BOSTON hotels, theme parks, historical landmarks and similar businesses have been hit by the pandemic. The hospitality industry’s collective losses over the past year have been estimated at billions of dollars.

Local tourism officials are more optimistic about a recovery, however, as the summer tourist season kicks off on this Memorial Day weekend.

“The governor’s decision to lift the restrictions really opened the playing field,” said Ann Marie Casey, executive director of the North of Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau, one of the state’s 16 regional tourism councils. “And with public health conditions improving, people really want to get out and travel.”

As of Saturday, almost all remaining COVID-19 restrictions in Massachusetts will be lifted, more than two months ahead of the scheduled date for the full reopening.

New COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths have steadily declined in recent weeks, and more than half of the state’s 7 million residents have been vaccinated, one of the highest per capita rates in the country.

Tourism officials say pent-up demand, aided by the lifting of restrictions and improved public health metrics, bodes well for a busy season.

Rick Lofria, executive director of the Greater Merrimack Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the region is also seeing a surge in tourism as outdoor events are planned and cultural attractions reopen.

“We’re going in the right direction,” he said.

Lofria says a turnaround is being welcomed by pandemic-stricken hotels, museums, restaurants, theme parks and other hospitality businesses.

While the tourism industry has been hard hit nationally, Massachusetts has been particularly hard hit as it was among the first states to shut down non-essential businesses.

More than half of the 40,000 hotel jobs that existed prior to the pandemic were either put on leave or eliminated, according to the Massachusetts Lodging Association, while the state’s occupancy fell by nearly half over the past year.

The state’s restaurant industry lost $ 7 billion in revenue last year, according to the Massachusetts Restaurant Association. The trade group says 23% of restaurants that closed during state and local government shutdowns last March never reopened.

Tourism officials point out that for many businesses, the profits made this season will likely result in making up for last year’s losses.

“We won’t see a full recovery in the tourism industry as a whole until after 2024,” said Casey.

She said it was not clear when international visitors, who usually represent a sizable portion of the state’s visitors, will return. Travel restrictions still apply in many countries and COVID-19 infection rates are still high.

And tourism officials say the success of this summer season depends on tackling the hiring crisis that is preventing many companies from expanding their business.

Many hospitality industries are struggling to find workers to fill vacancies with tens of thousands of people still receiving generous unemployment benefits.

Tourism officials have also raised concerns that not enough money will be spent to attract visitors to the state once the pandemic wears off.

At a hearing of the Legislative Committee on Tourism, Art and Cultural Development last month, tourism officials called for more funds to be used to promote the state.

“We will not be able to wish, pray and hope for a way out of this pandemic,” Martha Sheridan, president of the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau, told the panel. “It’s just not going to happen. The only way we can get out of it is if we stay competitive and invest strategically in promoting tourism.”

Christian M. Wade reports on the Massachusetts Statehouse for the North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhi.com

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