A week after Hurricane Irma slammed into Florida, the state is still grappling with the effects of the devastating storm.
In the days after the storm, the number of US citizens travelling to Florida has dropped by over half compared to last year, as businesses shut down, hotels and resorts closed and the population swelled to about 6 million.
Meanwhile, the US Federal Aviation Administration has suspended flights over Florida, which was already facing the worst of the storm.
And while President Donald Trump was at the helm of the hurricane relief efforts, a spate of hurricanes in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico left more than 30 people dead, including more than 10 in Florida.
With Hurricane Irma expected to bring more severe storms to the US and Caribbean, the tourism sector is in the crosshairs of many people.
What to know about tourism in the US after Irma The US has a long and storied history of attracting foreign visitors to the country.
It was the first country to recognise the first European colony in the Americas, and it remains the most popular destination for foreign nationals.
But as the country has grown, it has faced an influx of foreign nationals, including a number of the world’s wealthiest and most successful.
US tourism has seen a rapid growth in recent decades, with more than 20 million US citizens visiting the country in 2016.
In 2017, there were nearly 1.4 million international tourists, more than double the number in 2016, according to the Tourism Industry Association of America.
But despite the surge in international tourists coming to the United States, a recent study by the University of Southern California’s Center for Global Tourism Research found that the majority of the US’s domestic tourism dollars are spent abroad, with just over 60 per cent going to overseas destinations.
What’s going on in the tourism industry?
In 2017 there were almost 1.8 million US tourists spending over $1 million in the country, a figure that has doubled since 2014, according the US Department of Tourism.
While some of the country’s major tourist destinations, like the World War II Memorial, the Smithsonian, and the National Air and Space Museum have opened their doors to foreign visitors, the majority are still closed to the public.
Tourism is one of the biggest employers in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, according an analysis by the Travel and Leisure Association.
A large number of international travel companies, such as Lonely Planet, offer paid trips to countries such as South Korea, the Philippines and China, as well as the Caribbean, Africa and Latin America.
Travelers are also taking advantage of the increased availability of cheap flights and cheap hotels to go places such as Dubai, Dubai Marina, New York’s JFK airport and Las Vegas.
There are also new developments in the way Americans travel.
Some cities are experimenting with using drones for aerial tours.
A recent study from the International Council of Travel Agencies found that a significant number of Americans are now planning to take a drone to a destination they’ve never been to before, or are already planning to do.
“There is a huge increase in people trying to plan their vacations on a mobile device,” said David Hsu, the head of the ICTA’s research department.
“If you have to go to an airport or to an area where there’s not a lot of tourism activity, then the drone may be the way to go.”
What is the US economy like after Irma?
With the economy in the worst state it has been in since the financial crisis, the travel industry is at the centre of the recovery effort.
With the number and impact of hurricanes and flooding still in the news, many of the nation’s top companies are stepping up to provide relief.
A number of companies are providing tours of their facilities to visitors to help ease the burden.
The travel and leisure industry has also been heavily affected by the hurricanes.
Many of the major companies have closed, including American Airlines, Disney and Marriott.
The US Postal Service has also suspended mail delivery services.
The National Guard has also deployed to the states to provide security for businesses, while local governments have offered free food, water and other resources to those affected.
Tourism and hospitality industries are also struggling with the aftermath of the hurricanes, as their business models have been disrupted.
“I’m not sure what the government will do with the recovery and how they are going to be compensated for it,” Mr Hsu said.
“Some companies are going bankrupt, others are going under.
But what will the government do with all of this?
We don’t know.”
