Weekly stories curated exclusively for digital tourism marketers
WWW: We’re excited for another Weekly Wednesday Webinar.
And from last Wednesday, in case you missed it, when we discussed data.
Connect Travel YouTube Channel for past “Staying Connected” webinars.
Recently this country has been experiencing situations and events that have forced us to see everything differently. We have been beseeched by a health pandemic that has taken the lives of hundreds of thousands of our fellow human beings and all but shut down TRAVEL as we have known it. Now the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police officers has refocused the world’s awareness of another deadly pandemic; blatant and systemic RACISM.
The murder of George Floyd is a painful tragedy, not only for his family and friends, but also for the wider community of humanity, especially the Black sector. It is symbolic of the degree of marginalism and disenfranchisement that infects every level of society, including the meetings/travel/hospitality industry.
Like every Black person in this country, we well know that at any point in time in any city in America our rights as citizens and yes, our lives, could be taken in a moment at the hands of someone who sees themselves as superior and “in control.” Nationally, Blacks are denied equal access to job opportunities. In the hospitality industry, specifically destination marketing, our efforts to improve the representation of Blacks continues to be a challenge at all levels, but specifically at the executive and C-suite positions. We have watched the protests in our cities, and in the cities globally of our peers. We support the protests with the hope of change to a narrative we have lived with our entire lives.
The loser is always a part of the problem; the winner is always a part of the answer. The loser always has an excuse; the winner always has a program. The loser says it may be possible, but it’s difficult; the winner says it may be difficult, but it’s possible.” — Althea Gibson
We are further saddened by the deafening SILENCE from many of our peers and colleagues in this industry. To paraphrase civil rights activist Eldridge Cleaver, “If you are not a part of the solution, you are a part of the problem.” Clearly, whether we realize it, admit it, or like it, all of our lives have been impacted and our world has changed. This industry must and will also change. HOW will be determined by the actions we take NOW. One thing is for sure, going forward, we can no longer “do business as usual.”
Although it is not imperative for creating change, history has taught us that it is helpful for those concerned to fully recognize the NEED for changes to be made. So if we can at least begin by accepting that racism has no place in this country or our industry, perhaps a starting point for making things better would be to establish meaningful platforms to have open conversations to LISTEN to those in the industry, as well as the broader traveling public whose experiences are shaped by the policies and decisions made by those of us in positions of leadership.
To further gain some enlightenment, we might do well to ask some pertinent questions, such as:
• In general, what are you doing in your own organizations/cities to nurture cultural change as it relates to racism?
• What steps are you taking to ensure local industry boards, committees, and staff have African American representation and leadership in your office and hospitality community?
• How are you engaging underserved communities to attract the talent of the future?
• Are you broadening the conversation to include young people, activists, community leaders, faith-based groups, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (and other) students?
• Have you developed a policy for procurement that ensures a percentage of purchases and professional services are from Black and/or minority-owned businesses?
• How do you engage your stakeholders to participate in co-ops and strategies with Black travel businesses to attract Black visitors to your community? (According to Mandala Research, the economic value of Black travelers has increased in 2018 to $63 billion from $48 billion in 2010.)
• Do your print, digital, website, POS materials represent the faces of your community and the traveling public?
If our industry is going to emerge as a winner in the travel and tourism game, we encourage you to embrace the philosophy of the late professional tennis player, Althea Gibson, who in 1956 was the first Black to win a Grand Slam title. Her motto was: “A loser says, ‘It is possible, but it is difficult.’ A winner says, ‘It is difficult, but it is possible.’”
We stand ready to do our part to make the possibility of a new, better, highly evolved, inclusive travel industry a reality in 2020 and the years to come. Will you join us?
Sincerely,
Arthur Ayres, Jr.
VP of Finance, Discover Philadelphia
Cleo Battle
COO, Louisville Tourism
Timothy Bush
President and CEO, Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou
Julie Coker
President and CEO, San Diego Tourism Authority
Gregory DeShields
PHL Diversity, Executive Director, Discover Philadelphia
Jason Dunn
Group VP, Diversity Sales & Inclusion, Cincinnati USA CVB
Lorne Edwards
SVP of Sales and Services, Visit Phoenix
Elliott Ferguson
President and CEO, Destination DC
Darren Green
SVP, Sales, LA Tourism & Convention Board
Michael Gunn
SVP, Convention Sales and Servicing, Greater Birmingham CVB
Al Hutchinson
President and CEO, Visit Baltimore
Charles Jeffers II
COO, Visit Baltimore
James Jessie
SVP of Convention Sales & Services, Travel Portland
Connie Kinnard
VP, Multicultural Tourism & Development Greater Miami CVB
Robin McClain
SVP, Marketing and Communications, Destination DC
Angela Nelson
VP of Multicultural Business Development, Experience Grand Rapids
Marie Sueing
VP, Multi-Cultural Community Relations, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp
Melvin Tennant
President & CEO, Meet Minneapolis
Rickey Thigpen
President & CEO, Visit Jackson
Dan Williams
VP, Convention Sales & Services, Experience Columbus
Ernest Wooden, Jr.
President and CEO, LA Tourism & Convention Board
Key findings from the latest weekly wave of U.S. consumer traveler surveys plus business and convention travel are as follows. Click on the links to follow these reports and for more detailed data.
Americans are clearly more ready to travel than they have been in months. And they are becoming more confident about welcoming visitors to their communities as well.” — Amir Eylon, president and CEO
Note: The survey, supported by Miles Partnership, was fielded June 3, 2020 using a national sample randomly drawn from a consumer panel of 1,000 adults, ages 18 and over. Quotas were used to match Census targets for age, gender, and region to make the survey representative of U. S. population.
American travelers’ feelings about their health, financial and travel safety continue to improve. More Americans report they are already traveling or ready to travel.” — Erin Francis-Cummings, president & CEO
Note: Every week since March 15, Destination Analysts has surveyed 1,200+ American travelers about their thoughts, feelings, perceptions and behaviors surrounding travel in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The findings presented below represent data collected June 5-7, 2020.
More From Destination Analysts:
| To understand how employee feelings may play into when business and convention travel return, this week a series of questions were asked to gauge emotions around this type of travel in the summer and fall. |
Note: Respondents attending a conference, convention or group meeting in the past two years, 404 completed surveys. Data collected June 5-7, 2020. Destination Analysts wishes to thank Miles Partnership for their support.
We’re all on a journey within a journey and the only road map is data. Join the next “Staying Connected” webinar on Wednesday, June 10 at 1 p.m. (ET) where we’ll get this conversation going about where the numbers are taking us.
Geek out with this panel of experts along with host and moderator Josh Collins of Streetsense.
In case you missed it, Key Takeaways from last week’s webinar with Arival on the topic, “Think Differently: It’s Time for DMOs to Work With Local Tours, Activities, Attractions and Experiences.” Thanks to our panelists, including Visit Salt Lake City, Visit Houston, San Diego Zoo, Bandwango, Bindlestiff Tours.
Catch up on any conversations you may have missed on our YouTube channel.
Universal Orlando is planning to open to reduced capacity on June 5. Changes? Plenty. Social distancing will be in effect everywhere as well as mandatory masks and temperature checks; those with temperatures of 100.4º or greater will not be allowed to enter. Also, staggered parking (no more valet parking), reduced attraction ridership, no post-show meet and greet, interactive play areas closed, menus will be paper single-use and the park will close by 6 p.m.
A team member preview and practice will be held on June 1-2. On June 3-4, a limited number of local annual pass holders will be invited as training and preparations continue.
Although nothing is as per usual this year, Dr. Beach is. On Memorial Day Weekend, he revealed the “2020 Top Ten Beaches” list (along with tips for social distancing on the sand) and everyone wants to know which beach is #1. Following a two-year run in Hawaii, the top spot reverts to Florida. Nice one, Visit South Walton.
The Florida Keys & Key West are reopening to visitors on June 1. The campaign, developed by Tinsley Advertising, focuses on themes such as “open spaces, gratitude, and personal space using vibrant outdoor imagery and 30-second videos. An online toolkit for use by hotels and industry partners includes digital postcards captioned, “A little something to look forward to,” “Here’s to brighter days ahead” and “We see beautiful things on the horizon.” Keys lodging is limited to 50% of occupancy during the early stages of reopening.
Separately, a two-week consumer video challenge, created by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council relations agency NewmanPR, invites social media videos of 60 seconds or less with hashtag #FLKeysAtHomeChallenge. The challenge offered a prize trip to the Keys. Mixed messaging includes Safer@Home for users of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, encouraging views of live-stream Keys content to spotlight wildlife organizations, nature-based activities and local cultural and musical offerings.
In Florida, St. Johns County Commission approved a $2 million loan to market the region and bring tourists back in support of a request by St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau.
The money approved Tuesday will allow the VCB, the visitors and convention bureau, to move forward with a phased plan involving advertising, social media, trade shows and other targeted marketing efforts. The DMO’s budget had been reduced by $2 million because of bed tax revenue shortfalls, which led its president and CEO, Richard Goldman, to urge county leaders to shore up the organization’s funding. More here.
Georgia is gearing up to re-start television and film production by issuing Covid-related best practice safety guidelines. Last year, the state saw nearly 400 productions for about $3 billion in direct spending from the industry, providing an additional $6.5 billion in economic impact to the local economy.
The Georgia Department of Economic Development oversees Georgia Council for the Arts and the state’s DMO, ExploreGeorgia.org. California is expected to release guidelines this week.
In Hawaii, the message is “Don’t Come.” The rate of infection for the coronavirus is second lowest in the nation and the governor wants to keep it that way. According to Bloomberg News, Hawaii has mothballed the tourist industry to protect the health and safety of the residents and safeguard the state’s $17.8 billion tourism industry supported by 10 million visitors annually that accounts for 20% of the local economy.
Ski resorts, only bruised by the coronavirus late in the 2020 season, are now facing complicated decisions about performing operations under Covid-related guidelines next winter. Mountain towns are facing a 50% decline in year-over-year revenue, according to Tom Foley, SVP- business and analytics at Inntopia, whose DestiMetrics platform collects and analyzes lodging performance metrics in the destination ski industry. “It’s a little mind-numbing,” said Rusty Gregory, CEO of Alterra Mountain Co., operator of 15 ski resorts including Mammoth and Squaw Valley. Read more here.
All 41 Broadway theaters will remain closed throughout summer and possibly beyond Labor Day, says The Broadway League. Last year, Broadway generated more than $1.75 billion in ticket sales, contributing an estimated $14.7 billion to New York City’s economy in one season. Tourists account for 65% of Broadway’s annual ticket sales, according to the league.
In The Bronx, Yankee Stadium will be turned into a giant drive-in movie theater and concert venue this summer. Starting on weekends in July, the parking lot becomes part drive-in movie theater and part local concert venue with car-side dinner service from street vendors. The stadium stage will be elevated for live performances so attendees can watch from their cars while sounds is streamed via a PA system connected to car radios. Read more here.
In Midtown Manhattan, the gleaming art-deco 90-year-old Chrysler Building is adding an observation deck to its 61st floor balcony. When open, it joins others: Empire State Building, One World Trade Center, Top of the Rock, and the new 100th-floor Edge Hudson Yards observation deck that opened on March 11 before promptly being closed due to the coronavirus. Fun fact: Edge is the highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere.
Stay inside the lines. San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department has painted the lawn in popular parks with 10-foot polka dots. Circles were drawn on the grass to define and encourage social distancing as a warm, sunny weekend attracted locals. The city got the idea after circle markers were first seen in Brooklyn’s Domino Park.
Table for two in the middle of the street? In addition to cities that are newly prioritizing pedestrian and cycling, cities from Berkeley and Oakland, Calif. to Tampa, Fla. are planning how to repurpose streets for dining al fresco. They’re removing through traffic to allow restaurants to expand onto sidewalks, parking spaces and roads, at least for the summer. “Slow Streets” may allow residents, rubbish collection, emergency and delivery vehicles to proceed down the middle at a much-reduced speed. In Los Angeles, Mid City West has adopted Slow Streets and in Washington, D.C., it’s under consideration.
The Inn at Little Washington, a three-star Michelin country retreat in Virginia’s Rappahannock County, guests are made to feel a little less awkward about social distancing in the half-filled dining room by the charming company of well-dressed mannequins seated at every other table. (P.S. credit for the caption typo goes to CBS This Morning.)
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extended stay-at-home orders until June 12. The order, which has been in place since late March and extended multiple times, was due to expire on May 28. The measure also extends the closure of some places of theaters, gyms and casinos.
Hertz, which moved its headquarters to Lee County, Fla. in 2013, filed for U.S. bankruptcy protection citing a “rapid, sudden, and dramatic” blow. Reports point out that the car rental pioneer was founded over a century ago in 1918 during the influenza epidemic that killed 675,000 in the U.S. and 50 million worldwide. The car rental business has evaporated at the airports that are crucial to its business. With nearly $19 billion of debt and 700,000 vehicles now idle, Hertz had already laid off 25% of its workforce of 38,000. Headlines now indicate $16.2 million was paid to 340 executives, some in high six figure bonuses, before filing for bankruptcy.
Travel-related unemployment hit 51% right before Memorial Day weekend.
More than half of the 15.8 million travel-related jobs in the U.S. have disappeared since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the U.S. Travel Association and Tourism Economics. Read more here.
IATA, the International Air Transport Association, which represents 290 airlines (82% of total air traffic) has released new analysis showing that the damage to air travel from COVID-19 will extend into 2023, with long-haul travel being the most severely impacted. The association states that quarantine measures on arrival will further damage confidence in air travel, citing a recent survey showing 69% of travelers are unwilling to travel if it means undergoing a 14-day quarantine period on arrival. IATA finds that when the recovery begins, it is expected to be led by domestic travel.
“Our national economy is in a recession, but the travel industry is already in a depression,” said Roger Dow, president and CEO of U.S. Travel Association. This is what a depression looks like…just 15,000 overseas visitors in April.
“Assuming the opening of borders and the gradual lifting of travel restrictions begins in early July, the UNWTO expects international tourist arrivals to drop by 58% to 610 million this year. That would set the global travel industry back to 1998, when the number of international travelers was last so low. It could get worse, however, if travel restrictions remain in place until later in the year. Assuming they are eased as late as December, the UNWTO sees international tourist arrivals fall as low as 320 million, a level last seen in the mid-80s and possibly costing the industry $1+ trillion.”
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