Travel
Virus Takes Aim at $1.7 Trillion Industry as Tourists Stay Home
From Macau to the Alps, hotels are emptying as the outbreak spreads.
On Lake Como in northern Italy, spring normally spells the return of the tourists. The likes of George Clooney descend on waterfront villas, couples wander the cobbled streets and design fairs fill hotel rooms with well-heeled travelers. This year, because of the coronavirus, hoteliers are wondering whether the visitors will come at all.
Hotels in the area saw more than half their bookings canceled in three days last week as the virus spread through northern Italy in the biggest outbreak outside Asia. Now innkeepers are waiting anxiously to see the impact on the all-important summer months.