Pack swimsuit, mask, California welcomes back tourists

SAN DIEGO (AP) — There will be no packed double-decker safari buses with tour guides rolling through the San Diego Zoo, nor animal shows that draw crowds — nor breakfast buffets at hotels.

Instead, hotels are adorning lobbies with hand sanitizing dispensers and will be limiting how many people lounge by pools. And the zoo is putting entertainers on its double-decker buses to hold moving shows while people stand on green circles to keep them six feet apart. Every visitor over the age of two will be required to wear face coverings.

California’s tourism industry is gearing back up just as summer gets underway, though it will not be the same. The state is giving the green light for counties to allow hotels, zoos, aquariums and museums to reopen Friday. Gov. Gavin Newsom also said wineries in the Napa Valley can operate their tasting rooms again.

Newsom issued a stay-at-home order on March 19 and most of the state was locked down for months. He gradually started lifting the orders in May, allowing retail stores and restaurants to reopen. He soon added churches and hair salons with restrictions. But the list of businesses cleared to open Friday is the most expansive yet, though counties have the ultimate say on which stores and services can open their doors.

Stay-at-home orders are estimated to have cost the state economy some $72 billion in expected revenue from tourism and more than 600,000 in hospitality jobs, according to Visit California, the state's tourism marketing organization.

The $145 billion industry now is navigating unprecedented territory as it balances how to implement safety measures to control a pandemic without ruining the fun.

Meanwhile, cases of COVID-19 in the state has continued to tick upward. California on Thursday reported 139,281 cases and 4,881 deaths. The state has been averaging 2,782...