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After financial losses, local travel industry looking to rebound to pre-pandemic levels

Posted at 6:55 AM, Jun 08, 2021
and last updated 2021-06-08 09:56:27-04

As more Americans get vaccinated, travel is expected to pick up this summer.

The travel and tourism industry have been crushed by the pandemic.

Santa Barbara Travel CEO Charles de L'Arbre says his business has suffered huge financial losses but loans like the Paycheck Protection Program helped keep them afloat.

Although more people are traveling now, L'Arbre says returning to pre-pandemic status quo is the key for business to pick up.

“We're seeing obviously a lot of new bookings, but clearly we don't know, nobody really knows when the world is going to reopen. Europe wants vaccinated Americans back, but the UK hasn't decided how that's going to happen. The European Union hasn't decided how that's going to happen. Vaccination passports, digital QR codes, nobody knows,” he tells KSBY News.

On a local level, de L'Arbre adds more people might be encouraged to travel once California fully reopens on June 15.