Tourism travel is set to pick up this summer if Las Vegas resorts and Disney World are indications.
Las Vegas Strip resorts and casinos announced Wednesday that they will begin reopening June 4, having shut down over two months ago at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Some of the most famous casinos and resorts, such as the MGM Grand and the Wynn, will reopen with extra safety precautions in place.
“We are ready to provide our guests with a full Las Vegas experience with a collection of luxury amenities and unmatched service,” Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox said Wednesday. “At the same time, our extensive Health & Safety Plan, validated by the nation’s leading public health experts, will enable a safe environment for our guests. The entire Wynn team is looking forward to welcoming our guests back.”
Guests at the Wynn will undergo temperature tests at every entrance. Hand sanitizing stations will be placed throughout the hotel, and electrostatic disinfectant will be sprayed periodically throughout the day. At the MGM Grand, guests will be encouraged to wear face masks, and staff will wear them at all times.
Gaming will look different, too. Occupancy limits in casinos will be cut in half, and people will be required to wear masks at certain game tables. Slot machines will be rearranged so that people will stand farther apart, and some tables will have barriers between the dealer and the players.
Stock market surges on Tuesday and Wednesday showed increased investor confidence in the travel industry as airline stocks soared. Every state has at least partially reopened, and domestic travel is likely to resume over the summer.
Walt Disney World in Orlando, one of the largest tourist attractions in the country, will begin to reopen in July, the company announced Wednesday. Reopening procedures will begin with the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom on July 11, followed by Epcot and Hollywood Studios on July 15. Customers and staff will have to wear masks and have their temperatures checked before entering the park.
Staff will manage park capacity with a reservation system that requires guests to buy tickets in advance. Parades and firework displays, as well as character meet-and-greets, have been suspended, but characters will still walk around the park “to entertain and delight our guests.”
The company’s plan was approved by the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force Wednesday, but it still requires state approval.
Florida has seen more than 2,200 coronavirus deaths and over 50,000 cases.
The United States hit a grim milestone Wednesday when it surpassed 100,000 coronavirus-related deaths. About 1.7 million cases have been confirmed.
Stocks rose for a second day Wednesday, with shares of companies that benefit most from reopening taking the lead. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped over 550 points to 25,548.27. The S&P 500 closed at 3,036.13, the highest level since early March.
Bank stocks rose broadly, while stocks benefiting from lockdowns dropped. For example, Zoom and Amazon fell 1.2% and 0.6%, respectively.
European Union leaders proposed plans for a recovery fund of 750 billion euros, or $825 billion, to be disbursed through the EU budget to member states. The fund would be made up of 500 billion euros in grants and 250 billion euros in loans.
Loans will be paid back over a 30-year period, starting in 2028, in part with new taxes. The European Commission suggested a carbon tax and a digital tax. The fund would boost the EU budget to roughly 1.9 trillion euros. In order for the measure to pass, though, all 27 member states have to agree to the terms. Leaders will speak on June 18 about the terms of the deal.
Dr. Anthony Fauci said Wednesday that holding political conventions in August would be unsafe without a substantial decline in coronavirus cases. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and one of the lead members of the Trump administration’s coronavirus task force, said it would be safe “if we have a really significant diminution in the number of new cases and hospitalizations and we’re at a level where it is really very low, then … you may … have some sort of a capability of gathering.”
Boeing announced plans to let 12,000 U.S. workers go Wednesday. The jet manufacturer is also downsizing its staff in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada by about 630 employees. More layoffs will be announced.
