The Travel Vertical

Weekly stories curated exclusively for digital tourism marketers

Reopenings Are Coming. And, Stressed Out U.S. Mayors Are Quitting.

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California is planning to fully reopen on June 15, and that’s big news for the entire nation. With a GDP of $3.2 trillion in 2020, California represents 14.6% of the total U.S. economy. In fact, California’s economy is so big that it would slot in as the world’s fifth largest economy, more productive than India or the United Kingdom.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Comparison_between_U.S._states_and_sovereign_states_by_GDP

First in the nation to impose a stay-at-home order on March 19, 2020, California has had one of the tightest and longest Covid-related lockdowns, with guidelines in some counties only somewhat eased during the course of more than one year.

On the travel side, the state updated its travel advisory on April 1, lifting a recommendation that Californians not travel more than 120 miles from home. Residents and visitors are still subject to state and federal travel restrictions, and nonessential trips beyond state borders remain discouraged.

Credit: Los Angeles Convention Center

Mask mandates and social distancing recommendations remain in place as well as stipulations regarding meetings and conventions:

  • Unless testing or vaccination status is verified for all attendees, conventions will be capped at 5,000 persons until October 1.
  • International convention attendees will only be allowed if fully vaccinated.

“We do have concerns about the new guidance’s mandate that international convention attendees be vaccinated. While the travel industry strongly encourages everyone to be vaccinated as the most effective path to a full economic reopening, a vaccination should not be a requirement to travel—and is unnecessary in this case because of the CDC’s current mandate that international visitors have a negative COVID test.” — U.S. Travel Association

Credit: Los Angeles Times

California’s road to reopening has been a dizzying one with plenty of slippery slopes and political intrigue. The Los Angeles Times tracked decisions throughout the state’s 58 counties from March 2020 to March 2021, building a database of every change that affected businesses (restaurants, retail, gyms, hair and nail salons).

A typical business owner faced seven rule changes as public health departments made more than 2,000 rule changes statewide. 

Meantime in LA, they’re making strides in erasing confusion. The Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board just announced an initiative powered by digital health company Sharecare and Forbes Travel Guide to verify the health security of all hotels with 50 or more rooms in the entire city. By making health security verification a universal standard across this category of hotels, Los Angeles is set to become the first Sharecare VERIFIED™ destination in the U.S.

“Our strategic partnership with Sharecare allows visitors, planners and hospitality employees alike to feel confident in our hotel community’s commitment to their health and safety,” said Adam Burke, President & CEO for Los Angeles Tourism.

The verification process for each hotel covers more than 360 standards across health and hygiene protocols, cleaning products and procedures, ventilation, physical distancing, the guest experience, and health safety communication with guests and employees. Hotels also are required to verify their health protocols on an ongoing basis to ensure continued compliance with the most up-to-date health standards.

Mayor Thomas M. McGee of Lynn, Mass., described parts of last year as “a blur,” reports The New York Times in coverage about mayors feeling burnout from the pandemic. A Boston University think tank, Initiative on Cities, released its 2020 annual survey of U.S. mayors, a unique report that provides collective perspectives and insights — while oddly missing out any discussion of tourism (!)

See “Covid-19 Recovery and the Future of Cities,” in which (130 responses from mayors in cities of over 75,000 population during July/August 2020) many mayors expressed deep personal and professional anxiety about the effects of:

  • lost tax revenue due to Covid closures
  • concerns about schools, mass transit, arts & culture
  • the look and feel of downtown
  • conflicts over policing and racial justice
  • overall pandemic fatigue, juggling economic recovery with safety & health

A sample page from the report’s feedback from U.S. mayors appears to be missing tourism as an important factor in their city’s recovery:

Mayor Grover C. Robinson IV, of Pensacola, Fla., said he decided not to run out of frustration with the politicized reaction to health directives, after returning from a vacation and attending yet another contentious meeting. Similar explanations have come from the mayors of Highland, Ill., Pascagoula, Miss., and Seattle, among others. — The New York Times

Denver Does ‘Coming Soon,’ NYC Does Dinner for $20.21, Queen Mary Does Bankruptcy & More News

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Justin Bresler, VP Marketing & Business Development at Visit Denver, writes: “Guys, we did a thing here! Introducing Coming Soon: Denver. Over the next several weeks, new ‘episodes’ will come out about all the many projects around the city, from the airport to the 16th St. Mall, Convention Center to cool new attractions like Meow Wolf. Check out the teaser trailer! Your next binge watch is here! With multiple projects and billions of dollars of renovations, tune in to what’s coming soon in The Mile High City.”

Late breaking news: Destination DC launches a re-designed website.

  • Optimized navigation and search.
  • The latest travel status and safety measures at travel-related businesses.
  • New long-form stories, photography and video create an interactive experience.
  • For the convention audience, business event strategists find enhanced meetings and convention tools.
  • Designed for mobile first, as web traffic from mobile devices accounts for roughly 60% of site traffic.
  • Expertise on strategy and development from MMGY Global.

    From the press release: “Our website is one of the most important ways we communicate with potential visitors and locals, and after a year where travel has been decimated, it’s fitting to start off 2021 with a fresh look at the destination as we have an eye toward recovery,” said Elliott Ferguson, president, Destination DC.
    “Today’s travelers are consuming content on mobile devices and expect content and recommendations tailored to whom they are and what is important to them….We focused our efforts on producing a content-rich, mobile experience to deliver a great user experience and reveal all that Washington, DC has to offer, creating a first-in-class destination website,” said Robert Patterson, VP of Marketing Technology, MMGY Global.

Washington Post & Bloomberg News — American Airlines is doing a pandemic pivot, launching a new wine subscription service as their diminished bookings and in-flight service created a surplus of onboard wines. American is looking to generate $40,000 in sales through the wine program this quarter. Wines start at $13 and there’s a monthly subscription available at $100 with buyers earning frequent flyer miles. Other airlines are getting creative to make ends meet, selling branded PJs, blankets, in-flight meals, deluxe nuts mix, and even fully stocked rolling bar carts.

Zagat — New York City Restaurant Week is bigger than even though many restaurants are closed. Famous chefs such as José Andrés, Daniel Boulud, and Danny Meyer are doing meals for $20.21. More than 500 restaurants have signed up—200 more than the prior record—which also includes just about every major restaurant still open for business…Many of the top-name restaurants, to the extent that they have any ability to do takeout or delivery, are doing so. Exceeding the value of $20.21 is key to the effort.

The Hollywood Reporter — No more permits needed in the parks. In a huge win for filmmakers and videographers, a federal judge in D.C. has ruled that it’s unconstitutional under the First Amendment for the National Park Service to charge a fee for filming, including commercial, on its land.

Sign of the times: Budweiser is sitting out Super Bowl ad time for the first time in 37 years. Instead, viewers will see its “first-ever corporate Super Bowl commercial which launches a campaign highlighting the company’s commitment to making a positive impact on communities and playing a role in our nation’s economic recovery.” DoorDash and Fiverr are among first-time Big Game ad buyers.

eTurbo News — Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium is a “No Drone Zone” for Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7, 2021. Drones also are prohibited around the Tampa Riverwalk for the NFL Super Bowl Experience during the days leading up to the event. The FAA will establish a Temporary Flight Restriction on game day prohibiting drones within a 30-nautical-mile radius of the stadium up to 18,000 feet in altitude.

Related: That FAA Fine Is How Much? Drones For Dummies

Afar — New presidential executive orders indicate all travelers to the U.S. must quarantine and show negative Covid-19 test. President Biden also reinstated Covid-19 travel restrictions on non-US citizens who have been in Brazil, Ireland, the U.K., and much of Europe, and extending restrictions to travelers who have recently been to South Africa.In addition, there is now a federal mandate on mask-wearing that covers all federal employees plus buildings, and lands for members of the public. This means all in national parks and monument plus airports, airplanes, trains, public transportation, ships, and intercity buses.

Travel Pulse Canada — PM Justin Trudeau says Canadians must forget about vacations for now and warns of tougher restrictions coming this week. Canadian tourism folks are reporting that places are cut off from all service, freight isn’t getting through and there are airports closed across Canada as Air Canada announced another 1,700 layoffs and a 25% capacity cut. WestJet announced 1,000 people would lose their jobs and that lift will be trimmed by 30%. 

Germany has announced tougher mask rules that will require wearing a medical-grade mask on public transport, supermarkets, and in shops. From Feb. 1, Lufthansa bans the use of cloth, material, or “everyday” masks inflight. Passengers will be required to wear “either a surgical mask or an FFP2 mask or mask with the KN95/N95 standard” during boarding, the flight and when leaving the aircraft. The advanced face mask trend is catching on fast in Austria, France, Italy and beyond.

Low-cost, award-winning Norwegian Air says bye-bye to North America to focus on its European routes. The carrier had launched 18 new transatlantic routes since it introduced long-haul in 2015.

Trippingly.net – In Coachella Valley, Calif., The largest outdoor arts festival in North America is a maybe in 2021. Burning Man was canceled in 2020. This year? The only news is an announcement of a future announcement. That call is expected by mid-February. A Burning Man Project spokesperson said, “We’ll have more on that in less time than it takes to find your bicycle after a deep playa sunrise dance, we promise. Stay tuned.” Ticket sales account for about $46 million annually; the first batch of 70,000 tickets will be priced at $1,400 each.

In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom lifted the stay-at-home orders (again) and 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew that the state has been under since Nov. 25, 2020. This means that restaurants can re-open for outdoor dining.

The real estate investment trust operator of the Queen Mary in Long Beach, Calif. has filed for bankruptcy. The 85-year-old former luxury cruise liner, docked as a hotel since 1967, has been closed since May.

After 22 years, The Standard on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood is closing indefinitely. Known for its celebrity clientele and early financial backers, (Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz and Benicio del Toro) this property was first in the boutique brand’s group. The Standard in Downtown LA is temporarily closed.

Santa Barbara Independent — In partnership with Santa Barbara Airport and city officials, Visit Santa Barbara courted Southwest Airlines over five years, participating in meetings at its Dallas headquarters and aviation trade shows. In November 2020, VSB hosted a site visit for airline executives showcasing the destination to help cement the deal. Visit Santa Barbara President/CEO Kathy Janega-Dykes, “Following a prolonged downturn in tourism due to the pandemic, they are a bright spot on the horizon.” New routes are bookable now: three daily flights to Las Vegas, one daily flight to Denver, and one daily flight to Oakland International Airport starting April 12, 2021. The DMO plans to contribute a quarter-million dollars to support the new Southwest flights, including a suite of marketing campaigns to attract visitors in each of the cities on the routes announced.  

CommonWealth Magazine — Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has signed an economic development bill that enables hoteliers to create the districts and charge a fee up to 2% for tourism marketing. Greater Boston CVB is among the DMOs that have been working for the passage of the legislation. Local coverage indicates that “…Massachusetts collects $513 million annually in lodging taxes but $400 million of that goes to general expenses, unrelated to tourism, and another $103 million goes to the state’s convention centers.”

Wichita Business Journal – The State of Kansas tourism division will move out of the Wildlife and Parks department after 10 years and into the Department of Commerce. The change comes under an Executive Reorganization Order announced Monday by Gov. Laura Kelly and will likely take place on July 1.

Star Advertiser — Hawaii Tourism Authority is in financial trouble. From a 2019 budget of $79 million in Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT) funds plus $16.5 million for the Hawai‘i Convention Center, FY 2020 saw a cut to $41 million and is now expected to be down to $10 million by June 1 unless Gov. David Ige restores some funding,

Destination Inspiration: NYC Gets a Scrawny Xmas Tree, Pittsburgh Sells Local Love, Vail Lights Up, Miami is Groovy & More

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A message from U.S. Travel Association + Travel Confidently toolkit

The Twittersphere says that the scrappy, scrawny, lopsided look of the 75-foot traditional Norway Spruce just installed at Rockefeller Center is a metaphor for 2020.

Something else about this year’s tree was just not right. A Northern Saw-whet owl was found nestled among the branches, having made the 170-mile journey from Oneonta, NY. Given the name Rockefeller, the owl was taken to a wildlife center for recovery and proper release.

Meantime, a recent report by NYC & Company and Tourism Economics, indicates the city is on track to receive 22.9 million visitors for 2020, a 66% drop from last year’s 66.6 million visitors. Even as the ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center opened for its 84th year, international tourism is not likely to return to last year’s levels before 2025, the forecast shows. “It’s going to be a very slow build initially,” said President & CEO Fred Dixon. Read more from the front page of The New York Times.

NYC schools have been closed and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is facing a $12 billion deficit and is considering laying off more than 9,000 workers and severely cutting back on the number of trains that make up the world’s largest mass transit system. “This is the worst financial crisis in the MTA’s history by orders of magnitude,” said MTA chairman Patrick J. Foye. Ugh.  

Don’t you love, love, love the Visit Pittsburgh Holiday Gift Guide? Presented as a blog post, it’s as good looking and well curated as any glossy magazine. “Shop local and share your love” is spot on for 2020.

Vail, illuminated. “Magic of Lights Vail” is a holiday event designed for “oohs and ahs” with socially-distanced and family-friendly in mind. For 40 nights from Dec. 24 through Jan. 11 in Ford Park, ticketed ($5-$15) nightly admission gives access to a multi-colored winter walk-through experience, a half-mile display of 500,000 low-impact LED lights.

The event is planned to return seasonally for years to come. Think hot chocolate, avalanche dog performances and live ice sculpture carvings, too.

Greater Miami & The Beaches tweeted, “What’s groovier than a drive-in movie? These throwback theatres are reopening all across Greater Miami…don’t forget the popocorn!” Putting stadiums to good use. Read more from the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Visit Burbank says, “Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 on March 30, 1939, and has stood as a symbol of determination, bravery, and justice to generations of fans for over 80 years. He has influenced every area of modern entertainment, appearing in countless comic books, Saturday morning cartoons, multiple television series, video games, theme parks and experiences, toys, collectibles, and apparel and lifestyle products, as well as blockbuster animated and live-action films.” The new larger-than-life 7.5-ft-tall bronze statue weighs 600 lbs. and stands on the AMC Walkway in Downtown Burbank.

Visit Corpus Christi has launched a brand update with a new video, “Learn to Coast Like a Texan in the Gulf Coast Capital” with new partner agency MMGY Global. (Because there are two types of people in this world: Texans, and everyone else.)

Rocky Mountaineer, the upscale Canadian train operator, is adding a new U.S. Southwest itinerary in 2021. The two-day train route between Denver and Moab will have an overnight stay in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. “This is such happy news for our community and those along the entire route, as we have all been prudently working to reboot travel during a very challenging year,” said Visit Glenwood director of tourism promotion, Lisa Langer.

Rocky Mountaineer is working with DMOs, hotels, and tour operators to curate custom vacation packages that feature tours, activities and stays in Denver and Moab. The preview season will have 40 departures starting from $1,250 pp+tax, Aug. 15 through Oct. 23, 2021.

For the first time since 1979, there will be no Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The world-famous parades are cancelled for February 2021, per Mayor LaToya Cantrell.

Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has announced $100 million in grants for struggling hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues. Restaurants are eligible for $35 million; the city hopes to help as many as 700 of them, with individual awards ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 doled out before the end of the year. There’s also $30 million set aside for hotels, $20 million for entertainment venues and $15 million for retail stores.

Nearly all Californians are under stay-at-home orders, barred from leaving their homes to do nonessential work or to gather between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Under the current curfew in effect until Dec. 21, residents are able to visit a pharmacy, grocery store, walk pets, order takeout and delivery from restaurants. Gov. Gavin Newsom indicates that the “purple tier” curfew applies to 41 counties or about 94% of the state’s population including Los Angeles, Orange, Santa Clara and San Diego counties. San Francisco is expected to move from red to the more restrictive purple tier as well.

Visit Virginia and Visit San Diego represent the two US destinations in the “Best in Travel 2021” from Lonely Planet.

The awards put on a 2020 spin to celebrate “genuine commitment to sustainability, community and diversity.”  

National Geographic published their own roundup, “Best Destinations for 2021,” which includes Denver for Sustainability; Florida Space Coast for Family Travel; Katmai National Park & Preserve, Alaska for Adventure; Isle Royale, Michigan for Outdoor Adventure; and both Tulsa, Oklahoma and a road trip through New Mexico for Culture/History.

Atlas Obscura & Nissan present a ROUGE ROUTES update: Snowed out of the launch in Carhenge, Nebraska last weekend, it was full speed ahead on Sunday for Sports Mode from Pikes Peak International Raceway, Fountain, Colorado. Hosted by Emmy-nominated broadcaster Selema Masekela, known for a decade via the X Games, pros include Eric Koston, one of the most decorated skateboarders in history; Kate Courtney, current Pan American Champion and 2019 Elite XCO World Cup Overall Champion mountain bike racer; Miles Daisher, Red Bull Air Force member and accomplished canopy pilot with over 7,200 Skydives and 5,000 BASE jumps. It’s rounded out by a rousing DJ set from LA-based TOKiMONSTA. Follow the experiences on Instagram at #ROGUEROUTES.

Prediction: We’re Going to See a Flood of Marketing Predictions for 2021 & More News

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December normally delivers all those trend prediction articles. One thing is for sure…there’s going to be more of them than ever. Brace yourself, because one of the first predictions is *more email* Aargh.

Expect More eMail

The 2021 predictions have begun.

Your inbox is going to grow in 2021, says Forrester Research…by a lot. A new report indicates that marketing message volume will increase by 40% next year as brands try to develop direct relationships with customers, hold onto customers, and drive purchases—especially in the wake of Google’s third-party cookie moves and Apple’s planned changes. Read “Predictions 2021: B2C Marketing.”

Right Now, We’re Limping

“And we can’t bring back America until we get business travel, meetings and events and international travel [going]. Right now, we’re limping on leisure travel, which is good but not great. But we need the other three pieces, and I think he can help us there.” — Roger Dow

Travel Weekly interviewed U.S. Travel Association President & CEO Roger Dow on whether the new Biden Administration will be good for the travel and tourism industry.

In a word, “Yes.” Roger also explains the concept of a tax credit for travel; liability protection for corporate travel; rapid, reliable, affordable Covid testing; opening borders; a stimulus package for DMOs and more. Read the conversation “On the Record” here.

In the latest weekly survey, Longwoods International reports 53% are not planning any travel during the holiday season, up from 48% a month ago.

Brand USA Says Bye-Bye to WTM and ITB

During Brand USA’s recent Travel Week Europe, a B2B event conducted online, Tom Garzilli, CMO, said it is likely to withdraw for good from participation in the World Travel Market in London and ITB in Berlin.


“Big global trade shows like WTM and ITB for US tourism are just not as efficient and not as necessary,” said Garzilli. “A lot of money gets spent on those things that we would like to see spent in the market, with tour operators, with consumers, driving business.” Like many of its private sector partners, Brand USA has suffered from a decline in funding levels.

Dining In Is Out

Chicago re-enters lockdown with a new “stay-at-home” advisory. With indoor dining allowed only at tables within 8′ of an open window, it’s an unsustainable strategy as temperatures drop. San Francisco, Baltimore, and New York City are among major cities tightening up Covid-19 dining restrictions once again. New Mexico and Oregon permit restaurant takeout and delivery only.

GrubHub and The Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund has launched a $2 million Restaurant Winterization Grant program for independent restaurants in NYC, Philadelphia, Boston, and Chicago. The initiative will provide $10,000 for eligible restaurants with five or fewer locations which apply by Nov. 21, 2020. Read more here.

Entertainment Information

Ticketmaster is working on a plan that uses smart phones to verify whether customers have been vaccinated or tested for Covid, according to Billboard. The process would involve fans using the Ticketmaster app in partnership with medical information firms and vaccine and testing distributors. Fans would be required to either verify their vaccination status or prove they have tested negative for coronavirus within 72 hours prior to a concert date.  

Name That Park

Home to four national parks and 42 state parks, Colorado wants help from the public to nominate a location and a name for a new state park to meet demand for outdoor spaces. “Our outdoor state parks, along with other public lands in Colorado, continue to see record visitation,” said Dan Prenzlow, director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Nominations must meet certain criteria, which can be viewed in detail here.

Fancy moving and taking your job with you? If you’re a remote worker looking for a fresh start, Northwest Arkansas will pay you $10,000 to relocate there — and they’ll throw a free mountain bike into the deal. Similar to initiatives in Kansas, Vermont, Maine and Oklahoma, Arkansas is looking to boost its economy and reverse falling population trends by paying remote workers to move there. The Life Works Here initiative from Northwest Arkansas Council will give you $10,000 if you relocate. To qualify, you must be a non-Arkansas US resident at least 24 years old and be fully employed. You also must sign a rental lease or purchase a house. 

California Coronavirus Clamp Down and West Coast Worries

Some 94% of California’s population of nearly 40 million is moving back to the most restrictive level of Covid-19 guidelines due to a rapid uptick in cases, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Monday.

Disneyland and California Adventure are expected to stay closed through “at least the end of the first fiscal quarter,” Christine McCarthy, Disney’s senior executive vice president and chief financial officer, said on the company’s 4th Q. earnings call last week. That means March 31, 2021. California won’t allow theme parks to reopen until the county in which they’re located reaches yellow tier, the least restrictive of the state’s reopening guidelines. Even then, theme parks can only reopen at 25% capacity under the COVID-19 health and safety guidelines.

The governors of California, Oregon and Washington issued a joint coronavirus travel advisory on Friday urging people arriving to any of the three states to self-quarantine for 14 days. The West Coast states also advised people to avoid non-essential out-of-state travel.

Keeping Quiet in Vancouver

Destination B.C. has pressed pause, suspending all paid advertising and marketing for two weeks through Nov. 23. The Vancouver-based DMO said it hopes the decision to temporarily cease marketing the province will prevent the need for further travel restrictions. Destination B.C. added travel alert banners detailing the health order to its website and suggested all partner organizations and businesses should include messaging that B.C. residents should avoid non-essential travel to from and within Metro Vancouver.

Atlas Obscura Partnering with Nissan


The first installment of Rogue Routes, a five-part series of drive-in shows at unique locations around the country, kicked off this past weekend. Auto Mode was held in a field in Alliance, Nebraska, using Carhenge, the incredible art installation, as the backdrop.

The program was hosted by AO co-founder and USA Memory Champion Josh Foer, featuring a presentation by groundbreaking mixed media artist Swoon, followed by a rock concert by the genre-bending LA band Chicano Batman. Ariel Azoff, Head of Partnerships at Atlas Obscura says, “Rogue Routes is designed to be a way for people to experience wonder together, safely, at a time when we are forced to be distant from one another. It’s a program designed for the age of COVID-19, not in spite of it, because these days, having shared experiences is more meaningful than ever before.”

“Everyone Wants to Be in Their Mother’s Arms”

That’s quite a tagline for an airline. Remember now-bankrupt WOW Air? Turn that logo upside down and you get MOM Air. A new Icelandic airline looking to launch in March 2021 is all about Covid-free flights and a double-pronged mission: super-cheap flights for consumers and gender equality for staff. MOM Air says, “All in-flight services will be optional. Whether it’s food, reading material on board, charging for electronics, nets, luggage space, toilet paper, hand soap, choice of seats…” Routes are planned to connect Reykjavik to the USA (NYC, Boston, Wash., D.C), Toronto and European capitals.

The website reads like a joke.

Initial media reaction is that the whole thing is a marketing ploy. What do you think? An invitation-only press conference is planned for Nov. 18 following cancellation of an earlier one. (Clearly, they need help with the English-language website copy.)

Gone: Gemütlichkeit and Glühwein  

Despite being outdoor events, Europe’s famous traditional Christmas markets are being cancelled country-by-county. Among them, Germany‘s Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt, dating back to 1628, was canceled for the first time since World War II. Austria has recently seen a sharp increase in new daily cases of coronavirus and the country is extending its complete lockdown through at least December 6. Meanwhile, 360tourist.net is doing virtual visits like this one of Charlottenburg Palace Christmas market in Berlin.

Looking for Light at the End of the Tunnel to Stay Positive

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We’ve collected some travel news and happenings to boost the feel good factor. Let us know if you’ve got one to share. After all this isolation, it’s refreshing to think ahead to the largest party on the planet. And 2026 is not too far off, right?

The largest ever 2026 FIFA World Cup is coming to North America. Philadelphia Soccer 2026, the city’s official World Cup bid committee, has made their presentation as a potential host city. From among 17 finalists, 10 U.S. cities will be chosen as host sites with an announcement in early 2021.

Currently, the top candidates are New York, Los Angeles and Dallas with New York or Los Angeles almost certainly hosting the final, reports the Washington Post. In addition to Philadelphia, other U.S. contenders are Washington D.C., Baltimore, Boston, Miami, Atlanta, Orlando, Cincinnati, Nashville, Kansas City, Houston, Denver, Seattle, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

There are also three Mexican bid cities (Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey) and three Canadian bids (Toronto, Montreal and Edmonton).

The Boston Consulting Group has estimated that each 2026 World Cup host city can expect up to 450,000 visitors and a potential net economic impact of between $90 million and $480 million after accounting for potential public costs.

The last FIFA World Cup held in the USA was in 1994.

Citing high demand (remember that?), Viking has opened additional dates for 2023 bookings for its first domestic ship, the Viking Mississippi. Viking said sailings in 2022 have already sold out and that strong demand prompted it to open additional 2023 dates sooner than originally expected, according to Travel Weekly.

The 386-passenger ship debuts in August 2022 to sail the lower and upper Mississippi River between New Orleans and St. Paul. Four itineraries with various ports of call range from 8 days from $3,699 (sold out) to 15 days from $10,999 per person in 2023.

Meantime, two other Mississippi River operators, American Queen Steamboat Co. and American Cruise Lines, have had to push back some of their summer sailing dates originally planned for June and July 2020.

[But of course, there’s potentially bad news for cruises (after all, this *is* 2020). If you can bear to hear that ships’ A/C systems may be spreading the coronavirus, read more here.]

“Is this a joke? Are you serious?” asked Regina Padgett of Orlando, Florida upon learning that she was tapped as the five millionth visitor to The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois.

In addition to the fanfare and media attention, she received a family membership in the presidential library’s foundation and $150 worth of gifts from the museum store and the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The museum opened April 19, 2005. Despite the panedemic closure, the attraction is running 40% above its initial visitation estimates.

Gov. JB Pritzker commented, “I am one of the millions who have gained a greater appreciation of President Lincoln by visiting this wonderful institution,” the governor said. “Lincoln offers all Americans an example of wisdom and decency, and we are fortunate to have the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum preserving his legacy for future generations.”

Padgett, a social worker who traveled with four nieces and nephews, was delighted. “You can’t see my big smile under this mask,” she said. “I’m still in shock. I don’t even know what to think.”

Celestial Tourism Storytelling: Doug Mackenzie, director of media relations at Visit Phoenix, is hosting a media-only live stargazing and planet sighting session from Kitt Peak National Observatory where state-of-the art, high powered telescopes observe dark skies.

Guests commentators are Valerie Stimac, author, “Dark Skies: A Practical Guide to Astrotourism” and Roy Alexander, fellow at the Royal Astronomical Society.

“Get to know the faces behind our business,” suggests Expedia Group Media Solutions in an email subject line. Click to open? Yes.

To mark 20 years, a series of blog posts will be spotlighting people who power the business so readers can get to know the global team at Media Solutions, or “MeSo” as they call themselves internally.

Senior Product Marketing Manager Robert Fan joined in 2016 and recently helped launch the integration of Vrbo into the brand portfolio to provide advertising partners with a valuable new group travel shoppers. Robert has been named both “MeSo Employee of the Year” and “Global Marketer of the Year” twice peers and leaders.

For when we are back to international networking in a big way, LinkedIn has a come up with a cool tool. A a new audio feature lets you record the precise pronunciation of your name so that anyone looking at your profile can listen to it.

“Ever seen someone’s name in writing and find yourself not totally sure how to pronounce it correctly? Correct pronunciation is not just a common courtesy—it’s an important part of making a good first impression and creating an inclusive workplace,” according to LinkedIn. The optional feature is indicated by a speaker icon beside the user’s name and is now being rolled out globally.

…And a Few Setbacks

Hawaii isn’t opening to visitors this summer after all. Gov. David Ige announced on Monday that he would push re-opening back until Sept. 1 for travelers from outside the state.

A previously announced plan to let visitors bypass a 14-day quarantine was supposed to go into effect Aug. 1. That plan would have allowed travelers to skip the quarantine if they tested negative for the virus 72 hours before leaving their point of origin.

Our Canadian border will remain closed for non-essential travel through an extended 30-day period, now Aug. 21, 2020, it was announced this week.

Also on Monday in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom signaled a major pullback in the state’s two-month effort to recover from economic collapse caused by the coronavirus. He ordered the closure of all bars, indoor restaurants, wineries, zoos, museums, movie theaters and many other recently reopened—or poised to open—businesses across the state.

In addition to the statewide order, Newsom said he would also close indoor operations for fitness centers, worship services, personal care services, malls, offices, hair salons and barbershops for 30 counties on California’s monitoring list, which represent 80% of the state’s population of 40 million.

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