In NYC, the pandemic “decimates” small businesses relying on tourism

Stores are closed on New York's iconic Fifth Avenue, as the coronavirus pandemic keeps tourists at bay. Souvenir shop manager Mukhtar Ahmed only stays afloat thanks to the generosity of his landlord, as he has not been able to pay the rent since March. Tourist numbers have dropped by 66 percent in 2020 according to NYC & Company. Its vice president, Christopher Heywood, reckons that the crisis "has been decimating all facets of our industry," which currently employs 403,000 people.