See States Ranked by COVID-19’s Impact on Tourism
Travel is more than just a chance to get a change of scenery and take a break from everyday life. At the macro level, it’s a critical economic driver, especially for destinations that depend on tourism. Travelers in 2019 spent $1.1 trillion in the U.S., generating some $2.6 trillion in economic output, according to the U.S. Travel Association. The organization estimates that each American household would shell out almost $1,400 more in taxes if the country lacked the tax revenue that comes from travel and tourism.
Americans took 1.9 billion trips for leisure in 2019. But in 2020, that number could look very different. COVID-19 has had a huge impact on tourism across the country. Thousands of flights have been canceled by U.S.-based airlines. Tourist attractions, like Disney World, Broadway shows, The Alamo, the Statue of Liberty, Smithsonian museums, and the Santa Monica Pier, have closed—sometimes with no scheduled reopening date. And even if there were places to visit safely, Americans may not have the financial means to travel after the financial blow they’ve taken from the economic downturn caused by the pandemic.
Some states are being hit harder than others by COVID-19’s impact on tourism. Stacker used WalletHub’s “States Hit Hardest by COVID-19’s Impact on Tourism” study, published on April 14, 2020, to compile a list of the states most affected by the lack of travel and tourism due to COVID-19. The states are ranked by their total WalletHub score, which evaluated the states based on 10 different metrics across two categories: dependency on travel and the tourism industry and aggressiveness against coronavirus.