Attendance at Universal Studios Orlando has been seeing an uptick of guests over the last few years, all the way up to 10.71 million guests, according to Statista. It’s one of the top tourist locations in America, and for good reason. There are tons of fun rides and things to do.
Like Disney parks, Universal Studios Orlando shut down very quickly. The state of Florida hasn’t been hit as hard as other states (as of this moment), but both the state and Universal wanted to prevent infection as much as possible. This shows the park on March 16, 2020.
Mecca is one of Islam’s holiest sites and is home to the Kaaba. Every year, millions of pilgrims travel to this very spot to worship. This picture taken in 2018 on October 29 shows how many people frequently visit this spot to perform their five daily prayers.
Even religious pilgrimages have been disrupted due to the coronavirus. In Saudi Arabia, visits to the Kaaba were suspended in order to stop the spread. Mecca, home to the Kaaba, closed down on March 5th for deep cleaning, and while it was reopened the next day, it was unclear whether pilgrims would be allowed back in. This photo was taken on March 6, 2020.
Disneyland is a magical place for children and adults alike. After Disneyland in Hong Kong and other Disney theme parks shut down overseas, people became concerned that Disneyland in America would follow suit. This photo was taken on March 13, 2020. Disneyland sees around 18.7 million people per year, according to L.A. Times.
Disneyland shut down, and now it’s almost scary. In the history of the park, it has only closed down four times, but these times call for desperate measures. This photo shows what it looks like with zero guests on March 15, 2020.
St. Peter's Basilica, located in the Vatican, is a popular tourist attraction and a holy place for Christians all over the world. Every year, St. Peter's sees around 10 million visitors (according to RomaWonder), particularly around religious holidays like Easter and Christmas. This photo was snapped on April 21, 2019, during Holy Week, which occurs the week before Easter.
Normally, people are all over St. Peter’s Basilica around this time of year, but now? It’s practically empty. Italy was hit especially hard, and many tourist attractions and holy sites were put on lockdown to curtail the spread of the virus. This photo was taken on March 11, 2020.
The Louvre in Paris has some of the most famous works of art in the world, including the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, the Wedding of Cana, and so many more. Like many other attractions in Paris, the Louvre sees around 10.2 million visitors per year, according to the Louvre’s website. This photo was taken on August 31st, 2019.
Many of France's most popular tourist attractions have been closed due to the coronavirus. Right now, there's no official news when the Louvre and other attractions will reopen – just “when things improve.” This photo shows the deserted art museum on March 1st.
Grand Central Station is the biggest hub of transportation in New York. People visit the location every day to go to work, and it’s also a big tourist attraction. Millions of people walk through this historical landmark every year, but now? It's a ghost town.
New York has been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus, causing people to stay away from public transportation. Enclosed spaces have a higher risk, so people are choosing to walk or not travel altogether. This shot shows the transportation hub and tourist attraction on March 11, 2020.
The Sensoji temple is one of Tokyo's biggest attractions, and it's also one of Tokyo's oldest temples. This Buddhist worship spot sees about 30 million people per year, according to U.S. News. It's been around since the year 628. As new virus outbreaks occur, Japan has had to take drastic actions. This picture shows the average attendance in March, as the picture was taken on March 22, 2018.
Tokyo isn’t quite on lockdown, but people don’t feel comfortable walking in large groups. The Sensoji temple, usually a very busy attraction, has certainly lost a lot of visitors since the outbreak began. Some guests decide to take their chances, wearing a mask to prevent themselves from getting sick. As you can see from this photo, taken March 9, 2020, people are practicing social distancing.
Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and we've all heard the story. The Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built this beautiful piece of architecture in memory of his favorite wife. The Taj Mahal is now considered the jewel of India, and it sees roughly eight million visitors per year, according to Wikipedia.
India's coronavirus cases are growing every day, and it's the second-most populated country in the world. For that reason, the government shut the Taj Mahal down temporarily. All monuments will be closed until March 31st, but we'll have to wait to see if that date will be extended. This photo, taken March 7, 2020, shows that citizens were afraid to visit even before the monument closed.
Pike Place Market is a great spot to pick up something to cook for dinner, a book, or even some new clothing. What some may not know is that Pike Place Market is actually the oldest, continuously operated farmers market in America, since 1907. According to Experi, the market sees around 10 million visitors per year.
Washington was where it all started in America (at least in the west). Seattle, especially, was hit hard, so Washingtonians feared to go to the Pike Place Market. Now, only a few ventured out to walk around, especially since positive tests are popping up at the tourist hot-spot. This photo shows people avoiding the market on March 10., 2020.
The Temple of Heaven, located in Beijing, China, is a group of religious complexes that's been around for centuries. It was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties, so it’s a very popular tourist spot. Most people don’t worship at the Temple of Heaven anymore, but it’s still a very holy place.
Beijing was hit with this virus very quickly, as early as February 11th, but residents were cautious way before that. This photo shows the Temple of Heaven on January 27th. Officials locked down the city, and while not many people visit, there’s still a lot of life. Wildlife (including squirrels and birds) have taken over and are running free while the people are gone.
Times Square is one of the busiest places in New York. People go there to make a little money with their talent, or just to visit one of the many shops that litter the streets. During the holidays, people go there to have a little fun. Wikipedia states that Times Square sees around 50 million people per year. This photo shows Times Square in March 2018.
Signs in Times Square tell people to stay home to flatten the curve. While people in New York are still going out, Times Square looks nearly empty. The state has required all non-essential places to close by 8 PM and gatherings of 50 people are banned. This photo shows this touristy spot on March 16, 2020.
The Milan Cathedral is a huge attraction in Italy. Anyone that visits the area knows you have to stop by, and we all expect it to be crowded. That's just how Italy is! The Duomo di Milano is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan, and it took six centuries to complete. It’s no wonder it’s a modern marvel. This photo shows the average tourism you’d see in March.
Italy has had a rough time stopping the virus from spreading, especially in places like Milan. The country has closed everything besides supermarkets, grocery stores, and pharmacies. As the death toll continues to rise (now past 2,000), the Duomo di Milano will remain closed. This photo shows the eerie cathedral on February 28, 2020.
Disneyland, no matter where it's located, sees millions of visitors every year. Disneyland in Hong Kong sees between six and 10 million guests annually, according to CNN. This picture shows happy (albeit tired) people in the park in February.
Hong Kong’s Disneyland shut down in January, and since things haven’t improved, it’s going to remain closed until the number of those infected gets better. This picture shows how deserted the entrance is on March 5th. So far, there hasn’t been any news whether or not it will open in the next month.
The Tokyo Dome is massive, and we mean massive. It has a maximum total capacity of 55,000 people, according to Tokyo Dome's website. Not only are major games played at the stadium, but it's also a tourist attraction, largely thanks to the fact it's located an entertainment district. This image shows the Tokyo Dome just a few months ago, November 17, 2019.
Tokyo Dome hasn’t shut down, but games are still continuing without spectators. It’s almost spooky how no one fills the seats when normally the stadium is packed to the rafters. Games like this one on March 15, 2020, would easily fill all the seats. Now, people watch these events on television and cheer from home.
Universal Studios in Hollywood is a massive attraction in the west. People visit from all over the world, and it sees millions of people every single year – thousands each week! Since it’s such a tourist hotspot for visitors all over the world, it would’ve been dangerous to keep it open.
Universal Studios in Hollywood decided to shut down theme parks to avoid unnecessary infection. This photo shows the deserted park on March 11. Considering California is one of the hardest-hitting states, the park has no clue when it will be able to reopen.
