Mayor Walsh Warns Boston Tourism Will Have Slow Return
BOSTON (CBS) - As several tourist destinations in Boston plan to reopen soon, Mayor Marty Walsh warns the industry is in for "a bit of a ride."
He told reporters Tuesday he believes Boston "could be the first city that truly recovered from COVID-19," citing a slow reopening process. On Tuesday, the Marriott Long Wharf reopened. It was once considered the hub of Boston's COVID-19 outbreak after nearly 100 people got sick after attending a Biogen conference at the hotel.
The reopening delays are obvious as you take a walk through Faneuil Hall on the holiday week. Only a few dozen tourists walk through shops, clad in masks.
"Not too many people," said Jack Wolfe, who was visiting Boston for the first time with his family from New Jersey. "I've seen pictures in magazines that showed lots of people. Now I'm just surprised because there aren't as many people as I expected."
If they had waited just a week longer, there might've been a few more options. The Aquarium announced it'll reopen July 16 with a timed ticketing system and one-way guest flow. Encore Casino plans to reopen on Sunday July 12 with temperature checks and required face masks. Some high-contact tables like poker and roulette will stay closed.
Boston Duck Boat Tours will start again on July 15, with spacing between families and masks required. "Boston has been through some rough times and we have been there for that and we have been there for great celebrations so I think one of the big takeaways people get from our tour is a great sense of pride in this city," said Tour Quality Manager Tad McKitterick.
Mayor Walsh said he believes as a city, Boston is a ways away from a tourism boom and he feels it is safer to keep the reopening process slow.
