Summer travel forecast calls for longer waits, fewer choices

After a year of coronavirus lockdowns, the start of summer beckons with vacation plans made possible by relaxed COVID-19 restrictions. But a severe worker shortage brings a warning for travelers: Expect delays and pack a little patience.

Lifeguards and hotel housekeepers are in short supply. So are rental cars. And don't count on having a fruity cocktail at the hotel Tiki bar.

The labor shortage is hitting the nation’s tourist destinations just as they try to rebound from a year lost to the pandemic, and it threatens to derail the travel industry’s recovery even as many Americans are itching to get away again at last. That means travelers can expect fewer menu choices at restaurants, lengthy check-in lines at hotels and airports, and fewer rides and food stands at theme parks.

Some hotels aren't filling all of their rooms or changing the sheets as often because they don't have enough housekeepers. Six of the most popular national parks — including Yosemite, Rocky Mountain, Acadia and Zion — will require advance reservations for many visitors to allow for social distancing.

“This is nothing like we've ever seen before,” said Michelle Woodhull, president of Charming Inns, which includes four small hotels and a fine dining restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina.

The company has limited room reservations by 20 percent during some weeks and reduced seating at the restaurant, said Woodhull, who recently fielded a complaint from a customer who couldn't get a table for four weeks.

“Unfortunately, that is a reality,” she said, adding that it's better than delivering poor service. "What business wants to turn away business, especially after the year we've had?"

Still, the tourism industry is showing signs of coming back. Airline executives say domestic leisure travel is at...