The global tourism industry could take years to recover to resume its normal pace until 2023. There will be some changes in the landscape and will incorporate social distancing to cool down the fear over COVID-19, which has so far killed a great number of people worldwide. Some hotels and airlines announced enhanced sanitation procedures worldwide for the traveler’s ease of mind. Egypt plans to have a vast western desert tour where social distancing can be observed. Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida plans more spaces between roller coaster riders. Some resorts and casinos in Las Vegas, Boston, and Macau’s plans to sanitize dice between users, provide fewer seats for the blackjack tables, and put on idle the slot machines between players. Gary Thulander, managing director of a 106-year-old resort on Cape Cod, plans many changes when it opens again this summer like checking in guests through cell phones, letting the opt-out of room service, and extending dining hours to accommodate all the guests eating at the same time.

A lot of people who depend on tourism are affected like in the U.S. alone, a vast number of people are laid off or furloughed according to Roger Dow, the president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. Governments in some places are stepping in to help the sector but the French government will help the chain get through it by paying at least 80% of furloughed hotel workers’ salaries. Many destinations assume tourists’ behavior will change like going in small groups or seeking personalized tours and travelers may shift away from crowded beaches to the quieter interior mountains. But not everyone is comfortable with reopening like the hotel in Bibione of Venice, and would rather open again next year than to serve their guests this summer with staff wearing masks. Other owners remain optimistic like the tour and adventure provider in Bali, Indonesia who’s promoting his business on social media while business is still close and received many positive responses from most of his domestic tourist clients from Indonesia.