Maui and Kauai to move forward with bubbles
With the reopening of tourism in Hawaii pushed back to October at the earliest, both Maui and Kauai counties are moving forward with a plan to welcome tourists by having what’s known as resort bubbles, meaning visitors will be allowed to move around as long as they stay within the resort. Several different layers of protective measures have to be in place for the resort bubble to work. Among them, a tracking device known as Aqua in which visitors would wear wristbands that let authorities know if they leave the resort.
Vegas Virgin may delay planned debut
The owners of Virgin Hotels Las Vegas are having second thoughts about the scheduled November opening after the coronavirus pandemic devastated the economy. Construction at the former Hard Rock Hotel “remains on schedule” and that the operations team expects “to receive the keys to the property in early November.” An executive of the hotel said that if the hotel debuted today, its theater, bars and restaurants would have limited capacity, among other limitations.
Trade in tourism expected to increase by 28%
A new report from Western Union indicates that the value of trade in tourism and travel is expected to increase by 28% or US$414 billion by 2025. The report projects the total value of international trade in services will rise from US$6.1 trillion in 2019 to US$8 trillion by 2025, increasing by 31%. The report also predicts this growth will be accelerated by the adoption of new technology and digitization of working practices forced by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rio’s Copacabana reopens
The Copacabana Palace on the Rio de Janeiro waterfront, reopened last week after the coronavirus pandemic forced it to close for the first time in its 97-year history. It was closed for four months to all but two long-term residents — musician Jorge Ben Jor and the hotel’s own general manager, Andrea Natal. Precautions for the reopening include “social distancing in high-traffic areas, such as the pool and restaurants,” the hotel’s owners, the Belmond group, said in a statement, according to the Jakarta Post.