Published on : Thursday, March 12, 2020
Travel restrictions have been issued for several other countries due to corona virus, leading people to question if the same could happen in North Carolina.
President and the CEO of Wilmington & Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau Kim Hufham has asked all tourism partners to report cancelations or implications related to the virus.
Some events like the Cape Fear Museum Experience STEM-ILM 2.0 have been canceled.
“We are starting to hear talks of the possibility of some meetings or events being canceled, but we don’t define in the books yet but we are still hearing about that. We do know over at the Battleship North Carolina, they have had school groups cancel for the rest of the year, which affects their visitation so things are starting to happen,” Hufham said.
With the peak tourism season right around the corner in the Cape Fear, and with tourists canceling their plans, it could impact the tourism industry.
“We feel like yes, that if it continues on and people don’t travel and feel like they need to stay home, and there are some groups they are encouraged to stay home and not travel it definitely will affect our restaurants, our retail, our hotels, gas sales, all those types of things,” Hufham said.
On the other hand, Wilmington may be a more attractive location for those who have canceled travel plans requiring travel by plane.
“We are a drive destination, so the majority of our visitors do drive in and I feel like they feel a little safer in the confines of their cars versus a plane or some type of public transportation,” Hufham added.