From the newly approved federal stimulus bill to the latest lockdowns, furloughs and events gone virtual, stay up to date on the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic’s progression and its effects on the meetings, travel and hospitality industries.
Expert: Recovery Is Coming. For Some, It’s Nearly Here
We will be traveling and meeting again. That’s the uber message delivered by Jan Freitag, senior vice president at STR, which collects market data on the hotel industry, during a webinar hosted by Adara, a Palo Alto, California-based travel intelligence company. “The industry is resilient. We will rebound,” Freitag predicts.
Marriott Unveils New Global Cleanliness Council to Fight COVID-19
Worried about how safe it will be to check into a hotel in the age of COVID-19? Marriott International wants you to breathe easier. The world’s biggest hotel company is rolling out a “multi-pronged platform to elevate its cleanliness standards and hospitality norms and behaviors to meet the new health and safety challenges presented by the current pandemic environment.”
U.S. Travel: Coronavirus Impact on Travel 9x Worse Than 9/11
One-third of all jobs lost in the United States from the coronavirus pandemic have been in the travel industry—an impact that is nine times greater than after the 9/11 attacks. That stunning assessment comes from the latest data compiled for U.S. Travel Association.
AWE Pivots to a Community Model
Association for Women in Events is moving from a dues-paying association model to a community model in light of the state of the events industry in the wake of shut downs from COVID-19.
Experts: Prepare for Venge Tourism, COVID Screening and Hybrid Everything
Meeting professionals are eager to know not only when meetings will start happening again in the flesh, but what they will look like. More hybrid meetings? Tests for immunity? COVID screening? Branded facemask giveaways? We asked the experts to peer into their crystal balls.
83% of US Remote Workers Miss In-Person Meetings
In not-so-shocking news, a new survey by APCO Insight found that 83 percent of Americans working remotely due to coronavirus say they miss in-person meetings and conventions. Most respondents said that they are eager to return to face-to-face meetings once restrictions are lifted
GMID 2020 Drew Virtual Record Attendance
With Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) 2020 falling during the coronavirus lockdown, meeting professionals got creative. An attempt to break the Guinness World Records title for largest audience for a virtual conference by #GMIDGoesVirtual brought an unofficial 12,500 together for a half-hour presentation.
Mixed Reaction by Travel, Event Industries to Federal Stimulus Bill
The $2 trillion federal stimulus bill that is expected to land soon on President Trump’s desk is drawing mixed reaction from various corners of the travel, hospitality and meetings industries.
More Events Sectors Call for Federal Coronavirus Relief
Every part of the events industry is being impacted by restrictions on meetings put in place to slow the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The American Rental Association (ARA) petitioned Capitol Hill last week for $20 billion in financial aid provisions for the equipment and event rental industry as part of the financial relief bill being negotiated in the U.S. Senate.
GMID 2020 Goes Virtual
On Wednesday, the Meetings Mean Business Coalition (MMBC) postponed the annual Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) celebration planned for April 14 due to limitations on gatherings in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. The international day of advocacy, awareness and celebration of the meetings and events industry will instead be staged as an attempt to break the world record for largest virtual event ever held.
Cries Mount for Federal Aid to Travel Industry
The U.S. economy, increasingly reeling from plunging financial markets and business closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will take a $809 billion hit due to decreased travel, according to a new analysis by U.S. Travel Association.
The Strip Closes All Hotels and Casinos
Following the closing of all 13 MGM properties along The Strip as a way to slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Las Vegas, Governor Steve Sisolak issued an order to shut down all “nonessential” Nevada businesses, including 440 licensed casinos all over the state.
Marriott, MGM, Hilton to Furlough Tens of Thousands of Employees
Marriott International is set to lay off tens of thousands of employees in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) that has left many hoteliers without business since the disease spread in early February, according to The Wall Street Journal.
AV Pros Advocate for Event Aid
As the meetings industry scrambled to manage cancellations, hotel closures and shelter in place mandates, a group of audiovisual experts launched a petition to bring some relief. In less than a week, COVID-19 Federal Aid Package for the Events Industry Change.org petition posted by a handful of employees at Florida-based Digerati Productions collected more than 200,000 signatures.
Coronavirus Update: 6 Bay Area Counties on Lockdown Amid Coronavirus Spread
To combat the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) that has proliferated rapidly to nations around the globe, six San Francisco-area counties will issue a “shelter-in-place” order beginning Tuesday, March 17. The counties are San Francisco, Marin, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara and San Mateo. The order is to stay in place until April 7, unless authorities decide to shorten or lengthen it.
Destinations Prepare for Financial Hit from Coronavirus; Look Forward to Rebound
U.S. Travel Association is predicting a 6 percent hit to international visitor numbers over the next three months due to COVID-19, the novel coronavirus—the largest decline since 2018. Destinations across the country are already warning that they could see at least a temporary dip due to the sudden loss of visitors from China.
For more, head to our all-encompassing Coronavirus Resource Guide.
