After tearing through Yosemite, the Ferguson Fire scorched thousands of acres and shut down the region's famed national park.
As cars line up to return to Yosemite National Park, residents wonder how swiftly tourism will really come back after park closures and poor air quality kept tourists away.
Wildfires have been raging throughout California from the Holy Fire in the south near San Diego to the northern part of the state with the Carr Fire scorching its way through Shasta County.
The Mendocino Complex Fire has burned more than 350,000 acres (and counting) and is California's largest-ever wildfire. It is currently 68 percent contained but there are still evacuations in effect for Lake County, Mendocino County and Colusa County.
The Carr Fire, while 65 percent contained, is also continuing to cause problems in Shasta and Trinity County, and Shasta State Historic Park remains closed.
Tourism has taken a hit in all these regions where residents have fled and tourists have abandoned vacation plans.
Yosemite, which is a hub of tourism in the state of California, has taken one of the biggest hits.
"The gateway communities around Yosemite are our top concern," Caroline Beteta, president and chief executive officer of the tourism group Visit California, said in an email to Reuters. "They are losing significant business during peak season."
According to the Reuters report, 4.3 million visitors spent an estimated $452 million in the region during 2017. This year is sure to pale in comparison.
Local businesses have lost millions, occupancy rates have dropped as low as zero at some properties, road closures remain and the park, which reopened on August 14, 2018, still offers just limited hours.
Limited hours and lingering smoke were still enough for Dutch tourist Gert Lammers, who was in line to be one of the first visitors to enter the park since it was closed on July 25, 2018.
He told the Hanford Sentinel that he felt lucky to get to see Yosemite after thousands of tourists had to cancel trips and that he didn't mind the lingering smoke in the air and was looking forward to seeing some of the park's iconic waterfalls and granite cliffs.
One of the best ways to help struggling tourism in a region devastated by wildfire is to travel there. Once the smoke clears, these areas will once again be open and ready to welcome visitors with open arms and California's signature laid-back hospitality.
An ideal example of this is California's wine country. After devastating fires scorched the region last year, Napa and Sonoma are back and better than ever.
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