The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (and the Disruption)
YouGov is just one of the sources we turn to check on the temperature of Americans’ attitudes and opinions.
We’ll keep fact-checking in 2022 to find tidbits and factoids that might help professionally (and enhance all-around trivia skills). Share yours!
This year, voted “one of the worst years in American history,” we also learned that Americans dislike the 1953 version of the song “Santa Baby” more than any other (32%) Christmas-themed tune. “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” (31%) and “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” (28%) are the runner-ups.
What else?
1. New restaurant surcharges tacked onto bills for “supply chain shortages.” This receipt comes from Taste of Belgium in Cincinnati. — Source: ElliottConfidential.com >>> || Note: 1a.) Prices for paid parking at ski resorts from is from $10 to $70 per day at peak holiday periods; it’s expanding coast to coast and going up, up, up…
2. The podcast bubble has not popped. Monthly podcast listener numbers are expected to show 10% Y-O-Y growth as we wrap up 2021. — Source: eMarketer
3. Thousands of flight cancellations occurred due to pilot and crew testing Covid positive. Nearly 2,400 U.S. flights were canceled over the Christmas holiday weekend, as rising infections affected staffing levels among flight crews and ground personnel. More than 6,000 flights globally were canceled over the holiday weekend. Another 2,500 flights were cancelled on Monday, 12/27. — Source: FlightAware || –> 3a.) Note: “At least one airline expert, who asked not to be identified, was not convinced those were the only reasons behind the flight cancellations. ‘My guess is that the employees have sick leave, figured they have gotten screwed even though the industry got $50 billion tax free so why not take a few days off,’ this expert said.” — Source: Insider Travel Report
4. New York City is reducing numbers of people allowed into Times Square for the traditional in-person New Year’s Eve ball drop — which is not cancelled. >>>
5. On Christmas Eve, Universal Orlando reinstated a mask mandate for all public indoor spaces for all visitors, regardless of vaccination status. — Source: Travel Weekly
6. Meantime, the CDC has reduced the number of days of isolation for infected, but asymptomatic, individual from 10 days to five days to reflect the shorter period that a person is most contagious. This could help travel, food and hospitality companies with staffing — Source: Washington Post
7. Puerto Rico will not hold the in-person event that was planned for New Year’s Eve while globally televised programming on ABC via “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2022” will go forward. The island has updated its entry rules. From Dec. 27, arrivals on U.S. domestic flights require proof of a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours prior to arrival rather than 72 hours. Unvaccinated visitors must quarantine for seven days. Proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test taken within 48 hours of arrival at a restaurant or bars is required. Masks are required indoors at all times, regardless of vaccination status. — Source: Travel Weekly
8. Space Perspective, the luxury balloon-powered passenger space experience, has selected Florida’s Space Coast Spaceport in Titusville, Florida as the location for its worldwide campus and manufacturing complex. The company plans to invest over $38 million in Florida and create 240 jobs. — Source: Space Channel
9. YouGov Teen Profiles data shows two-thirds of Americans follow one influencer or more (65%).
10. What influences Americans who plan to take a vacation in the next 12 months (*through spring 2022) — Source: YouGov
- value for money (42%)
- outstanding natural beauty (36%)
- having friends/family nearby (36%)
- climate (35%)
- low-cost flights, accommodation, activities (29%)
- culture & history (28%)
- return visit (28%)
- availability (26%)
- safety measures (22%)
- recommended by someone (21%)
11. U.S. passport fees have increased by $20. Adults over age 16 will pay $165 for a first-time passport; renewals are $135; minors are $130. Processing times are currently eight to 11 weeks.
12. In Canada, the tourism minister has said the travel industry may have to live off domestic travel until the fall. Industry advocates say there’s a major staff shortage with the sector losing workers who won’t be returning. — Source: CBC
13. Data suggests there are three big takeaways in leisure and business travel demand as consumers react to the Omicron surge:
- Travelers are still booking at a high pace despite public health concerns
- Urban destinations are back in demand
- Market demand is uneven and dynamic. — Source: Adara
Related: 22 Random Facts Including Emmy Awards and a Recipe From Pigeon Forge
Related: 22 More Random Destination Facts for Our Transformational Times
14. Experts say sports betting advertising has exploded and that 2021 will have reached $336 million. Note: The U.S. Supreme Court removed the federal ban on single-game wagering in 2018. — Source: AdWeek
15. Delayed, yes (until the end of 2023). But cookies will crumble, so continue to build and strengthen first-party datasets.
16. GDPR, CCPA, CPA — what else is coming in the realm of enhanced privacy legislation?
17. A newly released report from PWC says these are the top 10 commercial real estate cities in the U.S., also leading in regaining jobs. “Large cities that dominated the list for years are now slipping. Several expensive markets, including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., all failed to break into the top 10.” — Source: PWC
18. Visit California has unveiled “Meet What’s Possible,” a campaign designed to appeal to businesses to bring business travel and meetings back to the state. The DMO has dedicated to $4.5 million of its $95 million in stimulus funds to the initiative that was launched at a Chicago / Minneapolis road trip in December.
19. OpenTable has analyzed more than 10.5 million reviews from verified diners to come up with the Top 100 Restaurants in America for 2021.
20. Retail rebound. By August of this year, Business Insider reported spending for goods surpassed pre-pandemic levels with a 25.69% jump since January 2019. In a PowerReviews survey of nearly 8,000 consumers, 34% said they will increase their holiday spending this year by an average of 48%. — Source: Waze.com
21. ^^ Despite Omicron surges and crew shortages, on Dec. 21, 2021, TSA throughput numbers at U.S. airports were nearly as high as in 2019 and the following day, the TSA processed more people through checkpoints than on the same day in 2019.
22. ^^ The final hours of 2021 have at least one good thing left to deliver. DMOs and attractions can register today to save $500 for in-person attendance at eTourism Summit 2022 in June, co-located with IPW. Take advantage before 12 midnight ET on 12/31/21…See you in Orlando.
