Last week, Florida announced the formation of the Re-Open Florida Task Force, which includes several theme park representatives, including Josh D’Amaro, President of Walt Disney World.
Earlier today, members of the task force’s working group for the industries of Accommodation, Food, Tourism, Construction, Real Estate, Recreation, Retail and Transportation spoke on a tele-conference call about how each of the industries is dealing with the current global health crisis, and what they saw as potential measures for the future.
Earlier this week, we heard from members of the task force such as Josh Sprouls, CEO of Universal Orlando Resort, who spoke on the potential precautionary measures the theme park might take upon reopening. In today’s call, the focus turned to construction, transportation, and the cruise line industry.
Florida Construction and Transportation
Construction and transportation were two major topics touched upon in today’s meeting, with Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Kevin Thibault giving an update on the current state of construction in the state.
Construction in Florida
Department of Transportation Secretary Kevin Thibault noted that construction and many road projects have been accelerated during this time. For an example, he stated that the construction work for an updated I-4 is now  projected to be completed two months ahead of schedule.
Thibault also noted that work would continue during this time, and that construction workers would be closely following CDC guidelines and recommendations, including increased sanitation. He also noted that they would be looking for guidance regarding the use of face masks once contact increases as more construction ramps up.
Airline Transportation
One major industry that has been hit hard globally has been the airline industry. Traffic at airports around the world has decreased significantly, and the usually bustling airports of Florida have come to a halt. In fact, Joe Lopano, CEO of Tampa International Airport, said that the airport has seen a 97% decrease during this time.
Lopano mentioned that it could be “years” before numbers go back to normal, but did make note of some changes that are being made in the mean time. For instance, a reduction in touch points, power washing and increasing sanitation on surfaces, pushing for more carry-on bags, and requiring employees to wear masks are all precautions that have been implemented.
Cruise Industry
Another industry that has been particularly affected by the health crisis has been the cruise industry, with Disney Cruise Line halting most of their sailings all the way through June.
Future of Cruises
While not a member of the cruise industry, AJ de Moya, Vice President & General Manager of construction company The de Moya Group, explained that he believes cruise ships and theme parks “are essential businesses”, and would like to see them re-opened as soon as possible.
Rick Sasso, President and CEO of MSC Cruises also spoke on the industry now, and recommendations for the future. Sasso noted that, while the cruise industry is not sure when they can reopen, they have already seen significant bookings for 2021 take place.
For recommendations on protocols moving forward, he discussed the ideas of guest questionnaires and temperature checks, to see where passengers have traveled recently and if they have any underlying health conditions. He did note that they would consider denying boarding if needed, while implementing temperature checks for employees, and isolating anyone who does become ill.
Read more about recommendations discussed for the cruise industry here!
The Re-Open Task Force announced that they will be hosting another meeting tomorrow, so stay tuned for updates on the latest here at AllEars.
Want to learn more about the Disney Parks closures?
- The Disney Parks Closures: Here's Everything We Know
- Here's Everything That Disney World is Refunding Due to the Temporary Closure
- Here's Everything That Disneyland is Refunding Due to the Temporary Closures
- Here's Everything That the Disney Cruise Line is Refunding Due to Suspended Itineraries
- Should I Cancel My Disney Trip? Taking a Closer Look at Our Most FAQ
- Flattening the Curve: Why Disney is Closing Everything
- All the Times That Disney World and Disneyland Have Closed Throughout History
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When it comes to cruise ships, something they have to address is what happens if someone does get sick while on board. They can’t afford to have what happened this time occur again. No more refusals to let the ship dock somewhere.
I agree, there should be some real doctors sitting on these boards.I’m also wondering why there aren’t any union reps included in these discussions.The people that are expected to endanger their lives for us to ride Peter Pan’s Flight need to have a place at the table and have their voices heard. I don’t visit 3rd world countries for this reason and I won’t endanger Our beloved cast members for the same reason.
Agree no doctors? Questioning people before trips? Ya you are going to get honest answers there. Ya right. Cruises need to be shut down personally. It’s a floating infection. There is nothing you can do on a cruise you can’t do on land. I just have no idea how they are going to manage theme parks. It’s just such a wonky sad situation for those of us who love universal and/or Disney.
The only only positive that I see from my own point of view is maybe no more rope drop craziness. Lol
You can’t do this on land. Travel island to island with just having to unpack once. Some of the islands/port of calls have experiences that are unique to them. A cruises allows you to experience different things without having to get on an airplane.
Noticed NOT a single comment from a DOCTOR, you know someone that understand what this virus can do to people. Is there even a DOCTOR in the group?? I guess being ill informed is best to get more people sick from the virus. But then money is their God.
We need more than 8 weeks to get employees back to pre covid levels for qualification for ppp loan forgiveness. Especially with our business being shut down. Doesn’t make sense. Now just more debt and some employees making more on unemployment till July 31 because of the weekly additional $600.