The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on many of America’s “non-essential” industries. That includes tourism, as countless attractions have closed down, from commercial hotspots like Disney World to natural wonders like Grand Canyon National Park. Even if tourist spots were open, though, they wouldn’t see much business, as Americans are either encouraged or mandated to practice social distancing and stay at home.
As tourism suffers, workers will bear the brunt of the difficulty. According to data from the U.S. Travel Association and Tourism Economics, there could be as many as 5.9 million jobs lost due to declining travel by the end of April. However, the stimulus package signed by President Trump may provide some aid to the industry in the form of business loans, tax relief and other financial support.
Some states have taken more of a blow to their travel industries during the COVID-19 crisis than others. In order to find out which states have been hit the hardest, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 10 key metrics. Our data set ranges from share of businesses in travel and tourism-related industries to travel spending per travel employee and presence of stay-at-home orders. Read on for our ranking, additional commentary from a panel of experts and a complete description of our methodology.
