The Travel Vertical

Weekly stories curated exclusively for digital tourism marketers

Zoom Accidentally Did Something (Steal This Idea) and Visit Lake Charles Goes Viral With a TikTok About a Gingerbread House

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Two Sweet (Unrelated) Digital Items We Love

Credit goes to Harsha Kalapala, VP Product Marketing at AlertMedia, an Austin-based software communications company, for this tip on LinkedIn. Maybe you can use it?

“Zoom accidentally created a new (and powerful) marketing channel. 🤫
Here’s how you can launch it in 24 hours…⚡

🧐 That annoying new zoom tab opening up on your browser after every call or webinar? You can redirect it to any page you want! 🙌 (redirects after 5 mins)

That means you can automatically present a “leave-behind” asset to engage your audience after every prospect or customer call! 🤯

Show them a case study, a video, or a custom-designed page to move them down-funnel. Nearly 100% of users will see it. 👀

It doesn’t cost you anything with a business account. Here’s what you need to do:


1️⃣ Request zoom to activate your vanity URL i.e. [companyname-dot-zoom-dot-us] instead of just [zoom-dot-us] – takes about 24 hours. You probably have this if your company is using SSO. Here’s how to activate: https://lnkd.in/g6EQGHFh

2️⃣ Pick the destination URL – it’s smart to put a UTM code or track it as a campaign. 🔗

3️⃣ Plug in the URL here: https://lnkd.in/gVAwb6Kb

That’s it! Easy win. 💪 You’re welcome.”

Visit Lake Charles’ TikTok Goes Viral Promoting Ms. Johnnie’s Gingerbread House 

LAKE CHARLES, La. (August 16, 2022)—All in a day’s work, Shalisa Roland, public relations director for Visit Lake Charles (VLC), received a media inquiry about Ms. Jonnie’s Gingerbread House, 720 Alamo St., and needed to provide updated images. Kathryn Shea Duncan, social media director for VLC joined forces with Roland to capture new images and social media content including a TikTok that is currently creating an Internet sensation for local business owner, Kevin Ames. 

The TikTok was posted the morning of August 4, and by 10:30 a.m. when Ames opened the store, there was already a line through the parking lot. By this time, the video had already reached 50,000 views. Ames sold out of goods at 2 p.m., and even then, he had customers waiting in line through his dining room area and never had a chance to leave the counter. The following day, Ms. Johnnie’s Gingerbread House sold out at noon, and they’ve sold out every day since at 2 p.m. 

As of August 16, the TikTok has more than 118,000 views, 600 comments, and 700 shares. VLC’s Instagram has 11,500 views and 670 likes. Facebook has reached 60,000 people with 84,000 plays, 500 shares, and more than 1,200 comments.  

“I never really realized the power of social media. We have been overwhelmed in a good way. We’ve also sold out early everyday since the release of the video! I normally send out about 10 shipments a month. We received about 40 in two days from all over the map in the United States. I am currently looking for help to fill the orders and maintain my store,” said Ames.

The demand for the pies, both at the store front and shipping, resulted in Ames calling in family members to help with production and keep track of orders on social  media. The business has since created its own TikTok account, posted FAQs and the menu on the Facebook page, and Ames is communicating with consumers via social media to inform everyone of product availability and how to receive baked goods through shipping. 

TikTok has rapidly become one of the most popular platforms to be adopted into social media strategic plans for destination marketing organizations. Creators can quickly produce compelling content with the potential of instantly bringing people together for a shared experience, which is one of the main goals of social media for destination marketers.

Supporters have come from across the world, including residents who were previously unaware of Ms. Johnnie’s Gingerbread House. For more information, or to view VLC’s TikTok account, log on to www.tiktok.com/@visitlakecharles, or check out Facebook or Instagram for more inspiration on Southwest Louisiana. For details on Ms. Johnnie’s Gingerbread House, find them on Facebook, or call the store 337-474-9278.  

# # #

About Ms. Johnnie’s Gingerbread House: 

Leona Guillory Johnnie, owner of Mrs. Johnnie’s Gingerbread House, began her baking journey 40 years ago. She went from a home-based bakery to a storefront, offering pies, cakes, teacakes, pralines, and sweet breads. Her son, Kevin Ames, is continuing her legacy today. At Mrs. Johnnie’s Gingerbread House, sweet dough pies are freshly-baked daily for a sweet treat on-the-go or to enjoy in their dining room. The top-selling pie flavors are sweet potato, peach, and pecan.  

Related: Case Study: The Coastal Grandmother™ + Carmel-by-the-Sea

Is Time Running Out for Hotels? Elvis + the Vaccine, Weekly News Roundup

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American Hotel & Lodging Association has conducted a survey of hotel industry owners, operators, and employees from Nov. 10-13, 2020, with more than 1,200 respondents.

Key findings:

  • More than 2/3 of hotels (71%) report they will only be able to last six more months at current projected revenue and occupancy levels absent any further relief
  • One-third (34%) say they can only last one to three more months
  • 63% of hotels have less than half of their typical, pre-crisis staff working full time
  • 82% of hotel owners say they’ve been unable to obtain additional debt relief from their lenders beyond 2020
  • 59% of hotel owners are in danger of foreclosure by their commercial real estate debt lenders, a 10% increase since September
  • 52% of respondents stated their hotel(s) will close without additional aid

A national consumer survey commissioned by AHLA shows that 72% of Americans said they were unlikely to travel for Thanksgiving and 69% were unlikely to travel for Christmas.

Meantime, Bethesda-based Pebblebrook Hotel Trust is partnering with six other hospitality companies to bring 120 hotels with 22,000 keys under a new umbrella called the Curator Hotel & Resort Collection.

In addition to independent lifestyle hotels and resorts either owned or operated by Pebblebrook, the group includes Houston-based Benchmark Global Hospitality; Atlanta-based Davidson Hotels & Resorts; Seattle-based Noble House Hotels & Resorts; Portland, Oregon-based Provenance Hotels; Springboard Hospitality and Viceroy Hotels & Resorts, both out of Southern California. Jon Bortz, founder, chair & CEO says independent hotels can retain individuality rather than following a uniform brand standard. Curator will take care of participating hotels’ vendor negotiations, share business intelligence reporting and insights to improve operations and reduce costs, and will feature the hotels on its website.

Kansas City Kansas Convention and Visitors Bureau announced that the organization has changed its name to Visit Kansas City Kansas. The visual rebrand was designed by REACTOR, a local marketing and creative studio. “While our identity has changed, our mission remains the same – to generate economic growth in Kansas City, Kansas through tourism,” said Alan Carr, executive director.

North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, Convention and Visitors Bureau has taken on a new name: Destination NMB. President and CEO Cheryl Kilday said the new name and logo is a good way to distinguish themselves from the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, while maintaining an amicable partnership.

A comment about virtual business meetings from Steve Paganelli, CDME, Head of Destination Marketing Americas, Tripadvisor in response to this 1990 United Airlines commercial (below):

“To all the naysayers who suggest that travel — particularly business travel and meetings & conventions will never be the same, we need only refer to the recent past or the way we conclude every virtual conference or Zoom call: ‘Great job; can’t wait until we can be back together in-person.’

In my estimation, business travel will be slow to return due to budgets and a misplaced belief that seeing someone through a screen can suffice for in-person interaction. As we’re all learning first-hand, that’s not the case. Virtual conferences will spur increased interest in being there in-person and I predict we’ll see higher attendance than pre-pandemic in 3-5 years as more delegates who weren’t able to attend previously get exposed virtually and through hybrid formats, and then push to be present in-person.

Mr. Gates teases one key reason at the end of this interview: New relationships don’t get initiated or forged virtually.” Note: Bill Gates predicts that 50% of business travel will disappear.

Replace “fax” with “email” in the script of this United Airlines ad from 30 years ago, and you’ve got mid-pandemic 2020. What do you think?

Tripadvisor will launch a subscription service, Tripadvisor Plus, in the coming months, giving members access to deals and perks on “tens of thousands of hotels” and 400,000-plus attractions. “Think of it as a travel club,” CEO Steve Kaufer told CNBC. 

Tripadvisor says businesses that use its free Travel Safe tool (see Q&A with Todd Skelton, Tripadvisor) , which highlights health and safety information, saw a 16% increase in user engagement with their listings.

Read more: In partnership with Phocuswright, Tripadvisor has published a whitepaper, “2020 A Year in Travel: Charting the Travel Industry’s Path to Recovery.”

Qantas Airways is planning to require future international passengers to have a Covid-19 vaccination before they fly, said CEO Alan Joyce in an interview. On Australian television, he indicated that Qantas had discussed the idea with other airlines globally. “It’s going to be a common theme across the board,” he said.

Reuters: screenshot

China has another idea. Speaking at the virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit last week, President Xi Jinping appealed to world leaders to create a globally-accepted COVID-19 health-tracking system to enable the resumption of trade and travel. China is using a QR code -based health screening system that operates on Alipay and WeChat. It stores a passenger’s health and travel history to issue a traffic-light-colored QR code – green, yellow or red – that indicates that individual’s freedom to move around with access to public places. “According to an analysis by The New York Times, China’s QR code system, which stores health and travel data, appears to share information with the police,” reports The Independent in the U.K.

Affordable transatlantic carrier Norwegian Air has filed for bankruptcy. Reuters reports, “Growing rapidly to become Europe’s third-largest low-cost airline and the biggest foreign carrier serving New York and other major U.S. cities, Norwegian’s debt and liabilities stood at $7.4 billion at the end of September.”

Brightline Train will add a Disney World stop. The station would connect South Florida to Orlando’s largest attraction, including Disney’s four theme parks, two water parks and more than 25 hotels. No timeline for completion was given.

Did you know? To set an example for people to get the polio vaccine in 1956, health authorities had Elvis Presley take it. (These days, it might take many different influencers appealing to niche audiences all at the same time. Who would you suggest?)

Backstage at CBS Studio 50, before an airing of The Ed Sullivan Show, NYC Commissioner of Health Leona Baumgartner, right, holds the arm of Elvis while Assistant Commissioner Harold Fuerst administers the polio vaccine to the king of rock ‘n’ roll. The story is told on the website of NYC Department of Records & Information Services. — National Endowment for the Humanities

Covid Mixed Signals: News, People, Jobs (and a Clever Off-Topic Ad)

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U.S. Travel Association has moved IPW 2021 from its normal May timing to Sept. 18-22, 2021 at Las Vegas Convention Center. “This decision gives attendees time to make plans to join us for our live, in-person event,” the association tweeted last week.

Since Oct. 1, 2020, Las Vegas has permitted gatherings up to 1,000 people, as long as guidelines are followed, including that a venue must separate attendees into separate rooms of no more than 250 individuals.

Governor says…

New York City & New York State: What does confusing look like?

“On Sunday afternoon, faced with a new wave of infections in his virus-battered city, Mayor Bill de Blasio made a sobering decision to ask the state to roll back openings of businesses in virus hot spots in Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx, pending approval from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. But on Monday, Mr. Cuomo, Mr. de Blasio’s longtime foil, refused to give it.” — The New York Times.

Mayor says…

Gov. Andrew Cuomo did announce that New York City will move ahead with new restrictions following Covid-19 surges in nine clusters. In addition to school closings, restaurants will be limited to takeout and delivery, and houses of worship will be exempt.

The State of Hawaii is re-thinking its long-awaited October 15 opening one island at a time right up to the deadline. Different rules for different islands will be confusing for visitors, however, Oahu will re-open per the governor’s schedule. The latest overnight news confirms that Hawaii Mayor Kim (the Big Island) will still require a 14-day quarantine for visitors. Other Neighbor Islands—Kauai, and Maui (which includes Molokai and Lanai)— are also said to be looking at opting out of the state’s pre-test travel program starting October 15. The all-important industry has a new CEO at Hawaii Tourism Authority, where John De Fries is working with another challenge…a much smaller FY budget of about $48 million dollars compared to last year at $86 million.

Airbnb and Brand USA have expanded their partnership of virtual experiences in the USA. These Online Experiences are hosted by five storytellers from United Stories, a Brand USA campaign launched in early 2019. This is how the new landing page appears in one overseas market—the U.K.

American Airlines and United Airlines moved forward with a combined 32,000 furloughs and layoffs on October 1 following the expiration of the $25 billion federal Payroll Support Program. Hawaiian Airlines furloughed 466; Alaska 327.

On Oct. 1, Tampa was set to become the first U.S. airport to make Covid-19 tests available to all ticketed passengers. But for now, the program is only a 31-day pilot: a rapid antigen test for $57 or the more accurate, but slower result, polymerase chain reaction test for $125. Miami International plans to make rapid testing available to all passengers by November.

Where is business booming? At the coronavirus cruise ship graveyard. At a seaside dock near Izmir, Turkey, decommissioned luxury cruise ships are being broken up for scrap metal, including RCCL’s Monarch and Sovereign of the Seas, and Carnival Fantasy, which was refurbished just last year.

French authorities placed the Paris region on maximum virus alert on Monday, banning festive gatherings and requiring all bars to close (but allowing restaurants to remain open), as Covid infections increased rapidly. 

Eric Yuan. No surprise who heads up TIME magazine’s “The 100 Most Influential People in the World” for 2020. “Zoom is the defining company of the pandemic.”

Clever billboard. As seen on LinkedIn: An orthodontist nails it. Is this the best pandemic ad of 2020? And without a mention of “unprecedented times…”

After a nationwide search, Spartanburg, S.C. has named a new tourism leader. Timothy Bush, president and CEO of Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou, will take over the position at OneSpartanburg, Inc. The newly named entity combines functions of the chamber of commerce, convention & visitors bureau, and the Economic Futures Group. Bush has held leadership roles at Macon-Bibb Convention & Visitors Bureau in Georgia, and Louisiana’s Ruston Lincoln Convention & Visitors Bureau and Beauregard Tourist Commission.

Jake Steinman, Founder of TravelAbility, has announced that John Morris (left) is the new editor of TravelAbility Insider. John, who is a power wheelchair user and founder of WheelchairTravel.org, has been a prominent advocate for travel accessibility. He is a triple amputee following a 2012 car accident who, prior to COVID-19, traveled more than 300 days per year. A shoutout to Denise Brodey, a Forbes contributor who successfully built the newsletter, which enjoys a 43% open rate, to more than to 3,100 readers.

TravelAbility Summit will take place virtually every Tuesday from November 10 to December 8, via programming from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. PT, followed by 30-minutes of networking time. Click for more details.

“As part of a company-wide effort to enhance the customer experience,” Simpleview has announced that Greg Evans is promoted from VP Sales & Account Services to Chief Revenue Officer. 

Also at Simpleview, 10-year veteran Scott Stanislav was promoted to director of customer experience from senior director of account services. Last week, we reported on Greg Bates‘ promotion to VP Global Sales.

Vincenzo Vitale has joined the client success team Bandwango. Most recently, he had been an account executive at Simpleview for two years.

Cheryl Hargrove has left her position as director of industry & partner relations at Explore Georgia at the Georgia Department of Economic Development. She had worked for Georgia tourism for more than six years. Previously, she held positions at National Geographic Society and Travel South USA. Hargrove International, a PR consulting concern, will be a full-time interest.

Jennifer Diaz-Alzuri has left the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau after 13 years as VP-Communications. She has opened JDA Communications based out of Greenville-Spartanburg, SC.

Liz Gilbert departs Spirit/Entertainment/Hornblower Cruises & Events following a 20-year career at the company, most recently as senior director of national sales based in Chicago.

Job listings

President & CEO — Oklahoma City Convention & Visitors Bureau

President & CEO — Destination Madison

President & CEO — Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau

President & CEO — Explore Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau

Chief Executive Officer — Destination Caldwell (ID)

CEO — Lake Superior Community Partnership, Marquette, MI

VP-Marketing — Simpleview

Acct. Associate, Business Development — PCMA (Chicago)

National Sales Manager — Visit Mobile

Director of Community Engagement & Advocacy — Visit SLO

Project Mgr., Destination Management — Visit SLO

Director of PR & Social Media — Discover the Palm Beaches

In California, Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau is searching for a director of marketing communications.

An outdoor activity destination about 40 miles north of Houston, Conroe Convention & Visitors Bureau is hiring a group sales manager.

Ch-ch-changes, New CEOs, Some Partial Re-openings, What Consumers Are Saying

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Job alert: Experience Scottsdale is hiring a Social Media & Digital Marketing Specialist. See LinkedIn for details.

Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau has named Gregg Caren as the new president and CEO.

Mr. Caren has more than three decades of experience in the industry, including convention center management and hotel sales. Most recently, he served as executive vice president of sales and business development for ASM Global, which operates more than 350 venues worldwide. Caren has held board and leadership roles with the International Association for Exhibitions and Events, the National Association of Consumer Shows and the International Association of Venue Managers. He holds a degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management from Penn State.

Caren is replacing Julie Coker, who served as CEO for more than five years and is headed to lead the San Diego Tourism Authority. 

Royce Chwin has been appointed President and CEO of Tourism Vancouver, a 117-year-old organization. Mr. Chwin joins from Travel Alberta where he was appointed CEO in 2014 following an earlier role as CMO. Under his leadership, Travel Alberta has been recognized for several best corporate culture awards and multiple global marketing awards for the “Remember to Breathe” campaign. Chwin held leadership roles at Destination Canada (known as Canadian Tourism Commission) and has extensive business experience in the private sector with marquee brands.

In Michigan, Holland Area Visitors Bureau has announced the departure of Executive Director Sally Laukitis. During her tenure, Laukitis was the founder of the Visitor Industry Planning Initiative, served as president of both the Michigan Association of Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Tourism Industry Coalition of Michigan, and as Chair of the Michigan Travel Commission. The CVB’s Linda Hart will fill the role on an interim basis.

Former Gov. Carl Gutierrez has been tapped to lead the Guam Visitors Bureau for at least 90 days. GVB has put together a presidential search committee following the departure of President and CEO Pilar Laguana from May 30. A board member stressed the importance of finding someone who has experience with the Asia-Pacific region.

Kevin Mayer, the chairman of Disney’s direct-to-consumer streaming division, has resigned from the company to lead TikTok as CEO of the social video app. The streaming division is the only Disney growth area during the pandemic, says Adweek. During the quarantine, there’s been new interest in TikTok, which allows users to shoot and edit short videos set to music. Comscore says the app brought in 23.2 million mobile unique visitors in February and 28.8 million in March before skyrocketing to 39.2 million in April.

Rebecca Campbell, a 23-year Disney veteran who was most recently president of Disneyland and Resort, will immediately succeed Mayer as chairman of direct-to-consumer and international. The division has operational control of Hulu and has seen Disney+ surpass 54 million subscribers in five months.

Josh D’Amaro is named Disney Parks, Experiences and Products chairman. D’Amaro will oversee Disney’s travel and leisure businesses, including theme parks in the U.S. and abroad; Disney Cruise Line; vacation ownership program Disney Vacation Club; and tour operator Adventures by Disney. He will also oversee consumer products, print publishing, Disney store locations and e-commerce.

Disney World has canceled all reservations for the first week of June after previously accepting bookings. The Orlando resort had been accepting new reservations for dates starting June 1, stoking rumors that a reopening was imminent, but bookings for June 1 through June 6 have now been canceled, reports People magazine. The park and resort are now taking future reservations for travel dates July 1 and later. Read more here.

Good news from Colorado as lawmakers revive the state’s tourism marketing budget that had come under threat earlier this month. The Colorado Sun reports, “The tourism industry rallied last week after committee staff recommended eliminating 87% of the state’s tourism budget. The industry pointed to the 1990s, when Colorado eliminated tourism marketing and the state lost as much as $2 billion a year in visitor spending. On Friday, the beleaguered committee approved about a 47% cut in funding for the tourism office. The proposed budget needs approval from state lawmakers who convene later this month.” To get the facts and figures plus comments from Cathy Ritter, director of Colorado Tourism Office, read more here.

NYC & Company has created a 24-member tourism and hospitality coalition of leaders to steer the city, focusing on messaging, marketing and promotion to restore New York City’s brand locally and beyond. President and CEO Fred Dixon said, “It will be hyperlocal to begin with. We want to re-engage New Yorkers with their own city. Doing so will send a message to the world that New York has reopened itself to tourism.”

Mall of America announced it will reopen retail stores beginning June 1. The largest shopping and entertainment complex in North America will partially reopen in compliance with Minnesota’s new safety protocols, operating at maximum 50% of capacity. Bloomington Convention & Visitors Bureau has more details here.

Utah’s “Mighty 5” National Parks are re-opening in phases. Bryce Canyon National Park and Capitol Reef National Park are open. Zion National Park began its partial daytime only re-opening last week. Visitor Centers remain closed and shuttles are not running, so entry is limited to the number of parking spaces available, while some trails with handrails remain closed. Arches and Canyonlands will follow on May 29. Information is updated daily on the Travel Utah website. A status rundown of all 62 U.S. national parks is found here.

Several takeaways from this week’s wave of American consumer sentiment on travel.

Longwoods International tracking study indicates 52% of Americans say their first trip will be to visit friends and family domestically, when it’s appropriate to travel again. Americans are still very much divided about welcoming visitors back: 31% in favor and 45% against. And only about a third of Americans indicate they feel comfortable dining in restaurants, while almost half say they are not comfortable in doing so.

MMGY Travel Intelligence on behalf of the U.S. Travel Association found just 36% of U.S. travelers intend to take a domestic leisure trip in the next six months; 57% of travelers say that following the pandemic they are more likely to book travel to U.S. destinations. Also, travelers continue to feel safest when traveling by personal vehicle (68%), and when visiting outdoor destinations such as parks (34%) and the beach (26%).

Destination Analysts find that American travelers are opening back up to attending conferences and conventions, with 64.5% expressing trust the host organizations of these events to look out for their health. Travel planning responses show 64.1% of American travelers who have one or more trips at least tentatively planned this year, seven-in-ten have taken some deliberate action towards their very next trip. Marketing could be effective in swaying travelers to choose a specific destination as over half are still not fully decided on where they will go on their next trip or weekend getaway.

Sparkloft Media has found that online conversations continue with a focus on the economy, employment and unemployment. People have been most concerned by their personal livelihoods and providing for their families. Americans are reverting back to tactics seen during historic recessions to save money, to become more independent from institutions and to entertain themselves during difficult times. 

Related: 20/20 Vision: Q&A with Martin Stoll, CEO, Sparkloft Media

Air Canada will lay off at least 20,000 workers, more than half of its 38,000 employees on June 7. Management wrote, “…it is our current expectation that it will take at least three years to recover to 2019 levels of revenue and capacity. We expect that both the overall industry and our airline will be considerably smaller for some time, which will unfortunately result in significant reductions in both fleet and employee levels.” Next quarter, the company will reduce its booking capacity by 85%.

Uber will close 45 offices and cut 3,000 jobs in a second round of layoffs, less than two weeks after slashing 3,700 positions. Additional cuts mean that about a quarter of its positions have been eliminated in less than a month. Reports indicate that Uber’s bookings have plunged 80% from one year ago. 

From May 18, drivers and riders must wear face masks and coverings in an effort to stop the spread of the disease. Unlike riders, drivers are be required to verify that they’re wearing face masks before accepting a booking. Also, riders are required to sit in the back seat.

Miami-based Royal Caribbean says no more buffets when operations start up again. RCL is currently under a CDC mandate of an indefinite no-sail order for ships with more than 250 passengers and crew.

The world’s largest cruise company, Carnival Corporation, incorporating Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Seabourn, and Princess Cruises, has announced hundreds of layoffs in Florida, California and Washington. The cuts are said to total nearly half its entire workforce.

The Miami Herald reports, “When combined with furloughs announced at Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. last month, some 2,000 jobs have now been shelved in the region’s $6 billion cruise industry. And the job losses are likely to have a ripple effect…thousands of secondary-industry employers that work with cruise companies, including caterers and cleaning firms, are likely to be affected.”

Condé Nast will pink-slip about 100 employees in the U.S. and is putting another 100 on unpaid leave for several months as the pandemic crisis cuts into the media company’s business. The group’s titles include CN Traveler, New Yorker, Wired, Vogue, Vanity Fair and GQ, for about 6,000 employees worldwide in 2020 BC* [*before Covid].

A reminder: Zoom has launched version 5.0 as an upgrade to combat security flaws that resulted in “Zoombombing” incidents. The partial company statement: “System-wide account enablement of AES-256-bit GCM encryption will occur on May 30, 2020. and only Zoom clients on version 5.0 or later, including Zoom Rooms, will be able to join Zoom Meetings starting that day.”

World Federation of Advertisers says the timeframe for deferral of ad campaigns is increasing; delays are likely to last much longer than previously planned. Research indicates 52% of large multinationals surveyed say they will now hold back ad spend for six months or more, compared to just 19% taking similar medium-term action in March.

Research indicates 52% of large multinationals surveyed say they will now hold back ad spend for six months or more, compared to just 19% taking similar medium-term action in March. The squeeze will be felt during the first half of 2020, projections are: TV (down 33%), print (down 37%), out of home (down 49%) and events (down 56%). In digital: online video (down 7%), online display (down 14%). Other channels: radio (down 25%), point of sale (down 23%) and influencer (down 22%).

Facebook says Giphy will become part of the Instagram team, making it even easier to send GIFs and stickers in Instagram stories and direct messages.

Why did Facebook acquire Giphy? Some say it isn’t about the large library of animated images known as GIFs, but that it is about peeking deep inside competitors. Giphy is integrated into some of the internet’s most popular apps and services.

Following last week’s $400 million acquisition, user privacy and antitrust alarm bells have been ringing because social media and messaging services like Twitter, Tinder, Slack, Signal, Pinterest, Reddit, TikTok and iMessage already have Giphy integrated into their apps or rely on Giphy’s API for supplying them. Now Facebook gets the data on those API calls, which gives them insight into what people are using beyond Facebook.

A bonus? Since 50% of Giphy’s traffic comes from the Facebook family of apps, including Instagram, perhaps Facebook made the acquisition to prevent anyone else from getting a look inside its own ecosystem. (P.S. Could these platforms simply switch to Tenor? Hmm, Google owns Tenor.)  

Alphabet to Zoom: Essential & Non-Essential Industry News, Latest Consumer Surveys, People

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U.S. Travel has announced a new city and dates for IPW 2021 due to the cancellation of IPW 2020. Las Vegas, scheduled to host this year, will host on May 10-14 next year. Chicago, which had been slated to host in 2021, agreed to step aside and will instead be the host city in 2025. The cooperation between these two cities is being applauded by the travel industry. Other future host sites—Orlando in 2022, San Antonio in 2023, and Los Angeles in 2024—remain unchanged. President & CEO Roger Dow: “Cancelling #ipw20 was a difficult, though clearly necessary call, and our future host cities came together to achieve a win-win outcome for the future of the event.”

The road to recovery will not be a straight one

Enlightening research, insights, surveys, data, blogs from the experts. Find out what American travelers are thinking. On weekly surveys, the next wave of American consumer sentiment is in.

AdaraCOVID-19 Resource Center
ArrivalistDaily Travel Index
Destination AnalystsUpdate on Coronavirus’ Impact on American Travelers
Entrada InsightsFive Indices for DMOs to Track for Recovery
Longwoods InternationalCovid-19 Travel Sentiment Study
MMGY Travel IntelligenceTravel Intentions Pulse Survey (TIPS): Impact of Covid-19
SimpleviewCovid-19 Resources
SojernCovid-19 Travel Industry Updates
Sparkloft MediaChanging Social Media Behaviors During Coronavirus Pandemic
Streetsense Covid-19 Resources
TripAdvisorCovid-19: Resources for Tripadvisor Partners
TTRACovid-19 Travel and Tourism Research Resources

Longwoods International findings in summary by Amir Eylon, President & CEO: “…intent to travel seems to have stabilized after heading back up from the low point three weeks ago, clearly reflecting a hesitancy to travel despite the pent-up demand. A lot of mixed messages in the media last week with talk about re-opening the economy in several states and countered by stories about the potential risks of re-opening too soon is likely helping to feed this hesitancy. One bright spot in this week’s results, the percentage of those surveyed who indicated that the coronavirus pandemic would “greatly impact” their decision to travel in the next six months has trended slightly downward in the past four weeks, from 67% to 61%, though still far above the 35% on March 11.”

App Annie, an analytics firm, indicates Zoom downloads rose 740% over the past month. Zoom claims 300 million daily participants, up from 10 million before the pandemic. Others want a piece of the action, reports The New York Times. Facebook unveiled its expansion with video group chats for as many as 50 people on Facebook Messenger, up to wight people on WhatsApp video calls. Google made Meet video chat app more accessible through Gmail. Cisco is promoting Webex teleconferencing as more secure compared with Zoom. And Verizon is acquiring BlueJeans Network, a videoconferencing service.

In a webinar for members of SATW (formerly Society of American Travel Writers), editors shared the latest on the destination-related content that travel publications are planning for in the coming months. Managing editors from Travel & Leisure, American Way Magazine, Departures, Travel Weekly, Miami Herald and Atlas Obscura mentioned: National Parks, state parks, big outdoor spaces, domestic road trips, hikes near airline hub cities, smaller cities, Canada (when the border re-opens).

United Airlines became the first large U.S. airline to make it mandatory for flight attendants to wear face masks. Flight attendants will have the option of wearing their own face coverings or use the ones United provides. Air Canada requires passengers to wear face masks as well. San Francisco International Airport has imposed face masks for passengers. And Italy-based airplane seating company Aviointeriors is looking at more potential solutions for further personal in-flight protections. For a roundup of the latest airline and airport-related news (as of 4/25/2020), visit SFGate.com.

And in breaking news, JetBlue is the first major U.S. airline to require all passengers wear face masks effective May 4.

In other airline news, JetBlue has asked the U.S. Transportation Department for approval to suspend flights to more than two dozen U.S. airports where they say demand has fallen by 95%. JetBlue wants to halt service through Sept. 30 to including Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, Seattle, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Dallas and Detroit, among others.

Delta wants to suspend flights to nine airports: Lansing, Flint and Kalamazoo in Michigan; Worcester, Massachusetts; Hilton Head, South Carolina; Pocatello, Idaho; Brunswick, Georgia; and Melbourne, Florida.

Barry Diller, Chairman of Expedia Group, (which has landed a $3.2 billion financing package), announced Peter Kern is the new CEO. Kern has been a member of the board since 2005 and became Vice-Chair in 2018. Eric Hart is CFO. Diller said, “We are unable to make any predictions as to when travel will rebound but we emphatically believe that it will, for….’if there’s life, there’s travel.’”

Diller shared some thoughts on social distancing during a CBS “Face the Nation” interview last weekend. He said removing the middle seat on airlines is “absurd,” adding, “I don’t think that makes any sense,” calling it “a myth” that social distancing could be effective in airplanes, restaurants, theaters and other such places. Watch the clip here.

“Google and Alphabet are not immune…” said CEO Sundar Pichai in last week’s memo to staff. Google is expected to slash its marketing budget by about 50% for the second half of 2020, a deeper cut than reported one week earlier. Directors have been warning of a freeze on hirings. “Last year, it increased its headcount by at least 15%, the annual report shows. In addition, there was an increase in advertising and promotional expenses of $402 million,” reports CNBC.

Tripadvisor is reducing its staff by 25%, shedding 900 jobs, of which 600 are in the U.S. and Canada. The announcement spoke of the need “to seek significant cost savings that will help Tripadvisor get to the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic.” The message to employees came from Steve Kaufer, CEO and Co-Founder, as seen here.

Cunard luxury cruise line has cancelled sailings for its three queens. Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria through July 31. For the ship Queen Elizabeth, the cruise line has cancelled its entire Alaska season and all departures up to and including September 8, 2020. Holland America Line and Princess Cruises have also called off their Alaska cruise season. “Sadly, all sectors of Alaska’s tourism industry are having to make challenging decisions right now,” said a statement from Sarah Leonard, president and chief executive of the Alaska Travel Industry Association.

“Hawaii Travel Authority paying for visitors to return home” is the attention-grabbing headline in Travel Pulse. And The New York Times reports, “Visitors who break Hawaii’s 14-day quarantine rule may get an unwelcome gift: A free flight home. ” According to Hawaii’s Department of Health, the agency has provided the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii (VASH) with $25,000 to pay for the return flights. So far in April, VASH has sent at least 20 visitors back to their airports of origin…” Turns out, the initiative isn’t new. “We’ve been helping victims of crime or other adversity they may have experienced in Hawaii for the past 23 years,” VASH President and CEO Jessica Lani Rich said in a statement.

The International Nightlife Association (INA) was founded in 2012 in Barcelona, a nonprofit member of the UNWTO with the goal of promoting the best clubs and the practices in nightlife. Now, INA has issued a “Sanitized Venue Certification” to reflect COVID-19 protocol. It’s known as International Nightlife Safety Certified (INSC), designed and implemented so venues can gain the trust of clients.

The New York Times Sunday print edition (circ. 918,000) has suspended its travel and sports sections. Executive editor Dean Baquet told employees the Travel section of the newspaper is being replaced with a new section called At Home beginning April 26. Skift reports a comment from editor Amy Virshup who moves from travel to the new home section, indicating that travel will publish content online as “news, service and more essayistic or creative pieces, rather than destination coverage.” Read more from Cheddar here.

The American Bus Association, representing its 1,000 motorcoach and tour company members in the US and Canada, has launched a task force for recovery after the COVID-19 crisis. They’re working through safety, cleanliness and best practices led by ABA Chairman Don DeVivo of DATTCO, Inc. in New Britain, Conn., ABA Board Member Terry Fischer of Transportation Charter Services in Orange, Calif., plus motorcoach industry safety professionals.

In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom has formed a Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery. Its 80 members will focus on reviving the economy in the nation’s most populous state. Billionaire Tom Steyer, a former presidential candidate, will chair the task force that includes former California Govs. Gray Davis, Jerry Brown, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Pete Wilson. Other members include Bob Iger, Walt Disney Company executive chairman, Janet Yellen, former head of the Federal Reserve, Apple chief executive Tim Cook.

Coverage: Bob Iger on what’s needed to re-open Disney Parks

Casey Burdsall, most recently sales director – tourism for Adara, has joined Bandwango as part of their growing sales team. Describing herself as, “Tourism lover, supporter, dedicated salesperson and friend,” she is currently based in Portland, OR.

Washington Tourism Alliance announced the appointment of David Blandford as its interim executive director, effective May 4. Blandford was previously senior VP – public affairs at Visit Seattle. Blandford was part of the group that launched the Washington Tourism Alliance in 2011, formed in Washington State Tourism Office folded.

In Georgia, Kathy Tilley has moved from her position as interim president of the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce to a new role as president & CEO of Visit LaGrange. Tilley spent years focused on destination marketing and has a background of almost 20 years focused on it at Callaway Gardens.

In Maryland, Visit Annapolis and Anne Arundel CEO and President Connie Del Signore is on paid administrative leave while she is being investigated for an internal personnel matter. Del Signore has served as Visit Annapolis’ president and CEO since 2003 after she served as president of the Reading & Berks County Visitors Bureau in Pennsylvania.

Hear from travel industry PRs. Skift is hosting a webinar on Thursday, April 30 at 11 a.m. EDT. How can brands help the rebound effort from a communications perspective? What key strategies are PRs providing their clients and what has been most effective? What ways can brands inspire travel without encouraging it? Will travel PR return to status quo or will we see larger shifts in the way communications are handled? Register here.

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Laurie Jo Miller Farr, Editor
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