Cruise lines extend COVID-19 pause on sailing from the U.S.

A view of docked cruise during the coronavirus pandemic in New York City, May 11, 2020. /AP

The Cruise Lines International Association announced Friday that ships will not be sailing from U.S. ports throughout the summer, extending a pause put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The industry association said they are consulting with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the appropriate measures to resume cruise travel. The association represents 95 percent of the global cruise industry.

The current no-sail order issued by the U.S. CDC on March 14 is set to expire July 24. The association says cruise lines have decided to voluntarily prolong this pause until September 15 because they need time "to resolve barriers" with U.S. authorities to restart sailing.

Not only cruise industry, domestic travel spending of the U.S. is expected to collapse this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, suffering a 40 percent decline compared to 2019, while international spending will plunge 75 percent, according to new research.

A report commissioned by the U.S. Travel Association showed spending will drop to 583 billion U.S. dollars this year from 972 billion U.S. dollars last year.

Total travel spending, including domestic and international visitors, is projected to fall 45 percent to 622 billion U.S. dollars, according to research by Tourism Economics, a division of Oxford Economics.

Source(s): AP