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Printing: Examining the Tourism Impacts of the COVID-19 Global Pandemic Christy Cole, Dr. Jon McChesney, Mentor Department of Recreation & Park Administration, College of Health Sciences, Eastern Kentucky University

PROBLEM Traveler Experiences DID YOU KNOW?

Interpreting the positive and negative effects of travel and tourism in How was air travel affected by COVID-19 for tourists entering ? • 2020 ended as the worst year for tourism on record Hawaii, in a COVID-19 era. An examination of tourism issues and “Hawaii had just opened up for tourism when we went. Right before Thanksgiving worldwide according to an article in the Wall Street impacts in Hawaii including expert opinion and traveler reactions. (that Tuesday, in fact), they made an announcement that everyone flying to Hawaii Journal. would need to have a negative COVID 19 test result before getting on their plane to Hawaii, and a 2nd test had to be taken within 72 hours of arrival. We had each taken • Hawaiian Islands have a resident population of 1.4 million; a regular test on Monday, thinking we had time to get our results. But, panicked that Tourists visiting Hawaii in 2019 hit a record high 10.4 they wouldn’t come in time, so we all had rapid tests done that Tuesday too. We million. also had to sign a few health waivers within 24 hours of the flight. Most annoying of all, they only accept COVID-19 test results from “trusted locations”.” This meant we • Pre COVID-19 30,000 Tourists daily arrived in Hawaii in had to get our tests from Walgreen’s or CVS pharmacy locations (many of which 2019, approaching 40,000 during the summer months of are booked way ahead of time)”-Taylor Ricks recent traveler to Oahu, Hawaii, November 2020 2019. In the spring of 2020, the daily number of arrivals How did you view the reception from Hawaiian residents prior to COVID-19? “I dropped below 500. visited Maui, Hawaii February 4th, 2020. This was 3 weeks before the mandatory • COVID-19 has wreaked economic devastation on Hawaii. travel ban went into effect on the islands. Everyone I spoke with was extremely Tourism’s shut down on March 5, 2020, led to increasing Let’s Talk Demographics friendly and helpful. Many shared with me that they worked multiple jobs to offset the high cost of living in Hawaii. Everywhere we went we took an Uber. I asked homelessness, and the unemployment rate jumped to 23 •United Nation’s projects the pandemic will cost the tourism industry worldwide one of our drivers her feelings about tourists. She told me that being an Uber driver approximately $1 trillion in loses and threaten more than 100 million jobs percent reaching as high as 24% in April and May 2020. was her 3rd job. She worked in a hotel/resort, was a server in a restaurant, and worldwide. was an Uber driver. She said without travelers who need her services she would •Tourism is Hawaii’s largest employer, so there is the incentive to maintain a have no income.” Christy Cole, traveler to Maui, Hawaii February 2020 paradisiacal image for tourists. How did you view the reception from Hawaiian residents by the returning Tourism & Livelihood •Hawaii generates $17.75 Billion in revenue and $2.07 Billion in state taxes tourists? •Hawaii has the highest cost of living in the & the lowest minimum The importance of tourism in Hawaii is significant wage. “Residents were very happy to have tourists back in the area. We took a shuttle tour to Pearl Harbor and the tour guide was very honest with us. He said that he •Tourism represents nearly one quarter of Hawaii’s economy. because visitor arrivals in April 2020 dropped 99.5% and many of his friends couldn’t wait for mainlanders to come back because •In 2018, two-thirds of respondents polled in a Resident Sentiment Survey was doing so poorly. I’ve travelled international before (pre-COVID-19), from the previous year, according to the Hawaii Tourism initiated by the Hawaii Tourism Authority stated, “This island (Hawaii) is being and (mainlanders) were more disliked there than we are in Hawaii. We Authority. That month just 4,564 people arrived in run for tourists at the expense of the local people.” bring business.”-Taylor, recent traveler to Oahu, Hawaii, November 2020 •Hawaiian Airlines an inter-island airline devoted to island hopping announced Hawaii by air, down from 856,250 (by air and cruise layoffs for 30% of its staff in 2020. ship) during the same period in 2019. Hawaii’s economy and the livelihood of its citizens depend upon WHAT’S TRENDING? Projections for Tourism Return tourism. Resort Bubble Hotels AKA Enhanced Movement Quarantine properties allow tourists more freedom than quarantining in a Tourism officials, , academics, and References hotel room. These properties located on Kauai allow guests to other experts in 70 countries polled by the World leave their rooms and enjoy the resort amenities such as the • Agrusa, J., Linnes, C., Lema, J., Min, J. (E., Henthorne, T., Itoga, H., & Lee, H. (2021). Tourism Well-Being and Transitioning Island Destinations for Sustainable Development. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 14(1), 32. https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm14010032 pool. Guests are not allowed to leave the property. Expenses Health Organization said a rebound in •Associated Press. (2021, January 22). Confusing Travel rules slow Kauai tourism; many businesses shaky. USA Today, pp. 4D–4D. •Cheng, M. (2021, March 6). Will the Pandemic Fix Hawaii? Outside Online. https://www.outsideonline.com/2421222/pandemic-fix-hawaii- incurred with Resort Bubble hotels are: extra , mask over-tourism. international tourism within their country would •Cherney, M., & Slyvers, E. (2021, February 22). Tourism Recovery Darkens In '21 Amid Delays in Shots. , pp. A1–A1. mandates, and guests must agree to wearing a GPS monitoring •Cole, C. M. (2021, March 23). Hawaii Tourism Impacted by COVID-19. personal be: •Davis, E. (2020, June 25). How Hawaii is Reopening Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic. U.S. News & World Report. bracelet while on site at the resort. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2020-06-25/hawaii-balances-tourism-and-health-in-its-covid-19-reopening-strategy. •Durkee, A. (2020, August 25). Tourism Industry Faces $1 Trillion Loss, 100 Million Jobs At Risk From Covid-19, UN Reports. Forbes. 1st quarter 2021 only 1% https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2020/08/25/un-report-tourism-industry-covid-19-faces-1-trillion-loss-100-million-jobs-at-risk/. •Elliott, C. (2021, January 25). Would-be travelers are counting the days. USA Today, pp. 3B–3B. Crisis Tourism or Corona Vacation is emerging in Hawaii. This is 2nd quarter 2021 4% •Finnerty, R. (2020, October 10). Facing Economic Devastation, Hawaii Attempts to Revive Tourism. http://www.npr.org/. •Fox, C. T. (2021, March 5). A Year Later: How COVID-19 Has Affected Hawaiʻi. Hawaii Magazine. https://www.hawaiimagazine.com/a-year- defined by the executive director of the Hawaii State Commission later-how-covid-19-has-affected-hawaii/. 3rd quarter 2021 27% •Kelleher, J. S. (2020, November 25). Pandemic gave locals fleeting taste of a tourist-free Hawaii. AP NEWS. on the Status of Women as being, “Crisis tourism is billionaire https://apnews.com/1784b21b34eb67d7bd7ae8e3d248738c. 4th quarter 2021 18% •Nguyen, F. (2020, March 30). Please don't go to Hawaii on a "corona vacation" right now. Vox. bunker mentality. A crisis (such as the COVID-19 Pandemic) and https://www.vox.com/2020/3/30/21198011/hawaii-coronavirus-vacation-crisis-tourism. •Ricks, T. (2021, January 5). Hawaii Tourism Impacted by COVID-19. personal. you jet off with no regard for the impact on the host place.” Beginning of 2022 expected a 50% rebound •Sylvers, E. (2021, February 22). The Wall Street Journal. •Yeager, M. (2021, January 11). Hawaii adjusts travel requirements. USA Today, pp. 4D–4D.