Pennsylvania | 37.32 | 42 | 24 |
41 | Minnesota | 36.85 | 44 | 20 |
42 | North Dakota | 35.86 | 30 | 47 |
43 | South Dakota | 35.74 | 26 | 51 |
44 | Mississippi | 34.32 | 46 | 42 |
45 | Indiana | 34.00 | 49 | 26 |
46 | Wisconsin | 33.59 | 50 | 32 |
47 | Alabama | 33.35 | 47 | 43 |
48 | Nebraska | 31.30 | 37 | 50 |
49 | Oklahoma | 30.89 | 43 | 46 |
50 | Iowa | 30.42 | 40 | 48 |
51 | Arkansas | 26.83 | 45 | 49 |