ORLANDO, Fla. — As the United States prepares to reopen to more international travelers starting Nov. 8, residents of the United Kingdom are among those most eager to return to the United States — Orlando, specifically, with bookings at area theme parks and resorts, according to travel industry executives.

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, Orlando International Airport Executive Director Phil Brown, Visit Orlando Chief Executive Officer Casandra Matej, the UK consul general in Miami, Nicolette Brent, and Simon Hawkins of Virgin Atlantic USA were among the leaders who held a roundtable discussion Monday in preparation for the return of international visitors.

About 10 million international visitors came to the U.S. in 2019, and the majority of Orlando’s overseas visitors come from the United Kingdom, Matej said. She went to the United Kingdom last week to promote the return of tourists to the Orlando area.

Starting on the day U.S. travel restrictions ease, Virgin Atlantic will begin new direct service between Orlando International Airport and London Heathrow, Brown said.  The flights to Orlando International Airport (MCO) will be full for the first few weeks, and because of demand, Virgin will upgrade the aircraft to A350 instead of A330, Hawkins said.

As of Nov. 15, British Airways will relaunch its flights between Orlando and London, and Aer Lingus will launch service from Orlando to Manchester, England, and Dublin, Ireland, Brown said.

Virgin Atlantic expects to see a lot of bookings focused around Black Friday, according to Hawkins. The first increase in travelers from the United Kingdom likely will be people who have family or homes in the area, and then leisure travel can be expected to pick up, he said.

At least at first, British travelers look to spend primarily on experiences, as opposed to physical goods, industry executives said.

The Biden administration announced last month that it would ease travel restrictions on international travelers starting Nov. 8. Non-immigrant adults traveling to the U.S. must be fully vaccinated, with only limited exceptions, and all travelers will need to be tested for the virus before boarding a plane to the U.S.

Under the policy, those who are vaccinated will need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test within three days of travel, while the unvaccinated must present a test taken within one day of travel.

Children under 18 will not be required to be fully vaccinated because of delays in making them eligible for vaccines in many places. They will still need to take a COVID-19 test unless they are 2 or younger.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.