Tourism leaders at the local and statewide levels are getting nervous about how the COVID-19 variant of omicrons could affect tourism so soon after the United States opened its borders to resume international travel.
The World Health Organization last week classified Omicron as a “worrying variant”.
Most believe it may be too early to say whether what President Joe Biden described as “cause for concern, not cause for panic” would prevent people from attending events like CES in Las Vegas to arrive.
Several nations joined forces with the United States on Monday to restrict travel from eight African “high-risk countries”. Restrictions have been added for South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe.
None of these countries offer non-stop flights to Las Vegas, but there are several airlines that offer connecting services.
Health experts recommend passengers who have traveled to or through these countries in the past 14 days to undergo a 14-day quarantine and COVID test.
“As with the Delta variant, the effects of Omicron will be difficult to predict,” said Amanda Bellarmino, assistant professor at UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hospitality.
“The shutdown of the African nations may not have a direct impact on Las Vegas as we have just reopened to international tourism, but the ripple effect may have an impact,” she said. “Until we know the gravity of the omicron and its ability to transmit, we will be unsure of its effects. In the short term, this could increase our domestic tourism as people fear further closures. In the long term, I think that it could push back further international trips. “
A representative from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority agreed that more details were needed to evaluate a result.
“By the time medical professionals know and understand more, it’s too early to say,” said Lori Nelson-Kraft, LVCVA senior vice president of communications.
The Washington-based US Travel Association urged Biden to reconsider reintroducing country-specific entry bans in the near future, saying that higher vaccination rates were the answer to the problem.
“COVID variants are worrying, but closed borders have not prevented their presence in the United States, while vaccinations have proven incredibly durable,” said Tori Emerson Barnes, executive vice president of public affairs and policy for the US Travel Association. “That’s why America’s travel industry is a vocal advocate that everyone should have a vaccine.
“With vaccination and testing required to enter the United States, we continue to believe that assessing a person’s risk and health is the best way to welcome qualified travelers from around the world to the United States,” said she.
CES ahead
The next big event in Las Vegas with an international audience is CES, the annual consumer electronics show held in multiple convention centers across the city. According to the sponsoring Consumer Technology Association, around 10 percent of the more than 170,000 CES attendees usually come from abroad.
The four-day event, open to consumer electronics professionals, begins January 5th, but media representatives will arrive days earlier. The event is not expected to be as big as in previous years, but more than 1,700 exhibitors have already committed to take part in the fair.
“The safety of our participants and partners is a top priority,” said Jeanne Abella, a spokeswoman for the Consumer Technology Association, on Tuesday. “We are actively following the emerging news and science around the new Omicron variant and continue to follow the guidelines of the CDC and WHO as well as the relevant requirements of the federal, state and local authorities. While it is too early to determine the effects of this latest variant, we will continue to monitor our plans and health protocols and adjust them if necessary. “
A vaccination certificate is required to enter, chairs will be set up for social distancing during meetings and presentations, and hand disinfection stations are planned at all venues.
Abella said third parties, including Clear, will oversee the process of reviewing vaccination records and collecting CES badges to attend the show.
Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.
