California Consumer Privacy Act Archives

America’s Most Expensive Zip Codes

December 10, 2019 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

California is home to 91 of the top 125 priciest zip codes in the U.S., according to a new survey by Property Shark.

With an average home price at $7,050,000, the most expensive zip code for the third consecutive year is 94027: Atherton, Calif. in Silicon Valley.

The costliest 100 zip codes are located in 11 states.
San Francisco has 13 of the nation’s priciest zip codes.
The San Francisco Bay Area is the most exclusive metro with 55 of the country’s top zip codes.
Los Angeles is the nation’s priciest county.
New York is in second place with 18 zips in the top 125.

For the full list of 2019’s top 100 most expensive zip codes in the U.S., explore the table in this article.

News & Jobs for DMOs

November 18, 2019 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

Airbnb has signed a $500 million global partnership deal to sponsor the Olympic Games until 2028, targeting its brand exposure at the world’s biggest sporting event for the next five summer and winter games. The deal means that some Airbnb housing will be made available for visitors and workers, potentially saving cities housing construction costs in Olympic villages. Also, the International Olympic Committee is encouraging current and former Olympic athletes to sell personal experiences and access to their training regimes to fans via Airbnb Experiences.

The Dallas City Council has approved an amended 11-month contract with VisitDallas, following an investigative process and audit earlier this year. The new contract requires the DMO to implement corrective changes including tighter reports to the city: How it plans to spend the city’s cash by March 30, give the council an annual report by Dec. 30 and have a review of executive compensation and expense review on May 1. The CEO position currently remains open.

Mesa, Arizona is the first-ever Autism Certified City in the U.S. Earlier this year, Visit Mesa became the first-in-the-nation destination to earn autism certification. Marc Garcia, President & CEO of Visit Mesa, ignited the effort after his 6-year-old son’s autism diagnosis. Now, nearly 4,000 community members have completed or committed to autism certification including partners such as parks & recreation, police department and 60+ chamber of commerce businesses.

The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) awarded the certification, focusing on the needs of people with cognitive disorders, now estimated at 32 million vacation travelers or 1 in 59 children in the US. Visit Mesa and IBCCES presented last week at the TravelAbility Summit where more DMOs were inspired to take up the certification.

South Dakota knows how to get attention. This anti-meth public service campaign has a slogan that’s got the Twitterverse asking, “Are you guys OK?”

“Hey Twitter, the whole point of this ad campaign is to raise awareness,” Gov. Kristi Noem tweeted. “So I think that’s working.” AdAge wonders, “But are people talking about drug use, or about the clunky messaging?”

The Sioux Falls Argus Leader reports, “Broadhead Co., a marketing and ad agency in Minneapolis, created the “Meth. We’re On It.” campaign. The state’s Department of Social Services has paid the agency just short of $449,000 so far this year, according to the state’s finances website, open.sd.gov. The state’s contract with Broadhead, effective until May 31, 2020, states that the contract shouldn’t exceed $1.4 million.”

Fodor’s has published its annual no-go list of places to avoid and Big Sur is startled to find itself among the world’s places to avoid. Rob O’Keefe, interim CEO of the Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Kirk Gafill, president of the Big Sur Chamber of Commerce, were both caught by surprise by the Fodor piece. “Big Sur doesn’t have an overtourism problem,” O’Keefe said. “It has a responsible tourism problem, which is a challenge for every destination that participates in tourism,” as reported in the Monterey Herald coverage found here.

Amtrak reported its third straight year of record ridership and revenues, as it targets breaking even by 2021. But with Congress threatening to slash Amtrak’s budget, and badly needed infrastructure upgrades threatening its most important routes, the objective won’t be easy to achieve.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has issued a fraud alert over USB chargers in public places, such as airports and hotels. Known as “juice jacking,” the scam has criminals loading malware onto charging stations or cables left plugged into the kiosk which may infect smartphones, tablets, and laptops of unsuspecting users. The malware may lock the device, export data and passwords, or even a full backup of the phone directly to the criminal.

Microsoft has decided the company will respond to California’s new consumer privacy law (The Travel Vertical, 9/17/2019) by rolling out the tightened standards across the US. It means all of its American users should enjoy the rules meant to protect consumer data from Jan. 1, 2020.

Hyatt, with its 875 hotels across 20 brands, is the latest hotel chain to promise the elimination of single-use plastic bottles of shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and lotion with large-format bathroom amenities. Marriott International ( 6,500+ properties worldwide) and InterContinental Hotels (5,600+ properties worldwide) have already made the pledge.

Facing declining research-and-booking ad revenue as Google encroaches the space, TripAdvisor hired Christine Maguire from Condé Nast in April to lead its 170-strong team as VP of global advertising revenue. TripAdvisor has now released 10 beta versions of ad products to appeal to different marketers’ needs: 1) Advertisers may use TripAdvisor’s data and ad creatives to reach travelers on Instagram or Facebook.; 2) Another Branded content offerings; 3) Self-serve advertising portal for smaller businesses; 4) Brings in outstream video. An AdExchanger interview with Maguire appears here.

Media News:

America’s two largest newspaper chains are joining forces. Shareholders cleared the way for GateHouse Media‘s parent company, New Media Investment Group, and USA TODAY owner Gannett to join forces in a deal that will create the largest U.S. media company by print circulation. The combined company will be called Gannett and will own more than 260 daily publications, including Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The Detroit Free Press, Indianapolis Star, The Arizona Republic, The Cincinnati Enquirer, as well as hundreds of weeklies. The new company will reach an average monthly online audience of more than 145 million unique visitors, according to traffic measurement firm Comscore. “Roughly one in four newspapers in the United States has closed since 2004, and many that managed to survive have been cut to the bone,” observes The New York Times.
The Washington Post announced a first-of-its-kind news reading app designed for TV. Browse a curated selection of stories, watch videos, listen to podcasts. Use adjustable fonts, text sizes, and color schemes with a remote control. Available on Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV, the app is free.

Missouri Division of Tourism – Director

Maryland Dept. of Commerce, Division of Tourism, Film, and the Arts – Administrative Officer

NYC & Company – Project Manager – Marketing

Greater Boston CVB – Manager, Destination Services Meetings & Events

Destination DC:

Digital Marketing Manager
Marketing Manager
Marketing Assistant

Discover The Palm Beaches:

Senior Manager, Digital Marketing
Manager, Destination Services
Marketing Specialist
Manager, Group Marketing
Manager, Content

Valdez Convention & Visitors Bureau (AK) – Executive Director

Mineral Point Chamber of Commerce (WI) – Executive Director

Arlington County (VA) – Economic Development Director

Helena Area Chamber of Commerce/CVB (MT) – Communications & Marketing Director

Montana Dept. of Commerce – Digital Asset Coordinator

Thomasville Tourism Commission (NC) – Director

Huntingdon Co. Visitors Bureau (PA) – Marketing Director

Tulsa Regional Chamber – Senior Account Executive, Tourism

City of Garland, TX – CVB & Events Administrator

City of Flagstaff – Marketing Specialist

Taos Ski Valley – Content Creator

Wyoming Office of Tourism – Sr. Global Partnerships Coordinator

Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism – Grant Coordinator

Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board – Coordinator, Mexico & Latin America

Newport Beach & Company – Social Media Specialist

Visit Anaheim:

Business Intelligence Director
Marketing Coordinator

Explore Asheville CVB – Director of Content

Visit SLO CAL (San Luis Obispo) – Communications Manager

Visit Albuquerque – Marketing & Communications Officer

Destination Madison (WI) – Event & Destination Services Manager

Mammoth Lakes Tourism – Local Marketing Manager

Visit Seattle – Marketing Coordinator

U.S. Travel Association – Coordinator, Marketing & Industry Communications

TripAdvisor (NYC) – Social Engagement Manager

Miles Partnership:

Travel Media Sales and Marketing Executive (Austin)
Account Director (Sarasota)

MMGY Global (NYC) – Destination Marketing Account Exec., Myriad

ADARA (Chicago) – Customer Success Manager, Tourism

Sojern (San Francisco) – Manager, Customer Success, Adphorus

Madden Media (Springfield, MO) – Destination Sales Specialist

Atlas Obscura (NYC) – Marketing Manager

Skift (NYC)

Editorial Strategist, Branded Content
Events Manager

Development Counsellors International:

Senior Projects Manager, Digital Marketing NYC)
Digital Paid Media (Denver)

San Diego Convention Center Corporation – Director, Marketing & Communications

Times Square Alliance (NYC) – VP Business Development & Partnerships

Facebook (NYC) – Content Marketing Lead, Media Partnerships

Instagram (San Francisco) – Policy Programs Manager

Airbnb (San Francisco):

Director of Loyalty
Content Product Strategist
Senior Category Marketing Manager, Experiences

Uber (San Francisco) – Content Strategist

LinkedIn (San Francisco) – Social Media Manager, Brand |Communications | Social Impact

Lyft (San Francisco) – Director of Brand Marketing, Business

Pinterest (San Francisco) – Head of Global Business Marketing

Santa Barbara Zoo – Director of Marketing

SF Giants – Giants Enterprises Director of Marketing & Communications

Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts (Hialeah, FL) – VP Marketing

GetYourGuide (NYC) – Senior Destination Manager

ICYMI: Curated Front Page News Headlines

September 24, 2019 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

In case you missed it, a quick roundup of some headline news for the eTourism Community.

NEWS

Collapsed: The 21st century has been unkind to Thomas Cook, the pioneer in vacation packages. The iconic 178-year-old travel company, founded in 1841 by a British cabinetmaker by that name, initially conducted rail tours around the UK. Now 600,000 unhappy holidaymakers are currently in-destination, 34 aircraft are grounded and 22,000 jobs are at risk across the company’s 17 brands. In the end, talks this past weekend produced failure despite £9 billion in annual bookings and a £900 million investment from Fosun in China. How did digital evolution, or lack thereof, play a role? Read more here.

Drake Hotel, Chicago, 1920

CEO and son of founder Conrad, Barron Hilton, 91, has died. As the most recognized name in the industry, “Hilton” became synonymous with the word “hotel” for much of the 20th century and beyond.

Hilton President & CEO Chris Nassetta was among 15 travel industry leaders calling for congressional reauthorization of Brand USA funding at last week’s biannual U.S. Travel Association CEO Roundtable. Last year, Congress agreed to extend the implementation of the $10 ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) fee connected to the Visa Waiver Program from 2021 to 2027. However, it diverted those revenues to the general fund, not to Brand USA, putting the agency’s future in jeopardy at a time when decreasing inbound market share means a loss jobs in the tens of thousands. Read more here.

The world’s largest network “hotelier” of sorts, Airbnb now says it will go public sometime “during 2020.”

A rare, profitable “unicorn,” Airbnb was co-founded in 2008 by Brian Chesky and is currently valued at $31 billion by private investors.

TripAdvisor has been cracking down on phony reviews. The travel mega-site has reported significant progress in improving the reliability of user reviews by policing postings believed to be fraudulent or paid for. TripAdvisor is getting lots of attention for its first-of-a-kind transparency. In a 29-page report, the company details the procedure involving analysis of 66 million reviews in 2018 using advanced fraud detection technology plus additional human assessment by content moderators. Read the press release here.

Stephen Cluskey, CEO of accessibility solution provider Mobility Mojo, identifies a “silver tsumani.” As the population ages, the current 14 million people living with a disability in the USA will grow to become roughly one-quarter of the total tourism market. Virgin Hotels US is a leader, Cluskey told Skift Forum last week.

TravelAbility Summit is the inaugural conference on this topic, produced by eTourism Summit founder Jake Steinman, taking place in San Francisco, Nov. 12-13, 2019.

End of an era: Amtrak is killing off the train’s tradition of long-distance dining cars. Say goodbye to Railroad French Toast and white tablecloths; all aboard for pre-packaged meals.

In a new scientific paper, Google claims to have reached a world-first, a huge computing milestone, “quantum supremacy,” in which capability far surpasses today’s traditional computers. Seen briefly on NASA.com, and then removed, the report created lots of excitement. Top Microsoft engineers are among those drawing comparisons to help us understand the scientific leap, saying that the abacus and today’s computers are more closely aligned than today’s computers and quantum computing.

Huh? Because we certainly cannot explain it at all, for more on what this means, surf the web or try clicking on this YouTube explainer video already viewed by 3.5 million people that takes a look inside a hermetically-sealed glass lab.

Facebook has just suspended “tens of thousands” of apps that potentially misused customer data since the Cambridge Analytica data scandal came to light in 2018. The suspended apps came from roughly 400 developers, sparking off fresh privacy fears. In July, Facebook was hit with a $5 billion fine by the FTC; will there be more penalties?

A distraction?

Facebook is rolling out ad formats that use polls, games and augmented reality to “encourage a playful experience between people and businesses.” Using fewer words and more GIFS, emojis, stickers, and face filters, the Facebook blog post shows an example to demonstrate trying on 38 different lipstick colors.

And this happened. It was a “nice meeting.”

Latest News to Know for DMOs

May 28, 2019 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

Do you know whatever you need to know? The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) comes into effect on Jan. 1, 2020. The CCPA has been likened to Europe’s GDPR. California will be the first state to roll out this expansive and comprehensive data protection regulation applicable to businesses that:

Have yearly gross revenues of more than $25 million
Shares or sells for commercial purposes annually buys, or receives for the commercial purposes of the business, either alone or in combination with other businesses, the personal information of at least 50,000 consumers, devices or households
Derives at least 50% of annual revenues from selling customers’ personal information.
Read more here.

Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, Canada, has announced $3 million in cuts to funding for Tourism Toronto and Ottawa Tourism, among other provincial municipalities. “According to Tourism Toronto, it faces a cut of $9.5 million—about one-quarter of an annual budget. Ottawa Tourism says it is losing $3.4 million,” reports the Toronto Star. Read more here.

In Utah, Washington County Convention and Tourism Office is rebranding as the Greater Zion Convention and Tourism Office. The process began with an RFP that received 18 responses from all over the world. Six finalists presented plans and Cactus, a Denver ad agency, was selected.

PCMA has announced BEAM (Business Events Analytics/Metrics), a new product designed to provide market intelligence and data analytics for the business events industry. It enables DMOs to gain insights into industry trends and behaviors. Destinations International will be PCMA’s marketing partner for BEAM. Read more here.

The Santa Clara Convention Center has a new operator, Spectra Venue Management. After 34 years, the Silicon Valley city is replacing the convention center’s current operator, the Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce & Convention-Visitors Bureau, which an audit has accused of mismanagement. Spectra will also work with the city and the Tourism Improvement District to create a new Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Cleveland landed the 2021 NFL Draft, and if it’s anything like this year in Nashville, it will be a huge economic boon for Northeast Ohio’s economy. It could also raise the city’s national profile. During the three-day 2019 NFL draft, Nashville hosted 600,000 people including 54% from out-of-town, for an average stay of 2.8 days and saw $133 million in direct spending, according to the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation. The draft’s total economic effect on the city was $224 million.

Brand USA got wide support from Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), who joined several colleagues in urging the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Senate Commerce and Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committees to protect and renew funding for Brand USA.

“Though the program has been a proven success in boosting tourism to the United States and driving economic growth, the 2018 congressional budget caps agreement diverted Brand USA’s user fees away from the program to general revenue. We strongly support protecting and renewing Brand USA’s funding, while upholding the original structure that no taxpayer dollars should be used to fund the program,” the senators wrote in a bipartisan letter led by Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Cory Gardner (R-CO), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and cosigned by 43 of their colleagues.

In Eureka, Northern California’s redwood country, the city council’s vote on an agency to replace the Eureka-Humboldt Visitors Bureau has been postponed due to favoritism and transparency concerns. The DMO shakeup is over dissatisfaction with the bureau’s focus on selling the region’s redwoods as a tourism pull (duh, the tallest living things on earth…) over a countywide marketing effort. (See The Travel Vertical, 5/20/2019).

America’s Most Expensive Zip Codes

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