RICHMOND,
Va. (AP) — Michael Moore has always enjoyed his job as wine trail guide
with Top Shelf Transportation. He said the job is about more than wine.

“I get people anything they need,” Moore said. “I’m like a rolling concierge.”

Moore,
71, works in the Monticello Wine Trail region, which ecompasses parts
of Albermarle and Nelson counties and contains about 35 wineries. It is
widely considered to be one of Virginia’s top wine regions. Moore has
worked in the industry for the past seven years, after he retired as a
graphic designer. But, in mid-March, his tours were cancelled due to
Gov. Ralph Northam’s order to close non-essential businesses and ban
gatherings of 10 or more to combat the spread of COVID-19.ADVERTISEMENT

“I guess I’m out of a job,” Moore said. “The whole industry has come to a screeching halt.”

Moore
is not alone, and COVID-19 has not just impacted jobs in the state’s
tourism industry. Since Northam’s order, there has been a sharp spike in
unemployment rates, with 306,143 Virginians filing for unemployment
insurance in the past three weeks.

Moore is not worried about his finances, but many people in the tourism industry are not as lucky.

“It’s
tough,” he said. “Some of the bigger wineries, they’ve got a cushion,
but their workers are out of work. And it’s all part-time workers.”

Travel
spending in Virginia plummeted after stay-at-home orders were announced
around the country, according to the U.S. Travel Association. Spending
was $521 million in Virginia the first week of March, but dipped to $119
million by the end of the month. Compared to last year’s numbers,
travel spending in the state was down 78% the last week in March.
Tourism is a major source of revenue for Virginia, pulling in $26
billion in 2018, according to the Virginia Tourism Corp. The industry
accounted for 234,000 jobs that year.

Andrew Cothern, communications manager for VTC, said Virginia attracts so many tourists because it has something for everyone.

“Virginia
has a lot of different travel opportunities, whether the traveler’s
interested in history or outdoor recreation or dining,” Cothern said.
“There’s a lot of different reasons why people want to come to
Virginia.”

Cothern said that COVID-19 has changed everything.

“With
the COVID-19 crisis going on, a lot of people are not traveling,
obviously, and it’s closed down a lot of business,” Cothern said.

The
businesses hardest hit will be the ones that usually attract large
crowds, he said. This might include museums, theaters, parks,
restaurants and wineries. VTC, and others in the tourism industry, are
working to make some of these experiences virtual and earn a little
revenue. For example, the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton is
streaming recorded versions of the troupe’s 2020 performances. Tickets
start at $10. ADVERTISEMENT

Moore, however, cannot work from home. He said companies like the one he works for may be in jeopardy.

“There
will be some wine tour companies that will go out of business,” he
said. “They’ve all got leases and cars and insurance they still have to
pay for, even when they’re not touring.”

Large
scale events have been affected, like the ones produced by Venture
Richmond, a nonprofit that organizes events in downtown Richmond.
Venture Richmond canceled Dominion Riverrock, one of its largest
festivals held on Brown’s Island. Stephen Lecky, director of events for
the organization, said losing the festival was a disappointment to
everyone, including vendors. Lecky said the festival draws 100,000 to
150,000 people annually and they contract with hundreds of musicians,
athletes and other vendors.

“All
these folks, food vendors and traveling vendors included, will not have
this event and it will impact them financially,” Lecky said.

Lecky said that once a festival is cancelled, potential revenue is gone.

“That’s $2 to $3 million that we won’t be seeing,” he said.

Lecky
also is concerned about Friday Cheers, a weekly concert series that
Venture Richmond organizes. The event typically draws 3,000 to 5,000
people to Belle Isle between May and June, Lecky said. Venture Richmond
has cancelled events through May and hopes to reschedule those musicians
for later in the summer, but Lecky is worried people will be weary of
large crowds.

“If
a vaccine is not available to people by September, October–will people
truly feel safe and comfortable in large crowds and events like this?”
Lecky said.

Lecky said in the future, event coordinators will have to be more careful.

“Events
are going to have to be more proactive on ways they are doing things,”
he said. “Do events go cashless? Are employees wearing gloves? Are you
sanitizing more frequently? I think attendees are going to want to see
these kinds of changes now.”

Though
more people are turning to outdoor recreation during the coronavirus
outbreak, Virginia state and national parks are closing. The
Rappahannock Rapidan Health District of the Virginia Department of
Health recommended on April 8 the full closure of Shenandoah National
Park, which has over 500 miles of hiking trails. The Appalachian Trail
Conservancy on April 3 formally requested permission to close the
2,193-mile trail through the end of the month. A long stretch of it
winds through the state.

Virginia
State Parks have also taken a hit from COVID-19. The 38 parks attract
11 million visitors annually, with 45% of park spending coming from
out-of-state visitors, according to Dave Neudeck, communications and
marketing director for the Virginia Department of Conservation and
Recreation. Neudeck said the parks have canceled campground and cabin
reservations through June 10. They have also closed visitor centers.

“It’s
definitely going to hit our budget because the revenues generated from
our overnight facilities and our merchandise sales in our visitor
centers are significant,” Neudeck said.

Neudeck is optimistic about the future of the parks and said this crisis might make people more appreciative of nature.

“What
we are seeing right now is that more people are looking to parks and
state parks to get outside and get that fresh air and get some exercise
when they can,” he said. “Therefore, we are seeing a lot of first time
visitors to our parks. The hope is that we’ll continue beyond when
everything turns back to normal.”

For
now, many are making the best of the crisis. Moore is making masks for
health care professionals. Lecky is attempting to rebook vendors for
later festivals. Cothern said VTC will increase promotional materials
once people are allowed to travel freely. All agreed that the tourism
industry is resilient and people will come back to Virginia.

___

This
story was first published on April 10, 2020. It was updated on April
14, 2020, to correct the size of the crowds Dominion Riverrock usually
draws. Festival organizers say the event draws between 100,000 and
150,000 people annually, not 100,000 to 250,000. The spelling of the
event has also been corrected. It is Dominion Riverrock, not Dominion
Riverock.

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