The Travel Vertical

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Clubhouse Strikes a Chord, Google Gets a Black-Owned Biz Tag & More Social Media Updates

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Q: What’s Clubhouse?

A: An edgy chat room.

Q: Huh?

A: “Clubhouse is a space for casual, drop-in audio conversations — with friends and other interesting people around the world,” says Clubhouse in its description. “Go online anytime to chat with the people you follow, or hop in as a listener and hear what others are talking about.” The app (currently only available on iOS) has also been described a hybrid of conference calls, talkback radio, and Houseparty without text or video.

Q: Explain, please.

A: “Rooms generally have speakers, the way conference panels do, and moderators. The conversation is in real time, meaning you can hear folks throwing in their opinions about the subject at hand, and you can raise your hand to toss in yours as well,” writes CNET.

Q: How long must I stay in a room that I join?

A: Browse discussions that are happening in different rooms, see who is participating in each, and jump in and out of chats, exiting via the “leave quietly” button.

Q: How and when did Clubhouse start?

A: The San Francisco-based app got a $12 million investment from venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz about two months after launch when pandemic lockdown began in March 2020. Further funding rounds raised $110 million and a significant undisclosed amount of funding in a Series B round led by Andreessen Horowitz was confirmed in January 2021.

Although details of the financial transaction weren’t revealed, it’s estimated that the company received a $1 billion evaluation.

As the hype has grown, so has the app’s audience, with Clubhouse going from 600,000 active users in December 2020, to 2 million just over a month later.

One of the latest tech startups to cross the billion-dollar valuation threshold, the group discussion platform got there in under one year with a staff of around 10 people.

Brian Solis, digital anthropologist and global innovation evangelist at Salesforce, knows the founders and was an early adopter. He sees parallels with the evolution of SXSW, which began as more intimate and homespun.

Q: Who can join? How much is it?

A: It’s free and in beta. Anyone can join with an invite from an existing user. The Twitter profile, @joinclubhouse, says: “Clubhouse is a space for casual, drop-in audio conversations. We are currently in private beta, download our app to join the waitlist – we’ll let you in soon!”

Q: Where can I find out more?

A: In this blog post from the founders.

Google is making it easier to support Black-owned businesses. As from last summer, US merchants with a verified Google Business Profile could add a Black-owned business attribute to their profile in Google Search and Maps.

Target also identifies Black-owned businesses

On Feb. 1, 2021 — Black History Month — Google extended the Black-owned attribute to the site’s Shopping tab. The label reads “identifies as Black-owned” and shows in the product listing results within Google Shopping. Business owners can add the Black-owned attribute by visiting the Google Merchant Help Center. The feature will be available to all US-based shops and visible to shoppers in the coming months, Google said in a blog post.

TwoSix Digital Says: Coming this spring, Apple rolls out the update to iOS14 that includes new user privacy protocols and data use policies. This will change the way you use Facebook Ads. Need expert help? TwoSix Digital takes you through the steps, explains how things are affected, and what you should do about it (or they can do it for you).

“In 2020, 58% of our link clicks on Facebook and Instagram came from iOS devices, accounting for 66% of users reached and 62% of ads delivered. In short, the majority, which is probably a fair reflection of how many Americans use Apple’s mobile devices. Consequently, these iOS14 updates will affect all digital marketing, and Facebook happens to be giving itself a head start.” More here.

Yelp is Hollering ‘Help’: Yelp wants to sublease its San Francisco headquarters as well as its office space in Chicago and New York City.

Instagram Confirms: It is working on a “Vertical Stories” feed, perhaps to emulate an element of TikTok’s design. Navigating with vertical swipes up and down would make stories behave more like Reels, the short form video feature that IG developed to compete with TikTok.

Pinterest Surged: The platform added 100 million users in 2020 and in Q4 revenue surged 76%.

Did you notice? Google Search changed its font on both desktop and mobile. If you care, read more here.

DMOs Are Putting the Accent On Shop Local Plus Something Special in Wisconsin

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As small, family-run, and local businesses face the brunt of the pandemic against rising online sales, DMOs embrace the special fabric of our communities in ways that go beyond a website listing.

Let’s keep it moving in 2021…share your destination stories and community initiatives.

An important, powerful and poignant appeal on behalf of small businesses comes from the owner of T.C. O’Leary’s, a little Irish pub in Portland where you could always get a properly pulled pint of Guinness. — shared by Travel Oregon.

Visit Austin features small business owners speaking for themselves about “what makes Austin, Austin.” (Or did he say, “what makes Austin awesome”?)

Hotels matter. VisitLEX suggests paying it forward with an emphasis on visiting friends and family / staycations and asks, “Feel like you’ve been stuck in ‘The Shining‘ for the past year? This holiday season, show some compassion for your stir crazy friends and family by giving them ‘The Gift of Time‘— a gift certificate for a night’s stay (or two or three nights) in one of Lexington’s relaxing hotels.'”

It’s a low budget spin on a classic film. Ad agency Team Cornett says, “Is it going to win an Academy Award? Probably not. But it’s a scrappy piece of creative that ekes a lot of entertainment out of an executive creative director’s actual living room and a $10 Jack Nicholson impersonator from Fiverr.

Small local theaters and live production groups need a boost, too. In San Francisco, they’re offering gift cards for when the curtain rises again.

In Downtown SLO (San Luis Obispo, CA), there’s a triple incentive to shop local with 350 merchants: Spend $100 to get a $20 gift card, a Santa-styled scavenger hunt for the kids and free parking days.

Not just for Christmas

We like this roundup of DMOs doing online shopping guides to support and highlight local small businesses. The content is curated by Simpleview.

“Give the Gift of Oregon” is a curated landing page filled with content about handmade items and where to get them in every region of the state.

  • Gifts of food & drink
  • Gifts for the outdoors
  • Gifts for arts & culture
  • Gifts for future travel

Plus, there’s a write up on “Oregon’s Festive Main Streets.”

Go Providence puts it this way,”The things that make Rhode Island so special — our renowned restaurants, eclectic shops, stellar arts organizations, fun family attractions — need our support right now more than ever.” 

The smallest state has a lot to say about togetherness. This effort is a partnership by the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, Block Island Tourism Council, South County Tourism Council, City of Warwick, Discover Newport, and Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau.

They’ve enhanced small shopping forays with themed Rhode road trips, too.

At NYC & Company, taking the long view on supporting local is everything, a commitment made in the years before “Covid-19” became our shared reality. “Tourism Ready” was created by NYC & Company in 2015 to spread economic prosperity throughout the five boroughs. The goal of this program is to increase visitation to off-the-beaten-path neighborhoods throughout the city and help local businesses reap the monetary benefits of tourism.”

In 2020, the DMO doubled down on local with “All In NYC” initiatives. All five boroughs are involved in offering 150 ideas and ways to save, showcasing a lineup of deals at local attractions, cultural institutions, restaurants, hotels, museums, shopping and tours across the city…even experiences as tickets for streaming cultural performances and big band sounds like Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Mastercard supports the new initiative by offering cardholders up to $100 in statement credit when spending at participating businesses.

Building charity-driven two-way partnerships: Dozens of DMOs have teamed up with Wisconsin Tourism for the tenth annual “Big Bundle Up.” They ask the community to donate new or gently used winter coats, sweaters, snow pants, mittens, gloves, hats, and scarves to be donated to local charities for distribution to families in need.

Some visitor centers, like Visit Beloit and Greater Green Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau serve as collection points. In Middleton, staff deliver the winter items to Lake Mills Cleaners & Dyers, which has generously offered to clean them for free before they go to Middleton Outreach Ministry for distribution. More than 185,000 items have been collected statewide over the years.

There’s an App for That, Visit Philly Rocks and Pantone Could Do Better

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Huh? Pantone’s 2021 Color of the Year is kinda like the dull gray sweats we’ve been wearing throughout 2020 work-from-home and quarantine.

OK, so they picked two colors. Alongside “Ultimate Gray 17-5104” there’s “Illuminating 13-0647” for counter balance. But, it’s a rather sickly yellow hand-picked by color and branding experts. Truthfully, does this inspire anyone?

For over 20 years, Pantone’s Color of the Year has influenced product development and purchasing decisions in multiple industries, including fashion, home furnishings, and industrial design, as well as product packaging and graphic design…Pantone’s color experts at Pantone Color Institute comb the world looking for new color influences.

Pantone says, “A marriage of color conveying a message of strength and hopefulness that is both enduring and uplifting.”

Meh. Comments welcome.

Visit Philadelphia has launched a marketing effort to support the economic recovery and growth of Black- and Brown-owned businesses.

“Black- and Brown-owned businesses are vital to the fabric of Philadelphia, and we want to make it easy for everyone to find them and shop at them during the holidays and into 2021 — whether that’s online or in person,” said Jeff Guaracino, president & CEO.

“People want to be part of our region’s economic recovery, and one way they can do that is by buying gifts from these vital businesses found in more than 35 neighborhoods and towns throughout our region.”

The initiative kicks off the holiday season with the Love + Grit Sweepstakes, gifting one winner with distinctive items and experiences from Black-owned businesses that will gain increased exposure.

Steal this idea for your community? Read about the highlights of the integrated campaign encompassing advertising, website, SEO, videos, influencer marketing, PR, and marketing toolkit. More details here.

Exposure alert! When Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and his wife tested positive for Covid-19 in September, because they had an alert working on their phones, notifications went out to members of staff.

Did you know? About 150 million Americans can get free, state-sponsored pop-up alerts from local health authorities when they’ve personally spent time near someone who later tested positive for the coronavirus. The alerts use (anonymous) bluetooth software built into iPhones by Apple (screen shots below) and Android phones by detecting when devices are in close contact with each other.

The Washington Post reports as of Dec. 10, the following support coronavirus exposure alerts are active. For instructions, click on the link which takes you to a website or in settings (no app needed) from local health authorities:

Canada is all set with Covid Alert. In the works:

Vaccination cards will be issued to everyone getting Covid-19 vaccine, health officials say. CNN reports, “The Department of Defense released the first images of a Covid-19 vaccination record card.” Read more here.

‘V-Day’ in Britain and Mount Everest Just Got Taller Are Tops in Weekly Headlines

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Roll Up Your Sleeves, Britain: Queen Elizabeth II is 94 and Prince Philip is 99. The royals have said they’ll get in the queue and “let it be known” to the public when they get their jabs. Approval came on Dec. 2, as Britain was the first Western nation to license a fully tested coronavirus vaccine, this one from Pfizer-BioNTech, with inoculations starting Dec. 8, 2020.

In Coventry, the first recipient was grandmother Margaret Keenan, who turns 91 next week. Keenan said, “I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against Covid-19, it’s the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the New Year after being on my own for most of the year.” She receives her second dose in three weeks with full immunity expected a week afterwards.

“The Taming of the Flu”

We kid you not…William Shakespeare, 81, from Warwickshire (home of the other William Shakespeare) was the second person to receive the vaccine, calling it “Groundbreaking, I think.” Within the Twittersphere, reactions go along these lines:

Pigs Don’t Fly: A new ruling from the Department of Transportation: Cats, turtles, pigs, peacocks and other animals are not allowed in the cabin as emotional support pets with or without a doctor’s note. The agency says leniency “eroded the public trust in legitimate service animals.” Travel Weekly observes, “The new rule will force passengers with emotional-support animals to check them into the cargo hold — and pay a pet fee — or leave them at home. The agency estimated airlines will gain up to $59.6 million a year in pet fees.” (Lilou works at SFO, but this therapy pig doesn’t fly.)

Moving Mountains: “China and Nepal have announced that Mount Everest is a bit taller than it used to be,” is an attention-getting headline. In two independent surveys of the tallest peak on earth, the two countries which share its base have concluded and certified that the correct measurement is 29,032 feet (8,848.86 metres) a gain of 0.86 of a metre or 2.82 feet. The point of contention had been, reports the BBC, whether or not to include summit snow and a quest to determine whether a major earthquake in 2015 had caused settlement.

The Future of Travel Trade Events: Register for a free leadership panel conversation on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020 at 1 p.m. ET. Hear from Will Seccombe, president, Connect Travel n conversation with: Malcolm Smith, IPW General Manager, U.S. Travel Association; Peter Pantuso, president & CEO, American Bus Association; Carylann Assante, CEO, Student & Youth Travel Association.

Facebook Jail: When retailers are locked out of advertising on their business page — in the holiday run-up mid-pandemic, no less. It’s a nightmare for small business owners, the ones that Facebook loves to claim they’re helping. In fact, reports Bloomberg, “CEO Mark Zuckerberg mentioned small businesses three times in his prepared Congressional testimony defending Facebook’s market dominance this summer, saying he was proud that the company was becoming a lifeline for mom-and-pops during Covid-19.” What’s going on? Reporter Sarah Frier writes, “Facebook has recently been using more artificial intelligence to moderate content that goes against its rules, because human beings simply cannot look at all the problems more than 3 billion people make.”

Too Cool for School: Break dancing is getting status as an official Olympic competition starting with Paris games in 2024. Mind you, we never had the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, now scheduled 23 July to 8 August 2021.

Some athletes aren’t happy. Squash has been lobbying hard, unsuccessfully, for decades—even with support from tennis star Roger Federer, to no avail. NB: At least editors will have a few more years to decide if the newly recognized “sport” is one word or two.

The Mouse That Roared: Newton, Mass.-headquartered Sonesta International Hotels Corporation announced the addition of 102 properties to its global hotel portfolio. All are owned by Service Properties Trust and previously under management by Marriott.

Related: Alarm Bells, Hotel Shakeups (The Travel Vertical, 9/29/2020)

  • Dallas, TX – Sonesta Simply Suites Dallas Galleria; Sonesta Simply Suites Dallas Las Colinas
  • Denver, CO – Sonesta Denver Downtown
  • Las Vegas, NV – Sonesta Simply Suites Las Vegas Convention Center
  • Los Angeles, CA – Sonesta Los Angeles Airport LAX
  • Milwaukee, WI – Sonesta Milwaukee West Wauwatosa
  • Portland, OR – Royal Sonesta Portland Downtown
  • San Juan, Puerto Rico – Royal Sonesta San Juan Puerto Rico Resort
  • Seattle, WA – The Alexis Royal Sonesta Hotel Seattle
  • Toronto, Canada – The Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel
  • Washington D.C. – Royal Sonesta Washington DC Dupont Circle

Sonesta will be introduced in over a dozen new North American cities, including:

Sonesta’s expansion also includes an extended presence in a number of key U.S. cities and states:

  • Atlanta – seven new hotels for a total of 12 in Greater Atlanta
  • Chicago – seven new hotels for a total of 12 in Chicago area.
  • Detroit – four new hotels for a total of six in Greater Detroit
  • Florida – six new properties for a total of nine
  • Houston – four new Sonesta Simply Suites for a total of seven
  • Texas – a new total of 19 hotels in the state

California Crackdown: A series of warnings followed within 24 hours by strict Covid-related lockdowns came as a surprise to Californians last weekend. As a result, much of the state of 40 million — most populous in the nation — is under strict stay-at-home orders through at least Jan. 4, 2021. Hotels, bars, wineries, hair salons, barber shops, museums, movie theaters, playgrounds, amusement parks and indoor recreation facilities are closed. Restaurants are closed except for takeaway and delivery. Retail, such as groceries, is restricted to 20% capacity. Travel is prohibited other than essential travel.

CNN Says:

Aloha, Hawaii: Applications are now open for 50 out-of-state US applicants in a new remote work program, “Movers and Shakas,” to last at least one month in Oahu.

Here’s the catch: Each person must volunteer for a nonprofit that matches their skillset. If the Oahu pilot succeeds, organizers say similar initiatives that cover the round-trip airfare may pop up on other islands. Hotel stays are discounted but not complimentary.

Ace, the Pittsburgh Adventure Dog: A talking dog that loves exploring Pittsburgh with silent pet parents is successfully getting the message through for this pet-friendly destination. Ace, who is corny and loves puns, gets excited about road trips shared with followers in a video series on the Visit Pittsburgh YouTube channel.

Qatar Airways has announced the launch of its second new U.S. destination since the onset of the pandemic — Seattle. The airline is launching a frequent flyer partnership with Alaska Airlines and is joining Oneworld Alliance in March 2021. Four weekly flights to Seattle increases Qatar Airways’ U.S. network to 59 weekly flights to 11 destinations in the U.S., more than they operated pre-Covid.

The Hartford Courant: Connecticut’s largest newspaper and the oldest continuously published newspaper in the entire country, is closing its physical newsroom in Broad Street at year-end. Chicago-based Tribune Publishing Company has already closed newsrooms at its news offices in for The Allentown Morning Call (PA), The Capital in Annapolis, The Orlando Sentinel, and the New York Daily News.

COVID Relief NOW Coalition: More than 300 major public and private sector groups have come together and released a new 30-sec. ad, “Economic Relief Can’t Wait,” imploring Congress to pass additional COVID economic relief. The ad is running across digital platforms: Twitter, YouTube, Google, connected TVs and other online sites. A urgent appeal letter was sent to Congress as well.

“Bottom line: the travel and tourism sector is projected to lose 4.5 million jobs by the end of the year, and the longer Washington waits to act on another relief round, more of those will be gone permanently,” said U.S. Travel Association President & CEO Roger Dow.

Steering committee members for the coalition include:

  • American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA)
  • International Franchise Association
  • National Association of Counties (NAC)
  • National Conference for State Legislatures (NCSL)
  • National Governors Association (NGA)
  • National League of Cities
  • National Restaurant Association
  • National Retail Federation
  • U.S. Conference of Mayors
  • U.S. Travel Association
  • Society of Independent Show Organizers
  • International Council of Shopping Centers
  • Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA)
  • American Gaming Association
  • American Apparel & Footwear Association
  • Small Business Entrepreneurship (SBE) Council
  • American Society of Association Executives (ASAE)
  • Go LIVE Together

A Robust List of Resources and Research to Help DMOs and Their Partners

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A roundup of such incredible resources from our eTourism Community.

Help yourself to real data gathered by experts to feel confident in your decision-making.

Please let us know if there are other resources to be added.

U.S. Travel Association — The go-to place for COVID-19 CARES Act Relief Resources. “The CARES Act, the largest economic relief package in our nation’s history, was signed into law on March 27 and includes major provisions U.S. Travel fought for to deliver economic support to travel businesses, travel workers and their families.” Also online, an 11-page PDF with more information: “The Small Business Owners Guide to the CARES Act.”

Also from U.S. Travel Association: “We are proud to work in cooperation with MMGY Travel Intelligence on a new bi-weekly survey tracking U.S. business and leisure traveler sentiment in the months ahead. Initial results will be shared next week.”

For more information, visit the MMGY Global “COVID-19 Research, Insights, & Resources” hub where the company’s information is gathered.

Also from MMGY Travel Intelligence — In association with Destinations International Foundation, “The Impact of COVID-19 on Destination Management Organizations in North America” (click for the link) was published on March 23. This is the second of a multi-wave study that notes,”…went from a sense of uncertainty to a strong expectation of extreme impact over the next 6 months. Since last week, the percentage of destinations reporting coronavirus-related postponements and/or cancellations of conferences, meetings, or events surged from under 40% to almost 100%. Although only 30% of destination organizations have their own pandemic emergency plan, they continue to play an important role in reassuring the traveling public.”

Also from Destinations International — Wednesday, April 1 at 11:30 a.m. ET is another weekly “Coronavirus Industry Update Webinar” (click to register). Past webinar content and a link to future webinars are found here. This week’s update focuses on how destination organizations are creating value right now in their communities. This week’s panelists:

  • Jack Johnson, Destinations International
  • John Groh and Nick Povalitis, Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
  • Minto Schneider, CDME, Waterloo Regional Tourism Marketing Corporation
  • Leah Chandler, Discover Puerto Rico

Longwoods International — “COVID-19 American Traveler Sentiment Survey,” Wave 3 fielded March 25-26 has been released. An easy-to-digest presentation with week-over-week comparisons, Amir Eylon, President & CEO, says the weekly research report “…indicates that the decline continues but the rate of decline in key sentiment factors has slowed. Potential silver lining: almost 3/4 of traveling Americans still are indicating they will travel in the next six months, suggesting the large volume of pent up demand…” Miles Partnership says, “We’re proud to support Longwoods International as they share the latest findings…” The survey covers 1,000 traveling Americans each week and the most recent highlights from the data are published every Tuesday morning. Longwoods’ news release summary of the findings is found here.

Destination Analysts — Update on “Coronavirus’ Impact on American Travel” for the week of March 30 is released. Among the data-rich findings, DA also asked American travelers how they feel about travel at the moment, expressed in one word, as seen in this word cloud.

Simpleview — For a step-by-step tutorial on how to add or update your CMS pages to display updated listings (open for business; temporarily closed; takeout available; delivery available), see the recent webinar, New Business Continuity Amenities in CRM. For a more in-depth look at how to build COVID-19 landing pages for your destination, register for an upcoming webinar on Friday, April 3. 

You can also watch “Marketing in Times of Uncertainty” (13 minutes) with Jason Swick, VP of Digital Marketing and Digital Marketing Strategist, Katie Cook.

Skift — “Coronavirus and the Travel Industry” is a continually updated blog from the editorial team with the latest industry news for staying on top of things, also with pages for the airline, cruise and hospitality sectors.

Madden Media — “Protect. Plan. Recover.” is written for DMOs during their transition from destination marketing organizations to destination management organizations, it’s a “framework to provide you and your partners with a helpful guide to thinking about not just short-term actions, but preparing and planning for the recovery of your marketing efforts for your destination.”

Entrada Insights — “Five Recommendations for Leading Through a Crisis” suggests, “While medical experts race to understand more about the public health implications, as the leader of a DMO, you are left to manage your stakeholders who are looking for answers on how to protect their businesses, adjust their operations, and lead their employees through an uncertain period. Here are five things DMO leaders can do…”

Sparkloft Media — Providing a free Weekly Coronavirus Sentiment Report as a means of helping everyone better understand what consumers are thinking. A new format expands the section of Sparkloft’s recommendations on what marketers should be doing based on the most recent data plus an indication of where they think things will be going. To get the weekly report, use the form found here.

Break the Ice Media — A virtual tourism conference, Destination on the Left, takes place throughout April. Registration is free, and the topics of 12 presentations are themed around digital marketing, travel trade marketing and niche marketing. Among the presenters are speakers from Destination Innovate, ADARA, Family Travel Association, World Food Travel Association and others. Some topics will address the current outbreak, while others offer evergreen marketing advice.

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Laurie Jo Miller Farr, Editor
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