by Danielle Garrett of PlanIt Itineraries for The Aha! Connection
NYC: There’s been a lot of talk and speculation about NYC and the future of their city’s tourism. A little too much doom and gloom for me! Yes, NYC will be different, but we are dealing with an entire post-Covid world of “different”. Not a reason to take NYC off your list! NYC will be back and thriving once again. It’s going to take a while to get back to pre-pandemic levels (some saying up to 2025), but the city is already starting to see a small uptick in tourism numbers. I believe this coming holiday season will feel more like normal in NYC. NYC is one of my all-time favorite cities to visit and I cannot wait to go back and support their economy! Below are two recent articles addressing NYC’s current situation and future predictions.
New York hotels are poised to make a brand new start of it
The old New York is gone: Here’s what NYC will look like next
Europe/US Travel: When will Americans be able to visit Europe? This is definitely the question I am receiving the most right now! It’s a frustrating situation for Americans and Europeans. Many European countries rely heavily on U.S. tourists. For example, in Italy, the U.S. was #2 for the number of tourists to visit in 2019 (Germany was #1). International tourism reports show that Italy received $2.8 billion in revenue from U.S. tourists alone! Predictions and speculation are stating that we may see travel open between Europe and U.S. by the end of the summer. There are some countries currently open to Americans, but not the most well-traveled (France, Italy, Spain). The UK may become an option for the summer, but currently a wait-and-see situation. Greece is still claiming that they will open to American tourists on May 14. If hoping to travel to Greece, I personally recommend later in the summer or Fall in case they push their opening date back. Make sure to read the travel protocols carefully, especially if hoping to travel with your kids. If travel opens to vaccinated travelers only, this will create a problem for families with children. I wish I had more concrete answers, but I am hoping by May we will have a clearer picture of travel protocols to Europe! Check out the below articles regarding the most recent info and which countries U.S. tourists can visit.
Lockdowns, vaccine delays conspire to push Europe travel to late summer
Find out which countries are currently welcoming U.S. tourists back
Please remember to travel responsibly, wear your mask and do not travel unnecessarily if you are elderly 
or immune-compromised! And remember to check your destination’s travel restrictions/requirements before and during planning, as well as double-checking before departure!
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