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#eTS20 – Everybody Means Everybody. Click here for a complimentary invitation extended to those whose jobs are impacted by Covid-19.
eTourism Summit 2020 Virtual Kicks Off October 1st
Stockton’s Got Talent — Plus More People & Places
America has a new STAR and he’s making Stockton, California proud.
In case you missed it, here’s a look at just one of Brandon Leake’s touching spoken-word performances on his way to a big $1 million win on #AGT.
A 15-year Simpleview veteran, Kevin Bate has been promoted to VP of Global Sales. Formerly Sr. Director of Business Development, Kevin will continue building out the company’s global footprint with Simpleview’s regional team leaders abroad.
Adam Zappia has joined the team at ADARA as Sales Director, Destination & Hospitality Media – Southeast Region. Adam joins from Advance Travel and Tourism in Atlanta and was previously a senior travel account director at Cox Media.
Sean Doherty has been named Tourism Director at Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach Visitor & Convention Bureau in Charlotte County, Florida. A 15-year veteran at the DMO, he served as sales & sports marketing director.
Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau announced the appointment of Michelle Conway as interim president/CEO. Currently director of marketing, she takes on the role with the departure of Jennifer Wesselhoff who is joining Park City Utah Chamber of Commerce / CVB as chief executive. A permanent search for Sedona is underway.
Facebook has named a new CMO, Alex Schultz, from inside the ranks. An 18-year veteran, he was VP Product Growth, Analytics, and Internationalization. Alex gives visitors to his LinkedIn page some more about himself. “Hi, I’m Alex (he/him). I am really proud to be openly gay at work and my personal life and to have a successful career at a couple of big name internet companies. I’d like that to act as an example to other lgbt people out there that it’s possible to get to the top of your field and be out. I am also now exec sponsor of the Facebook global pride@ group.”
Arkansas — State parks rock…literally. It’s a good day out when you explore Crater of Diamonds State Park in western Arkansas, the nation’s only active diamond mine, and pick up a 9-carat rock. Awaiting appraisal, it’s the second-largest gemstone found at the park since 1972, and it went home with a lucky in-state visitor.
Napa and Sonoma Wine Country — Wildfires will have a massive effect on the hospitality industry in Northern California’s wine country. As we write, 36,000 acres have burned (tripled in one day), 8500 homes and structures are threatened, dozens of top wineries along Silverado Trail are in harm’s way, five-star resorts (Meadowood, Calistoga Ranch) are totally or partially destroyed, 70,000 residents have been evacuated. Again.
California -> Hawaii — Beginning Oct. 15 when Hawaii re-opens to visitors, passengers departing San Francisco International Airport headed can take advantage of the first Covid rapid testing from United Airlines. A negative result means no need for a 14-day quarantine on arrival. At $250, the 15-minute test costs more than the air tickets. Hawaiian Airlines followed suit, announcing a partnership with Worksite Labs for exclusive drive-through testing at $150 for day-of-travel at SFO and LAX, for starters.
Everybody -> Hawaii — If tested on arrival in Hawaii, there’s a catch: Don’t bring the family. Children under 12 aren’t tested by FDA-approved partners, so even if parents test negative, the entire family must quarantine for 14 days. Gov. David Ige said, “It won’t be the ideal situation. It’s not going to be accessible to everybody who wants to travel.”
Cuba — No more Cuban cigars and rum. New travel sanctions also forbid American citizens from staying in 433 Cuban government-owned hotels, which means just about everywhere. Also banned are visits to Cuba to see family, for humanitarian visits, and several other reasons that were still deemed acceptable by the U.S. government post-2016.
Daytona Beach — To reflect pandemic realities, Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau has softened up the tone of a long-running promotional theme, “Wide. Open. Fun.” High-energy jet skis are replaced with beach yoga in solitude…and that kind of thing. The narration has been updated, too. Working with the Brandon Agency in Myrtle Beach, the CVB executive director Lori Campbell Baker says, the campaign “has truly found its stride.”
Florida — Gov. Ron DeSantis has ordered that the entire state goes into phase three of re-opening, akin to the pre-pandemic way of life. The ruling supersedes a local government’s tighter restrictions, including limits on indoor occupancy at bars and restaurants. He also said “a full Super Bowl” is expected next February in Tampa.
A statement from Walt Disney World Communications: “We received the Governor’s executive order and are evaluating it to determine what it may mean for our business. We are not making any immediate changes. As a reminder, face coverings are still required at Walt Disney World Resort.”
Update: Disney to lay off 28,000 workers indicating that about two-thirds are part-time staff. The news comes as the California theme park remains closed and Florida attendance isn’t meeting projections.
Indianapolis — The Indianapolis City-County Council approved the funding for Indy’s new Signia Hilton development and the Indiana Convention Center & Lucas Oil Stadium expansion. The increase of 1,400 hotel rooms brings a total of 6,100+ hotel rooms connected to the convention center. More here.
New Orleans — In this TV interview, Mark Romig, CEO of New Orleans Tourism and Marketing Corporation discusses the challenges of 2021, Mardi Gras, and the state of New Orleans’ tourism economy.
New York City — Mayor Bill de Blasio made Open Restaurants a permanent feature. Propane heaters will be allowed for the outdoor dining spaces in streets and on sidewalks being used by 10,000+ restaurants since June. At NYC & Company, ALL IN NYC Neighborhood Getaways [Mastercard – premier sponsor; OpenTable and Citibike, sponsors] has more than 200 discount deals and offers, and still adding more, from local establishments and services in all five boroughs.
San Francisco — A new promotional campaign, “Our Gate is Open,” marks the re-opening of some businesses and hotels. Running through year-end, it was developed in collaboration with Visit California, regional tourism partners such as Visit Oakland and Visit TriValley, plus private sector (United Airlines) are involved. It features volunteer local celebrity appearances and three-day itineraries aimed at in-state travelers and runs via Expedia, Sojern, and Adara media platforms.
South Carolina — Greater Beaufort-Port Royal Convention & Visitors Bureau is receiving $140K for destination marketing. The grant is generated by South Carolina’s State Accommodations Tax revenue (ATAX), some of which is allocated to non-profit groups focused on the promotion, marketing and advertising of tourism. Another $11,524 goes to Lowcountry & Resort Islands Tourism Commission.
South Dakota — One of the state’s most-visited tourist attraction is Wall Drug, a (since 1931) pharmacy-cum-amusement-park drawing 2.2 million annually pre-Covid. Simply painted giant billboards line the highways, aimed at thirsty travelers looking for free water. “On the 50-mile stretch of highway between regional hub Rapid City and Wall (population: 800) alone, there’s an average of one Wall Drug billboard every 4,000 feet,” reports AdAge. “The $300,000 annual ad budget is handled in-house and pays for bumper stickers, signs, and repairs. Interest is so high, even during the pandemic, that its restaurant, doughnut factory and souvenir shops—complete with animatronic singing cowboys—are still nearly at capacity.”
Tennessee — Fifteen counties will receive at least $25K in grant support specifically for tourism marketing initiatives to promote the return of responsible, safe visitation into those communities. The designated DMO in each county is working directly with Tennessee Department of Tourist Development to craft ideas and generate projects to be executed by December 30, 2020.
Where are you? Send us your news.
Michelob Offers $50K: Everybody Wants to Partner with National Parks
Airbnb, Marriott, Michelob…everybody wants to get into a national parks partnership because the fresh outdoors is Coronavirus-free.
Anheuser-Busch says the job is Chief of Exploration officer for Michelob Ultra Pure Gold. The job description calls for a “deep appreciation for nature” and a good eye because they’re looking for exceptional photos and videos of beer + nature for their social media channels.
Michelob said the new hire and a “plus one” will get the keys to a camper van equipped with bathroom and shower, gas money, and beer for the occasional days off. The salary is $50,000 for a six-month gig and applications are available through September 30th via the website.
Marriott Bonvoy has just announced a marketing partnership with the National Park Foundation (NPF), official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service. There’s a dedicated travel planning website with discounted rates at 406 Marriott properties near national parks. Members can redeem Bonvoy points for an annual parks entry pass or donate points to NPF. The website also provides travel tips and guides from local experts for the inspirational travel planning stage.
As rural road trips grow in popularity, Airbnb teamed up to expand their partnership with the National Parks Foundation. A new landing page highlights three lesser-known places: North Cascades’ 300 glaciers (Washington State), Upper Delaware River’s rolling rapids (New York State and Pennsylvania), the Mojave Desert’s mesas and mountains (California and Nevada). To enhance the Mojave pre-trip digital experience, Airbnb created Sounds of the World, a series of five sensory impressions inspired by local hosts on Soundcloud.
More partnerships? Airbnb indicates that destination marketing organizations looking to partner with Airbnb through their programs can find more information here.
In a trend that’s been growing since late spring, more and more rural destinations are highlighting the natural beauty of the great outdoors in their travel campaigns.
“Travelers will have a strong desire to get out to and explore the great outdoors, including less-populated destinations,” said Diane Shober, executive director for Wyoming Office of Tourism.
That said, on the first day of fall, it’s painfully clear that winter presents a real problem.
Meetings Michigan/Destination Michigan and the Michigan Restaurants & Lodging Association is looking for support to:
• Allow Michigan’s meetings and banquets centers statewide the same access to market as restaurants at 50 percent capacity indoors with appropriate social distancing and sanitization standards.
• Allow restaurants to retain the expanded capacity they gained via patios and other outdoor solutions this summer by allowing them to safely winterize those spaces while extending their temporary alcohol service permits as well.
• Allow for expanded indoor capacity, both at restaurants and banquet centers if the data reported by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services falls below a three-percent positive test rate over an extended period.
• Restore Pure Michigan funding to encourage the restoration of safe travel.
• Promote and subsidize the requisite education and training necessary to earn credentials associated with the MRLA ServSafe Dining Commitment.
“Don’t Leave Michigan’s Hospitality Industry Out in the Cold,” is a petition seen here.
Tourism People and Jobs — The Big Picture
Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority has announced that their new president & CEO is Charles Harris. Harris has been chief marketing officer and EVP for public affairs at Visit Anaheim, which he joined in 2014. He will replace Phil Delone who resigned in February.
Entrada Insights has appointed Katie Stadius as senior data advisor. Formerly an associate account director at MBuy, a media agency in Chicago, Katie managed key accounts such as Discover Los Angeles, Choose Chicago, Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Galveston Island Convention & Visitors Bureau, West Hollywood Travel + Tourism Board.
Hospitality, sports, and entertainment industry veteran Andrew Simon replaces Patrick Hughes as president and CEO at Las Vegas’ Fremont Street Experience. Since 2007, Simon has served as CEO of sports for Mark Cuban’s AXS TV. He created AXS TV Fights brand, broadcasting its first live sporting event from Fremont Street Experience. He also worked for Cox Communications in Las Vegas, Cox Business Services and Hospitality Network, NXTV, and Deloitte.
| Open Position: Vice President of Marketing – Simpleview in Tucson. (This is not a remote position.) New Position: Social Media Content Manager – University of Michigan More top marketing roles: CMO, Hootsuite | SVP – Marketing, Foursquare | VP – Brand Marketing, Shutterstock | VP – Content Marketing, Marriott International | VP – Marketing, OpenSesame | VP – Marketing, Lambda School | VP – Marketing, Keeps | VP – Brand, MongoDB Other Positions: See The Travel Vertical, Sept. 15, 2020. |
The Big Picture
Three charts regarding job postings from Jed Kolko, chief economist at Indeed.com, provide a picture of what’s going on. Get the full report here.
The trend in job postings was 18.2% lower than in 2019 as of September 18 — a fourth straight week of slight improvement.
Hospitality and tourism jobs have seen the biggest decline.
Since March, job postings fell more initially in travel and tourism destinations, large and small, but postings have picked up since May in hospitality metros like Las Vegas, Miami, and Orlando. Job postings have rebounded much more slowly in metros where more of the jobs can be done from home. Postings in high work-from-home metros are nearly 30% below last year’s trend.
Covid Response is (Still) All Over the Place
Weekly Guide to State Quarantine Rules
“Dawn DiFiore and her family were just five days out from their longed-for vacation in upstate New York when they saw the news: New York was requiring Maryland visitors—along with those from dozens of other states —to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. Penalties for violations start at $2,000, which meant ‘we wouldn’t even be able to go hiking.’
DiFiore quickly booked a North Carolina rental, where they were free to hike and explore while following their usual coronavirus-era routines of mask wearing and social distancing.
Welcome to the confusing world of travel quarantines.” — reported by AARP.
Every Wednesday, AARP updates the full list of states’ coronavirus-related regulations, include rules for facial coverings, see AARP’s guide.
Stress Up, Fear of Travel Down
Findings into Americans’ lifestyle priorities and travel outlooks for the week of September 21 from Destination Analysts indicate that stress levels have increased while openness to travel is up as well. See important insights such as these:
Also, a call for your participation in tourism research. Here’s the link:
North American Borders and Hawaii
Hawaii has agreed to lift the quarantine for inbound visitors as of Oct. 15, 2020. The rules? Travelers can visit the islands if they have a negative coronavirus test result within 72 hours before arriving in order to avoid a mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine.
Canada and the United States have agreed to extend the temporary restriction of all non-essential travel across the Canada-U.S. border until at least October 21, 2020.
Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Relations has requested an extension of the current travel ban for another 30 days.
England: What a Second Wave Looks Like
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has reversed the lifting of some lockdown measures in England, telling people to work from home once again if possible. This comes just weeks after the prime minster repeatedly urged people to return to the office, send kids off to school (which remain open along with universities), and the government promoted a month-long subsidized dining out scheme in August.
Britain ranks fifth worldwide in the Covid-19 related deaths.
Related: Brits Go Berserk Over Government’s £10 Dining Discount Designed to Save Restaurant Jobs
New restrictions announced by the PM — for up to six months — include:
- Hospitality businesses, such a pubs and restaurants, must provide table service only, and close by 10 p.m. from Thursday.
- The use of face masks will be extended across a “range of areas.”
- The number of people allowed to attend weddings is reduced to 15.
- People who can work from home should do so.
- Sports venues will not be able to reopen from October 1.
