Hong Kong Disneyland reopens, consumers using less cash
The outbreak of the coronavirus has dealt a shock to the global economy with unprecedented speed. Following are developments Thursday related to the national and global response, the work place and the spread of the virus.
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TRAVEL & LEISURE:
— Hong Kong Disneyland officially reopened on Thursday after a major drop in coronavirus cases in the Chinese territory. Advance reservations will be required and only limited attendance will be allowed at the park, one of the pillars of Hong Kong’s crucial tourism industry.
Social distancing measures are being implemented in lines, at restaurants, on rides and at shops, while cleaning and disinfecting will be increased. Visitors will have their temperatures checked at the entrance and will be required to wear masks at all times inside the park, except when eating and drinking.
Disney is planning to reopen its parks in California and Florida next month.
— U.S. state and local tax revenue from hotels will drop an estimated $16.8 billion this year, according to a report released Thursday by the American Hotel and Lodging Association.
The report — conducted by Oxford Economics — said California, New York, Florida and Nevada will be hardest hit, with each losing more than $1 billion in hotel occupancy taxes and gaming taxes. U.S. hotels generated $40 billion in state and local tax revenue in 2018. The association says leisure travel is slowly resuming, but business travel isn’t expected to ramp up until 2022.
— Delta Air Lines says more than 40,000 of its 91,000 employees have agreed to take unpaid leave of up to a year, which along with a “moderate” increase in ticket sales is helping the airline cut its cash burn rate to $30 million a day by the end of this month. That is $10 million a...