Edging forward
As Vermont continues reopening efforts, some parts of the tourism sector will see increased allowed capacity for customers next week, but the lodging industry saw no changes to its restrictions in the state's Friday announcement.
Effective June 26, restaurants, as well as event, arts, culture and entertainment venues, can go from 25 percent of allowable capacity to 50 percent. That percentage is based on fire occupancy limits. The updated restrictions also include maximum gathering sizes of 75 people for indoor events and 150 people for outdoor events.
Gov. Phil Scott and other officials acknowledged that many businesses in the tourism sector are barely surviving, and some lodging establishments are worried about bankruptcy.
"We realize the incredible burden this sector has taken on, and we are working diligently to open things up as fast as we can," said Lindsay Kurrle, the state's commerce secretary.
The past six weeks have seen increasing calls on the state by lodging establishments to provide assistance to help their operations survive the pandemic. For many of these businesses, including restaurants and others, partial allowed capacity has been inadequate to make ends meet, especially after weeks of quarantine regulations that were only recently relaxed. This is especially important during the summer, the season that normally yields the most income for this sector. Each time a crowded weekend goes by at partial capacity and limited guest numbers, lodging businesses lose many thousands of dollars, which is hard to recup.
With July 4 rapidly approaching, the whole tourism sector is hoping for a solid weekend, which they desperately need. Between now and then, we'll be looking for good news for lodging establishments, which form the business hub of many downtowns. Communities need these and other tourism-related operations to do well, this year more than ever. The reopening has been promising for the most part, and as the state looks to keep that going, we cheer on our local tourism sector and support those businesses as much as we possibly can. They employ local people, help keep our downtowns vibrant, and have close ties to local nonprofits. Hopefully, further news will speed the recovery of this sector, a key part of our economic heartbeat.
— Gareth Henderson
