MILLENNIALS SEEM TO BE GUIDING THE WAY WITH OVERNIGHT TRIPS AND DAY TRIPS. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON WHERE GENERATIONS ARE RESEARCHING DESTINATIONS IS SHARED.

Key findings from Future Partners, published Nov. 12:

• Nearly half of Americans took an overnight trip in the past month. The majority being Millennials.
• Nearly 30% of Americans expect to travel more in the next year, again majority being Millennials.
• Over half of Americans took a day trip in the past month, however, year-over-year numbers are down.
• Interestingly, almost 30% of Americans have visited destinations featured in movies or TV.
• Instagram ranked high among Millennials (35%) and Gen Z (32%) for research on potential travel destinations last month.
• After digging deeper for generations top five places to research destinations, Future Partners found TikTok is the top choice for Gen Z travelers and Facebook is the only platform to make top five on all generational lists.

TRAVELERS SHARE PLANS FOR THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY. TRAVELERS ALSO SHARE JUST HOW MUCH THEY ARE WILLING TO SPEND DURING THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY. 

Key findings from The Vacationer, fielded Oct. 4:

• Travelers are planning to travel more for Thanksgiving (22%) than Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa (16%). However, most travelers are planning to travel for all the major holidays during the season (29%).
• Americans in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania are most likely to travel for Thanksgiving this year (70%).
• Nearly 47% of adults are planning to spend over $500 to travel for a vacation or holiday gathering for Thanksgiving. When breaking it down:
  • 14% plan to spend $501-$1,000.
  • 16% plan to spend $1,001-$1,500.
  • 11% plan to spend $1,501-$2,000,
  • 6% plan to spend $2,000 or more.

TRAVELERS INCREASINGLY CHOOSE EXPERIENCES FIRST, THEN SELECT A DESTINATION. SAFETY IS A KEY FACTOR AS WELL.

Key findings from McKinsey & Company, published Sept. 17:

• Though cost and quality experiences still are high when travelers are booking their trips, safety and security at the destination is top of mind. 81% of respondents said they find safety important where as 65% said cost, and 63% said range/quality of activities. 
• Experiences are important. In fact, 52% of Gen Zers said they would splurge on experiences, compared to 29% of baby boomers. 
• Though we live in a very digital age, 47% of experience booking still happens over the phone or via walk-ups. Only 22% of booking occurs online.

SUMMER WAS BUSY FOR TRAVELERS WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF LEISURE TRIPS TAKEN IN THE LAST TWO YEARS. AMERICANS ARE EXPECTED TO SPEND MORE ON TRAVEL.

Key findings from Future Partners, fielded Aug. 2024:

• The share of Americans reporting being better off financially than a year ago remains stable at 32% in August 2024.
• Younger travelers (Gen Z and Millennials) are more likely to report positive financial conditions than older travelers (Gen X and Baby Boomers). For example, 36% of Gen Z and 42% of Millennials report being better off financially now compared to a year ago, while 28% of Gen X and 26% of Baby Boomers report the same.
• Travelers' willingness to spend money on travel has remained steady. In August 2024, 35% of Americans agreed that now is a good or very good time to spend on travel.
• A significant portion of travelers view travel as a high budget priority. In August 2024, 59% of travelers said that travel will be a high budget priority in the next three months.
• Americans are expected to spend more on leisure travel than ever before, with the maximum expected leisure travel spending in the next 12 months reaching a record-breaking $5,413 in August 2024.
• Americans enjoyed a busy summer travel season, with the highest levels of leisure trips recorded in the last two years. In August 2024, 48% of Americans took at least one overnight leisure trip.
• Many travelers have trips planned for the fall and beyond. In August 2024, 30% of American travelers had trips planned for September, and 33% had trips planned for October.

THOUGH 39% AGREE WE WILL ENTER A RECESSION IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS, AMERICANS ARE FEELING BETTER OFF FINANCIALLY COMPARED TO LAST YEAR, ESPECIALLY MILLENNIALS AND YOUNGER. BUSINESS TRAVEL CONTINUES TO GROW.

Key findings from Future Partners, fielded July 16-27:

• Compared to last year at this time, travelers are feeling better off financially. When asked if they were better or worse off:
  • 34% said better or much better off compared to 27% in 2023.
  • 37% said neither better nor worse.
  • 30% said worse or much worse off.
• For the 34% who said they were better or much better off:
  • 47% were millennials or younger.
  • 30% were Gen X.
  • 24% were boomer or older.
• Travelers also feel now is a good time to spend on leisure, with 34% saying it is a good time or a very good time.
• 39% of American travelers agree or strongly agree that we will enter a recession in the next six months. Of this 39%:
  • 45% were Millennials or younger.
  • 41% were Gen X.
  • 30% were Boomer or older.
• As for business travel, 22% took one or more overnight business trips one month prior to July 16. This is up from about 17% in 2023.

INTENT TO TRAVEL REMAINS STRONG, HOWEVER; POLITICAL REPUTATIONS AND A DESTINATION'S PERCEPTION AS BEING WELCOMING MAY IMPACT TRAVEL PLANS 

Key findings from Longwoods International fielded July 10, 2024: 

• 37% of American travelers report that the political reputation of potential destinations is a factor in their travel selections. It may not be the predominant factor in their ultimate destination choice, but it is there. In fact, 14% of travelers tell us that they avoid some destinations because of their political reputations/policies. This is significant and poses a challenge to destination marketers as it is an image factor they cannot control. 
• While 72% of American travelers indicate that they have not changed their travel plans over the past year due to a city/state’s political reputation, the other 28% report ways in which they have altered their travel plans as a result including: 
  • Postponing travel (10%)
  • Changing the destination to avoid a specific city or state (9%)
  • Altering their itinerary to avoid certain areas (7%)
  • Canceling their trip (6%).  
• 32% of travelers say that a destination’s reputation for being welcoming and inclusive to diverse groups impacts their decision to travel to specific destinations, with 14% saying it greatly impacts their destination selection.
• Despite ongoing economic concerns, demand for travel through the summer and into fall remains at near record post-pandemic levels with 92% of American travelers saying they have plans to go somewhere in the next six months.

AAA PROJECTS 70.9 MILLION TRAVELERS WILL TRAVEL 50 MILES OR MORE FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY, INCREASING 8% FROM 2019. 60.6 MILLION OF THESE TRAVELERS WILL TAKE A ROAD TRIP TO REACH THEIR DESTINATION FOR THE BIG CELEBRATION.

Key findings from AAA Newsroom, fielded May 2024:

• AAA projects 70.9 million travelers will travel 50 miles or more for the Fourth of July. This is a 5% increase compared to 2023 and 8% increase over 2019.
• More Americans are taking extended trips due to summer vacations and remote work flexibility.
• AAA projects a record 60.6 million people will travel by car leading up to July 4 and following. This is an increase of 2.8 million travelers compared to last year and surpasses 2019 numbers.
• Gas prices are lower than last year and expected to remain stable until after Labor Day.
• AAA projects a record number of air travelers (5.74 million) for Independence Day. This is a 7% increase compared to last year and 12% increase over 2019.
• More than 4.6 million people are expected to travel by other modes of transportation (bus, cruise, train). This is a 9% increase compared to last year but lower than 2019 figures.

AMERICAN TRAVELERS SHARE THEIR INTEREST IN USING ELECTRIC VEHICLES FOR ROAD TRIPS. AMERICANS ALSO SHARE WHERE THEY PLAN TO VISIT THIS SUMMER AND THEIR PERCEPTION CUSTOMERS SERVICE.

Key findings form Longwoods International, fielded June 12: 

• 23% indicated concerns about personal financial situation would greatly impact their decision to travel in the next six months, down from 29% in May. 
• American travelers' interest in using Electric Vehicles (EVs) for trips has decreased:
  • Only 24% used an EV in the past 6 months, down from 29%
  • Only 26% are likely to use an EV on their next trip, down from 37%
• Summer travel activities for Americans include:
  • Visiting friends and family (56%)
  • Visiting beaches (51%) 
  • Taking a road trip (49%)
  • Exploring cities (42%) 
  • Visiting a winery, brewery, or distillery (19%)
• Perception of travel customer service is improving. 68% report same service level as pre-pandemic where as 13% report lower service level, down from 22%.

AMERICAN TRAVELERS PLAN TO SPEND MORE ON TRAVEL IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS WITH HYBRID WORKERS ANTICIPATING SPENDING THE MOST. TRAVELERS ALSO SHARE IF THEY ARE USING AD-SUPPORTED PLATFORMS

Key findings from Future Partners, fielded April 2024:

• American travelers who said their current household financial status was better or much better dropped to a seven-month low of 30.2%. Meanwhile, 45.6% of total U.S. travelers anticipate being better off financially next year.
• Gen Z (46.1%) and Millennials (40.4%) are more optimistic about their financial status compared to other generations.
• 32.3% of American travelers said the present is a good or very good time to spend money on travel. 58.6% say that travel spending will be a high priority for them in the next three months.
• Expectation to spend more on leisure travel in the next 12 months increased to 33.6% and the average maximum annual spend for leisure travel in the next 12 months reported this month was $4,826.
• You may want to start thinking about where you are sharing your television ads:
  • 7% of American Travelers are using Prime Video's ad-supported tier while 28.2% are paying for the ad-free tier.
  • Hulu and Prime Video are the only platforms that have a higher share of U.S. travelers who opt for the ad-supported tier.
  • Gen X (37.5%), Millennial (36.9%) and Boomer+ (32.2%) travelers are much more likely to be on ad-supported Prime Video compared to Gen Z (26.4%).
• Hybrid workers have the highest annual travel budget ($6,369) and were the most likely to say they expect to travel more (36.4%) as well as spend more (38.9%) on travel in the next 12 months.
• Visiting friends and family (50.9%), relaxation (45.6%) and escaping the stress of daily life (34.2%) are the most common trip motivators.

LOYALTY PROGRAMS ARE IMPORTANT FOR CREDIT CARD USERS WHO TRAVEL

Key findings from iSeatz:

• Credit cards significantly influence consumer behavior and travel spending due to their link to how consumers pay for their travel.
• 49% of consumers said saving money on travel is what they value most from their loyalty programs.
• With the demand for travel increasing, credit card and banking rewards programs have a market ready to spend on travel.
• Travel rewards often have a higher reward value per dollar spent and come with additional benefits like free checked bags.
• 76% of the cards in the analysis now offer point redemption or a statement credit for tours and activities, an increase of more than 20 percentage points over 2023. Six new cards began providing this benefit, and 60% of the cards now offer this benefit for live events.
• 29% of Millennials would spend up to 5% more on travel to preserve their status or receive bonus benefits compared to just 8% of Silent Generation respondents and the 25% survey average.
• 26% of Gen Zers would spend between 6% and 10% more, while only 15% of Boomers said the same.

TIMING AND POTENTIAL CHANGES IN DEMAND ARE KEY TO PRICING STUDIES 

Key findings from Colleen Dilenschneider, published April 10:  

• Understanding the price elasticity of demand is crucial to determine the right pricing strategy that the market will bear for your unique experience.
• Admission is just one method of audience access, and cultural organizations should develop targeted, affordable access to serve their audiences.
• Different pricing strategies include static pricing, differentiated pricing, variable pricing, and dynamic pricing.
• Timing is crucial when rolling out a price increase, and the best time to conduct a pricing study is in the year's second quarter.
• Organizations should not rely on just comparative/competitive price precedents, but should consider visitor research and consider the impact on membership when altering admission pricing. 
• A data-informed method for carrying out a pricing study includes engaging an expert resource that values clinical, data-informed analyses, understands the total market and what their audiences value beyond price, and uses virtual modeling to save organizations from costly mistakes. 

YOUNGER GENERATIONS FEEL THEY WILL LIKELY BE BETTER OFF FINANCIALLY COMPARED TO ONE YEAR AGO. TRAVEL BUDGETS AMOUNG GEN Z AVERAGES HIGH, WITH MANY PLANNING TRIPS 11 WEEKS OUT.  

Key findings from Future Partners, fielded March 2024:

• 1 in 3 American travelers feel their household finances are better off now than one year ago, with younger generational cohorts likely to be in the "better off" camp.
• Younger travelers are more optimistic that their future finances will continue to improve.
• About 60% of travelers across all generations say travel will be a high priority in the next three months.
• Gen Zers report the highest maximum travel spending budget for the next 12 months, averaging $5,571.
• A one-week domestic leisure trip's average travel-planning window is 11.3 weeks.
• Spending time with loved ones tops the list of travel experiences travelers will prioritize in the next 12 months.
• More than one in three American travelers plan to travel outside the U.S. for leisure in the next 12 months.
• Family travelers skew Millennials and have an average annual household income of $107,000.
• Family travelers are showing very strong enthusiasm for traveling this year and are international-oriented travelers.

VISITORS INTEND TO TRY NEW ATTRACTIONS IN 2024 AND SKIP THE ONES THEY SAW IN 2023. ECONOMIC SITUATION MAY RESULT IN SHORTER TRIPS WITH BUDGET-FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES. 

Key findings from PGAV’s Voice of the Visitor report, published March 2024:

• Visitors increasingly plan to visit attractions in 2024. 
• Attractions they intend to visit include the following:
  • 57% plan to visit historic sites
  • 53% plan to visit national/state parks
  • 50% plan to visit a zoo/animal attraction
  • 50% plan to visit history museums
  • 47% plan to visit theme parks
• However, intent to visit the same attraction they experienced last year fell from 69% in 2023 to 67% in 2024.
• Among those who expect the economy to improve, this is how they plan to travel: 
  • Will take longer trips (27%)
  • Planning a bucket list trip (23%)
  • Investing in annual passes/memberships (20%)
• How will they change their travel plans if the economy takes a downturn?
  
  • Taking shorter weekend trips (29%)
  • Finding budget-friendly activities (28%)
  • Traveling off-peak season (27%)
• The top motivators for travelers include wanting to enjoy a relaxing environment (36%), spending time with family and friends (28%), and escaping from their daily routine (27%).  

PERSONAL FINANCIAL SITUATIONS DECREASES IN INFLUENCING TRAVELERS DECISIONS TO TRAVEL IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS; CHAT GPT AND GENERATIVE AI AS TRAVEL PLANNING TOOLS ARE GROWING SLOWER IN POPULARITY THAN SOME ORIGINALLY THOUGHT.

Key findings from Longwoods International, fielded Feb. 7:

• Concerns about personal financial situations significantly impacting American travelers' travel in the next six months have decreased. Now, only 26% of American travelers say this greatly affects their travel decision, compared to 29% in Jan. 2024.
• Inflation greatly impacts Americans' decisions to travel in the next six months, remaining the same as Jan. 2024 at 26%. 
• As for the motivation for leisure travel, American travelers said relaxation (21%), a fun time (18%), spending time with immediate family/children (16%), and spending time with friends and relatives (16%) are among the top motivators for leisure travel.
• Though Generative AI and Chat GPT are growing in popularity as tools, they are growing slower as travel planning tools than some initially thought. Only 14% of American travelers reported using Chat GPT in their trip-planning process in the last six months.

FOCUSING LESS ABOUT VISITING AND MORE ABOUT LIVING THE EXPERIENCES CONTINUES TO BE A TOP RECOMMENDATION

Key observations from MMGY’s US Travel Compass: 2024 Industry Outlook released Jan. 30:

• Authentic social media content that gives potential visitors an exciting taste of what they’re missing is paramount, even if that taste is something soothing and relaxing.
• Provide themed itineraries and immersive excursions.
• Create ways to extend event-driven travel. How do you create related experiences to keep people in town longer?
• Go after niche markets where you can excel.
• Highlight experiences you can only get from touching, seeing, smelling and tasting firsthand.
• Consider partnering with a local community nonprofit that is consistent with your brand to support your community.
• Continue to highlight locally-owned and locally-produced. It’s important to visitors.
• Continue to be involved in making your community a better place to live, as well as to visit.

DEMAND FROM REVENGE TRAVEL BEING REPLACED BY DEMAND DUE TO PRIORITIZING TRAVEL AND EXPERIENCES; TARGETING MARKETING EFFORTS REMAINS KEY TO ATTRACTING BUSINESS

Key observations from Deloitte 2024 Travel Outlook:

• Travelers are shifting from making up for lost travel due to the pandemic to prioritizing travel.
• Leisure travel grew in 2023 and is anticipated to continue growth in 2024.
• Corporate travel continues to recover, but business leaders are expected to closely manage travel budgets due to the economic and political environment. 
• If the economy hits a rough patch, there may be fewer lower-income households traveling; American travelers may shorten the number of trips, lengths of stay and distance traveled; younger and lower-income travelers may stay with friends and relatives versus paid lodging.
• Marketers will need to create a more targeted approach for attracting visitors.

SOJERN SHARES TOP THREE TRENDS ON UNDERSTANDING AND REACHING YOUR AUDIENCE IN 2024

Key findings from The Drum, published Jan. 16:

• 2023 had both optimism and obstacles, with new challenges like inflation, global conflict, and the massive technology shift of generative artificial intelligence (AI).
• It is important for marketers to understand their traveling’ audiences and identify the best places to reach them.
• Though consumers want personalization, they also want privacy. In 2024, Google cookies will disappear, leaving marketers without a key tool used to understand how users react to ads, yet, 71% of consumers expect personalization.
• Sustainability is no longer a trend but a must, and companies will need to go deeper to meet greater consumer demand and government regulations. ‘Slow travel’ is gaining steam, emphasizing the importance of connecting travel experiences with local communities and the environment.
• Experiences matter more than mass consumption, with Millennials and Gen Z spending 80% on services and 20% on goods. The experiences market in travel is valued at $320 Billion.

THE 2023 DELOITTE HOLIDAY TRAVEL SURVEY SHOWS INCREASE IN SPENDING FOR TRIPS DURING THE JOLLY SEASON AND WHY GEN Z PLANS TO SPEND MORE THAN EVER; LAPTOP LUGGERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO PARTICIPATE IN IN-DESTINATION ACTIVITES COMPARED TO THOSE WHO COMPLETELY DISCONNECT.

Key findings from Deloitte, fielded Sept. 2023:

• Americans’ financial situation has improved slightly since 2022 and health concerns continue to subside. When ask which (if any) travel products or activities they planned to partake in:
  • 56% said they plan to use a hotel and stay with family or friends.
  • 15% said they plan to use a private rental.
  • 33% plan to fly domestically.
  • 53% plan to road trip.
• Participation is up across most travel activities. Activities that have increased since 2022 include visiting a major attraction (43%), adventure or outdoor activities (40%), and guided trip or sightseeing tour (29%). The only activity that has decreased since 2022 is small groups or one-on-one classes (9%).
• With financial situations improving, budgeting for trips has also increased. Specifically, Gen Z is top of list for spending the most money for the 2023 holiday season. But why are their trips more expensive this year than 2022?
  • 45% said they are doing better financially.
  • 20% said they work remote which give more flexibility.
  • 16% said it is because of higher travel prices.
• One in three travelers are ‘laptop luggers’ (travelers who work on vacation). About half of laptop luggers say they work on vacation because they are concerned about separating work from leisure when working on their holiday trip.
• Despite the fact that laptop luggers plan to work on vacation, they show greater interest in participating in activities while in a destination, compared to those who don't plan to keep connected to work: 
  • 43% of laptop luggers are visiting a major attraction compared to 39% of those who disconnect.
  • 28% of laptop luggers are taking a guided tour compared to 25% of those who disconnect.
  • 32% of laptop luggers are attending a public event compared to 26% of those who disconnect.
  • 43% of laptop luggers are participating in an outdoor activity compared to 37% of those who disconnect.

INFLATION STILL GREATLY IMPACTS TRAVELERS DECISIONS OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS. HOLIDAY TRAVELERS GIVE INSIGHT TO WHERE AND HOW THEY PLAN TO TRAVEL DURING THE SEASON.

Key findings from Longwoods International, fielded Nov. 15:

• Inflation greatly impacting decisions to travel in the next six months has increased only slightly since Oct. from 20% to 22%
• When thinking about travel plans for the holiday season in 2023 compared to 2022, visiting friends and family continues to stay as top priority while also increasing. In 2022, 70% of people’s plans were to visit friends and family while now 74% plan to do so.
• Other activities travelers plan to participate in during the holiday season include:
  • Going shopping (59%).
  • Seeing holiday lights (47%)
  • Visiting a national or state park, or monument (26%)
  • Attending a festival/fair (24%).
• Traveling by car for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Eve and any other holiday celebrations will happen by car. In fact, 63% plan to travel by care compared to only 27% by plane.

AAA NEWSROOM SHARES THANKSGIVING TRAVEL FORECAST 

Key findings from AAA Newsroom, published Nov. 13:

• AAA projects 55 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home between Nov. 22 and 26 for the Thanksgiving holiday.
• Compared to 2022, the travel forecast has increased 2%.
• It is forecasted that 49 million travelers plan to travel by automobile. This makes road travel the most popular way of travel for Thanksgiving in 2023, growing almost 2% from 2022-23.

MOST COMMON USES OF AI IN CREATING VIDEO CONTENT, HOW VIDEOS ARE USED AND WHERE THEY ARE POSTED

Key findings from Content Marketing Institute, published Nov. 8:

• Video has continued to be an important piece of marketing. In fact, in the last year alone 67% of marketers say video has become more important in their business.
• 77% of respondents said they use videos mostly for social media. Other uses included were:
  • Branded stories like short films (61%).
  • How-to videos (54%).
  • Interviews with influencers (54%).
• As for which type is most effective, 54% of marketers say social media videos deliver some of their best results. But where are they posting these videos?
  • 79% post to YouTube most often.
  • 76% post to LinkedIn most often.
  • 72% post to Facebook most often.
  • 71% post to Instagram most often.
  • 38% post for X (formally Twitter) most often.
  • 28% post for TikTok most often.
• 69% of marketers say they produce videos in-house vs 21% who are outsourcing.
• Though AI is on top of most marketers’ minds, only one in five (or 18%) of marketers use AI to assist with video creation and one in three plan to use AI for video content in the next year.
• However, among those marketers who are using AI, they primarily use it for making video scripts (69%). Marketers report doing this because of its time saving abilities (84%).

DEMAND FOR WELLNESS, FOOD AND CULTURAL IMMERSION FORECASTED TO CONTINUE. ONLINE BOOKING IMPORTANT. GENERATIONS GENERALLY SEEKING SIMILAR TRAVEL EXPERIENCES. 

Key findings from Hilton's 2024 Trend Report :

• Regardless of generation, personal wellness is the number one reason people want to travel in 2024. Travelers are looking to rest and recharge on vacation. 
• Travelers will also seek out consistent and seamless experiences - 80% of travelers feel it is important to be able to book their trip entirely online. Millennials feel most strongly about being able to book online (86%), but a majority (66%) of Baby Boomers feel the same way.
• Cultural experiences will highly impact travelers leisure decisions - 64% of global travelers say they aim to reduce other areas of personal spending to prioritize travel in 2024. 
  • Cultural experiences include learning about and immersing oneself in what makes a place special - its food, landscape, heritage, art, music, etc.  
  • As travelers plan their budget, half say their top focus is on culinary experiences.
  • Nearly half of travelers will prioritize exploration and adventure with both Gen Z and Millennials (52%) dedicating a larger budget for this type of experience. 
  • Approximately 45% of each generation will be looking to build better connections as they are planning to travel to reconnect with friends and family in 2024. 
• Business and leisure travel will continue to grow in 2024. 46% of global, full-time and self-employed plan to travel for business, but also incorporate a vacation as well on their trip. 
  • More than a third of Gen Z and Millennial business travelers said they plan to extend their business trip in 2024. 

VISITING FRIENDS AND RELATIVES, TAKING A ROAD TRIP, VISITING A PARK AND GOING TO A CULTURAL/ARTS VENUE TOP THE LIST OF FALL TRIP ITINERARIES. A CLOSER LOOK AT HOW VISITS TO WINERIES, BREWERIES AND DISTILLERIES DRIVE VISITATION.    

Key findings from Longwoods International, fielded Aug. 16:

• Americans planning to travel in the next six months remains high, 89% of Americans say they plan to travel in the next six months. 
• With those planning to travel in the next six months:
  • 22% say they will travel within 200 miles by car to see family and friends.
  • 16% say they will travel more than 200 miles by car to see family and friends. 
  • 13% say they will travel by car within 200 miles just for a getaway. 
• Top activities Americans plan to do on their fall trip include visiting family and friends (66%), taking a road trip (53%), visiting a national park, state park, or monument (39%) and visiting arts/cultural institutions (32%).
• Fears of inflation continue to impact decisions to travel, with 26% of Americans saying inflation will greatly impact their decision to travel in the next six months, moving up from 23% in July. 
• Americans were asked to think back to an overnight trip where they went to at least one winery, distillery, or brewery tour in the last 12 months. Respondents said:
  • Going to a winery, distillery or brewery tour was just one of many parts of my trip (36%).
  • Going to a restaurant or bar that specialized in wine, beer or spirits was just one of many parts of my trip (34%).
  • The main purpose of my trip was to go to more than one winery, distillery, or brewery tour (16%).
  • The main purpose of my trip was to go to one specific winery, distillery, or brewery tour (14%). 

MEETING PLANNERS AND ATTENDEES SAY IN-PERSON EVENTS AND CONFERENCES ARE CRUCIAL FOR SUCCESS

Key findings from Bizzabo, fielded June 2023:

• 52% of surveyed planners reported increased attendance at in-person business conferences in the past year, showing a growing preference for in-person events.
• 77% of planners said in-person conferences are critical for their organization’s overall success.
• Furthermore, 80% of planners also identified in-person events to be the most impactful marketing channel, increasing from 72% in 2022.
• 83% of planners also believe in-person conferences provide an ideal networking environment – citing conferences as the best place to learn about new services (70%).

GLOBAL BUSINESS TRAVEL ASSOCIATION SAYS GLOBAL BUSINESS TRAVEL IS EXPECTED TO SURPASS PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS IN 2024; BUSINESS TRAVELERS CONTINUE TO BLEND BUSINESS AND PERSONAL TRAVEL

Key findings from Global Business Travel Association, published Aug. 14:

• Global business travel is expected to surpass pre-pandemic spending level of $1.4 trillion in 2024. In 2022, global business travel spending increased 47% and is continuing 32% growth in 2023.
• The two biggest stabilizers over the last 6 months for global business travel have been the return of in-person meetings and events and the recovery of some international business.
• Resilience of the global economy was a key factor in the rebound. Numerous challenges including the war in Ukraine, persistent inflation, tighter global financial conditions and deterioration in the manufacturing sector still remain.
• As for current estimation of business travel spending:
  • Lodging averages $391,
  • Food and beverage averages $189,
  • Air transportation averages $182 while ground transportation averages $136,
  • Bringing the total average to $1,018 per person per trip.
• 62% of business travelers are blending business and personal travel. 42% tend to add additional leisure days to their business trips.

NEW RESEARCH EXPLORES THE VALUE IN STUDENT GROUP TOURS; 60% OF THOSE WHO HAVE TRAVELED SHOW A WILLINGINESS TO KNOW, LEARN AND EXPLORE

Key findings from Groups Today, published July 11:

• The Student & Youth Travel Association (SYTA) recently shared research indicating that 60% of students who have traveled showed an increased willingness to know, learn and explore.
• The research reported that students traveling domestically and abroad rose from 113,000 in 2021 to 414,000 in 2022. This sector has recovered 44% of its volume from 2019.
• Tour operators share that educational tours continue to be a favorite, but interest in sports and music tours are growing quickly and showing promise.
• Inflation is having a ripple effect on student tours. When comparing 2019 to 2022, tour costs for  accommodations, meals and attractions are 10-15% higher. Transportation costs in 2022 increased more than 15%.
• Overall, this research found the U.S. student travel market has bounced back at an impressive rate.

THE TRAVELER SEARCH WINDOW CONTINUES TO INCREASE YEAR-OVER-YEAR; PLANNING TO TRAVEL MORE OR THE SAME AS LAST YEAR

Key findings from Expedia Group Media Solutions, fielded Q2, 2023:

• Travelers are planning earlier. The 91- to 180-day search window has increased by 60% quarter-over-quarter.
• In the Q4 2022 report, searches for mid-year travel (June to September) in 2023 were up 70%. This trend continued in Q1 2023 with a 50% year-over-year increase in search demand for mid-year travel.
• A survey done with Wakefield research indicates:
  • 72% of travelers are planning to travel to make up for lost travel opportunities.
  • 83% are planning to travel more or the same amount as last year.
  • 81% intend to spend more or keep their budgets at the same for a single trip compared to last year.  

MEETING PLANNERS CONTINUE TO FEEL OPTIMISTIC AND ARE BOOKING NEW BUSINESS; THEY EXPECT RFP RESPONSES IN THREE OR FOUR DAYS

Key findings from Northstar Meetings Group, June 14 – July 1:

• Overall, planners’ outlook remains optimistic with 55% of planners say they are more optimistic than six weeks ago. However, this percentage has decreased 2% from March 2023.
  • When asked the same question regarding optimism, 30% responded they have no change from March 2023.
• 41% of planners said their current primary focus is booking new in-person events in June 2023.
• When asked how far out they are planning events:
  • 45% said they are booking between 4 – 6 months out.
  • 33% said they are booking between 7 – 9 months out.
  • 42% said they are booking between 9 – 12 months out.
• With more meetings being booked, 44% of planners anticipate new job opportunities within their events team.
• Most planners want responses to RFPs in three or four days.

U.S. TRAVEL ASSOCIATION RELEASES NEW TRAVEL FORECAST

Key findings from U.S. Travel Association, released June 14:

• The U.S. Travel Association released its biannual forecast for domestic leisure travel, showing a normalized rate of growth through 2026.
• Domestic leisure travel is expected to grow around 2% in 2023 and 2024. The volume is expected to grow faster year-over-year than inflation.
• Domestic business travel is expected to grow as well, but slower than leisure travel due to economic conditions. The forecast shows business travel is not expected to recover to pre-pandemic levels until 2025.
• International inbound travel has been upgraded due to the strong demand from the Canadian market. Inbound travel volume is projected to grow 31% in 2023 and 18% in 2024.
• The U.S. Travel Association also has cited four key federal policy areas to accelerate growth across travel sectors, which include:
  • Improving overall air travel experience through the FAA reauthorization bill.
  • Increase federal prioritization and focus on travel industry growth as other countries have done.

AMERICANS REPORT ON THEIR PLANS FOR TRAVEL OVER THE FOURTH OF JULY; DESPITE INFLATION, AMERICANS STILL PLAN TO ROAD TRIP OVER THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND  

Key findings from The Vacationer, updated June 20:

• Nearly 219 million American adults say they plan to travel this summer. With an uptick on Memorial Day weekend travel, we can expect to see this increase again over the Fourth of July.
• Whether it be to visit friends or relatives, a vacation, day trip, or any other reason, more than 60% of American adults are planning to travel for the Fourth of July.
• Inflation is still top of mind for Americans. When asked if inflation would affect Americans Fourth of July plans, respondents said:
  • Yes, because I want to drive (18%).
  • Yes, because of increased airfare prices (10%).
  • Yes, because everyday items continue to be more expensive (36%).
  • No (36%).
• Though 18% of American adults said inflation will affect their Fourth of July plans because they want to drive, nearly 55% of Americans will still road trip for the holiday weekend.
• This year, Americans will enjoy a parade (16%), BBQ or cookout (59%), fireworks (49%), beach (22%), or lake (18%) during the Fourth of July weekend.

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ALL OTHER EMPLOYEES SHARE THEIR HAPPINESS WHILE WORKING FOR A CULTURAL ORGANIZATION

Key findings from IMPACTS, published June 7:

The research done to share how employees feel working at cultural organizations contemplates a sample size of 1,778 full-time employees working in the cultural industry from 42 organizations that welcome over 500,000 visitors annually. Of these 42 organizations, 27 are exhibit-based and 15 or performing arts organizations. 

• When executive leadership, senior management and all other employees serving greater than 500,000 onsite annual visitors were asked to share their overall work experience:
  • 96% of executive leadership said their overall experience was somewhat or very favorable.
  • 81% of senior management said their overall experience was somewhat or very favorable.
  • 73% of all other employees said their overall experience was somewhat or very favorable.
• As for an overall favorable work-life balance of full-time employees, executive leadership (85%), senior management (82%) and all other employees (83%) said their work life balance was overall favorable.
• Professional development and its perception that staff are growing, learning and developing new skills shows its importance.
  • 71% of executive directors are overall favorable of their career and professional development experience.
  • 81% of senior management are overall favorable of their career and professional development experience.
  • 75% of all other employees are overall favorable of their career and professional development experience.
• Executive leadership (86%), senior management (65%) and all other employees (51%) all feel overall favorable of their diversity and equity experience with the organization they are employed with. However, there is a discrepancy among respondents based on their position. Executive leadership may be dramatically more favorable to this because they tend to be less diverse compared to senior management and all other employees.

STUDIES SHARE THE IMPACT RETAIL SHOPS CAN HAVE ON MUSEUM EXPERIENCES (AS WELL AS OTHER EXHIBIT-BASED ORGANIZATIONS)  

Key findings from IMPACTS, published May 25:

• Though the retail experience makes up 3% of total guest satisfaction, it also influences several other perception areas like entertainment experience (21%) and employee courtesy (11%).
• Why is that overall percentage so low? Remember, not everyone visits your retail shop. In fact, only 27% of recent guests at an exhibit-based organization report spending time in the gift shop. 
• Of the 27% who recently visited a museum or attraction's gift shop, 82% said it positively contributed to their onsite experience. It boosted their overall satisfaction scores.
• And this is important because higher customer satisfaction scores are linked to additional visits and supporting the organization's mission. 
• Studies also suggest when visitors experience a ‘peak-end’, they are even more likely to leave the museum with a positive view of their entire visit. 

MASTERCARAD SHARES INSIGHT ON YEAR-OVER-YEAR GROWTH IN DISCRETIONARY SPENDING, WITH SPENDING ON EXPERIENCES AT THE TOP  

Key findings from Mastercard Newsroom, fielded February 2023 :

• According to Mastercard SpendingPulse, U.S. retails sales (excluding automotive) were up 6.9% year-over-year (YOY) in February 2023.
• At a national level, top spending trends for February included:
  • E-commerce, with sales continuing to climb up 13% YOY and in-store sales up 5% YOY.
  • Experiences, remaining at top priority. Spending at restaurants (+14%), airlines (+16%) and lodging (+43%) experienced growth YOY. This reflects a suppressed growth in 2022 and continued demand for travel ahead of spring break season.
  • Apparel and department stores, showing moderate growth. Apparel (+3.9%) and department store (+5.6%) sectors experienced modest year-over-year growth in February. Consumers have shown emphasis on pricing and value.

AMERICAN TRAVELERS REPORT ON RV LEISURE TRIPS, IF THEY WOULD USE CHAT GPT AND PERCEPTION OF TRAVEL

Key Findings from Longwoods International, fielded April 26:

• When asked if in the last 12 months American adults took an RV on a leisure trip:
  • 48% of respondents said yes, they have taken a road trip but not with an RV.
  • 12% of respondents said yes, they have taken my own RV on a road trip.
  • 8% of respondents said they rented an RV to go on a road trip.
  • 28% of respondents said they have not taken a road trip in the last 12 months.
• American adults were also asked what they have done on a road trip in the last 12 months. Responses included worked remotely (35%), attended a conference (25%), attended a business meeting in person (24%) and none of these listed (47%).
• With Chat GPT, an artificial intelligence chatbot technology developed by research company Open AI, on the rise, American adults were asked how likely they are to use Chat GPT during the planning process for their next trip:
  • 14% said they are very likely to use Chat GPT during their trip planning process.
  • 18% said they are somewhat likely to use Chat GPT during their trip planning process.
  • 15% said they are neither likely nor unlikely to use Chat GPT during their trip planning process.
  • 8% said they are somewhat unlikely to use Chat GPT during their trip planning process.
  • 18% said they are unlikely to use Chat GPT during their trip planning process.
  • 27% said they do not know what Chat GPT is.
• As for perception of travel, American travelers reported that traveling with friends and family brings them closer together (79%). They also appreciate travel more after living through COVID-19 travel limitations and restrictions (65%).

FINANCIAL CONCERNS CONTINUE TO BE A DECIDING FACTOR FOR TRAVELERS. AMERICAN TRAVELERS REPORT ON FEELINGS OF ENJOYMENT WHILE TRAVELING PRE-PANDEMIC TO NOW  

Key findings from Destination Analyst, fielded April 16-21:

• Financial concerns have continued to be the biggest factor when planning a trip over the last 13 months. When asked for their predictions on how they will feel financially a year from now, American travelers: 
  • 46% said much better or better off.
  • 39% said just about the same – neither better off nor worse off.
  • 14% said much worse or worse off.
• Though inflation continues to stay in traveler’s minds, Americans’ have continued to maintain their devotion to traveling. More than 37% of Americans have researched travel ideas online and 17% have booked in the last week.
• American travelers were asked to compare their feelings of enjoyment immediately before the pandemic to now.
  • 25% said they feel traveling is much more or more enjoyable.
  • 39% said they feel travel is neither more nor less enjoyable.
  • 34% said they feel travel is less or much less enjoyable.

WITH EARTH DAY UPON US, AMERICAN ADULTS RESPOND TO HOW IMPORTANT SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL IS TO THEM AND HOW MUCH THEY ARE WILLING TO SPEND TO LOWER THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINT

Key findings from The Vacationer, fielded March 2023:

• When asked how important sustainable travel is, 82% of travelers said somewhat or very important. Of this 82%, 30% of women said sustainable travel is very important while only 27% of men did.
• Travelers were asked if they intend to make more sustainable decisions when planning to travel:
  • 23% said yes, even if it inconveniences me.
  • 52% said yes, but only if it does not inconvenience me.
  • 26% said no.
  • From these answers, 38% of people over the age of 60 said no. However, as age decreased, so did the percentage of people who said no. 28% of people ages 45-60 said no, 23% of people ages 30-44 said no and lastly 13% of people 18-29 said no.
• Only 5% of American adults reported sustainability and carbon footprint being most important to them when booking travel accommodations, following time and convenience (36%) and cost (60%).
• Respondents also gave insight to how much more they would be willing to spend on a vacation to lower their carbon footprint:
  • 29% said $0.
  • 29% said less than $50.
  • 27% said between $50 and $250.

VIDEO CONTENT CONTINUES TO BE IMPORTANT TO TRIP-PLANNING. INTEREST IN EXPERIENCING LOCALY-OWNED BUSINESSES WHILE TRAVELING GROWS.  

Key findings from Longwoods International, fielded March 29:

• American travelers share the most appealing reasons for them to visit a small, locally-owned business while on vacation in 2023 compared to 2022:
  • In 2023, 70% said enjoying the unique environment of a local business, up from 59% in 2022.
  • In 2023 and 2022, 62% said buying from and supporting small, locally-owned businesses.
  • In 2023, 48% said to learn more about locally made products, up from 41% in 2022.
  • In 2023, 35% said supporting women and/or minority-owned businesses, up from 32% in 2022.
• When asked where American travelers typically find information about small, locally-owned businesses, respondents said Google (55%), advice from friends/family/other visitors (51%), tips and suggestions from locals (49%) and visitor information centers (29%).
• American travelers also responded to what type of video content (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Snapchat, etc.) they have used in the past 12 months to inspire, inform, or plan a trip:
  • 36% of respondents in 2023 said they use video content in 2023 compared to only 17% in 2021.
  • 34% of respondents said they did not use video content in 2023 compared to 55% in 2021.
• As for what is greatly impacting travelers to travel in the next six months:
  • 26% said inflation would greatly impact their decision to travel in the next six months. This is down from 32% on March 1, 2023.
  • 21% said gas prices would greatly impact their decision to travel in the next six months. This is down from 24% on March 1, 2023.

A NEW STUDY SHARES WHAT DONORS WITH A NET WORTH GREATER THAN $50 MILLION CONSIDER BEFORE DONATING TO A CULTURAL ORGANIZATION

Key findings from IMPACTS, published April 12:

• Americans with an individual net worth greater than $50 million consider several things before making a significant gift donation to a cultural organization.
• This current research, from 102 Ultra High Net Worth individuals, identifies their most important considerations before making a gift greater than $1 million to cultural organizations in comparison to research from 2016:
  • Identify donors and consider the composition of your board. IMPACTS suggests having a connected board that cares about its mission and that has the personal connections to high net worth individuals. 
  • Personal relationships with donors, board members and executive leaders are newly labeled as necessary compared to 2016. IMPACTS says you have to be more than good at your mission; big donors want to support organizations that have demonstrated that their mission is worthy of significant investment and that they are singular in their ability to deliver mission-related outcomes.
  • Also knew to the mix is identifying various financial structure of gift options. IMPACTS shares it is more common for major gifts to be paid over a period and with certain performance-related conditions attached.
  • Creating personal connections to your organization is more important than ever. MPACTS suggests though it may not be that the organization’s mission matters less, but that the personal relevance and connection to potential donors now count more as we emerge from the pandemic.

ORGANIZATIONS ARE TRUSTED MORE NOW THAN BEFORE THE PANDEMIC. WHY SHOULD CURATION AND MARKETING WORK HAND-IN-HAND?

Key findings from IMPACTS, published March 29:

• Engaging audiences both on and offsite is critical to any organization, particularly among museums, zoos, theatres and other cultural attractions. By looking at marketing and curation as equally important activities (versus an either/or approach)  organizations can build engagement that carries out their mission. 
• Importance and relevancy are key to building engagement with any organization.
• Researchers say the onsite experience, or curation, dictates importance to an organization. The subject matter and scholarship matters. Beyond preserving artifacts and stories, museums and others should also consider operations such as  parking, crowding perceptions and customer service.
• Offsite experience, which researchers label marketing and communications, are important for relevancy. It's these activities that help a visitor to decide if the organization is relevant to them and if they should visit. 
• With museums being trusted now more than before the pandemic (see research from March 3, 2023) it is important for curation and marketing to work together as partners.
• "These departments are important collaborators. When they are viewed as competitors or one is undervalued, an organization jeopardizes its success. The partnership between the onsite and offsite experience is how museums can show relevance within their four walls – and beyond," said researchers. 

NEW RESEARCH SHARES WHAT MAKES CUSTOMERS DISSATISFIED AT EXHIBIT- AND PERFORMANCE-BASED ORGANIZATIONS POST PANDEMIC

Key findings from IMPACTS, published March 15:

• For exhibit-based organizations, poor customer service, parking issues and access issues topped the fast-growing reasons for dissatisfaction in 2022 compared to 2019.
• For performance-based organizations, other rude patrons or guests, poor customer service and parking issues grew the fastest during the same time period.
• Researchers suggest that the growing competition for out-of-home leisure activities may be contributing to increased sensitivities among people who have had a negative guest experience.
• Poor customer service is high on the charts for both exhibit-based and performance-based organizations. One positive experience can turn the scales the other direction, so researchers emphasize the need to continue staff training.

THOUGH ECONOMIC CONCERNS CONTINUES, THE AMERICAN TRAVELER FEELS TRAVEL IS A HIGH PRIORITY IN HOUSEHOLD SPENDING THIS YEAR

Key findings from Destination Analyst, fielded Feb. 2023:

• On a scale of “extremely high priority” to “no priority”, Americans share how they expect to spend their income in the next 12 months.
  • 35% of American travels say domestic travel is a high or extremely high priority in their household spending for 2023.
  • 32% say the same for food and dining
  • 18% say the same for entertainment, while 14% of American travelers reported they will be prioritizing luxury travel in their household spending.
• The American traveler reports they will have 15.9 days available to leisure travel in 2023.
• Though Americans are prioritizing travel in 2023, financial concerns are still impacting their decisions, with 39% of American travelers saying travel prices are too high right now and 36% say gas is too expensive.
• Though economic concern continues, American travels show they feel somewhat better off financially than they did a year ago.

SPRING BREAK SEASON IS HERE. FIND WHERE AMERICANS PLAN TO TRAVEL  THIS SEASON; WHILE OVER A MAJORITY SAY COVID NO LONGER IMPACTS PLANS, 30% CONTINUE TO CHANGE PLANS DUE TO PANDEMIC

Key findings from Longwoods International, published March 7:

• With spring break season underway, intent to travel has heightened, with 26% of Americans reporting their next trip will be in the next 60 days.
• Visiting friends and family continues to be at the top for why Americans are traveling.
  • 45% of Americans say their next trip will be to visit friends and family.
  • 37% report their next trip will be a domestic leisure trip, without friends and family.
• American travelers report what they plan to do on their next trip:
  • 41% said shopping.
  • 38% said visit a city.
  • 38% said visit a beach.
  • 36% said take a road trip
  • 29% said to visit a national/state park.
• 57% of Americans now say COVID-19 no longer has an influence on making travel plans. However, 30% do continue to change their plans due to the pandemic.

SPORTS TOURISM SHOWS A LARGE INCREASE OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS

Key findings from Longwoods International and Sports ETA:

• Sports tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors in the tourism industry. In 2021, sports tourism nationally accounted for $39.7B in direct spending, $12.9B in tax revenue, and $91.8B total for economic impact.
• Public perception of sporting events show to be stronger than the last survey conducted by Longwoods International in 2020:
  • 60% of respondents agree that youth and amateur sporting events benefit their local economy. This an increase of seven percentage points from 2020.
  • 54% of respondents reported these events improved their quality of life within their respective community.
  • 57% of respondents reported they support hosting college and professional sporting events; 58% said they support hosting outdoor sporting events in their community.
• Generation Z has made the largest jump in understanding the importance of sporting events:
  • 50% said they realize the economic benefits of youth/amateur sporting events. This is up 19 percentage points from 2020.
  • 44% said they realize the community quality of life related to youth/amateur events. This is up 12 percentage points from 2020.
  • 45% said they support hosting collegiate and professional sporting events. This is up 15 percentage points from 2020.
  • 49% said they support hosting outdoor sporting events. This is up 21 percentage points form 2020.

AMERICANS CONTINUE TO PREFER SOME CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS OVER OTHERS WHEN COMPARED TO PRE-PANDEMIC LIFE

Key findings from IMPACTS, published Feb. 1:

• Outdoor recreation, parks, zoos, aquariums, and gardens continue to outperform other types of cultural activities.
• Interest in visiting museums is showing an increase over 2019, but researchers caution that museum-goers also have many options for their spare time. There's more competition out there, so marketing is important.
• There appears to be greater interest in art and history museums than for science and children's museums right now.   
• There is a renewed interest in some people becoming regular visitors to museums again.
• These redistributions of demand may be the “new normal” for the next few years.

TRAVELERS CONTINUE TO REPORT ON WHAT IS IMPACTING THEIR DECISION TO TRAVEL; ALSO SEE WHAT LEVEL OF SERVICE TRAVELERS ARE EXPECTING IN THE NEXT THREE MONTHS

Key findings from Longwoods International, fielded Jan. 4:

• Factors influencing Americans decision to travel in the next six months remain somewhat the same since Oct. 2022:
  • 15% of travelers said COVID-19 greatly impacts their decision to travel compared to 14% in Oct. 2022
  • 30% of travelers said their personal financial situation impacts their decision to travel compared to 27% in Oct. 2022
  • 27% of travelers said transportation costs would greatly impact their decision to travel compared to 26% in Oct. 2022
• Due to the impact of inflation, travelers also share what they plan to reduce spending on while traveling:
  • 36% said they are reducing how much they spend on retail
  • 34% said they are reducing how much they spend on entertainment and recreation
  • 32% said they are reducing how much they spend on food and beverage
  • 30% are choosing destinations closer to home
  • 24% are looking to drive instead of fly
• Travelers were also asked to compare the level of service they received from tourism and hospitality businesses compared to Aug. 2022:
  • 53% said the same level of service as before the pandemic compared to 56% in Aug. 2022
  • 27% said a lower level of service than before the pandemic compared to 22% in Aug. 2022
  • 20% said a higher level of service than before the pandemic compared to 22% in Aug. 2022
  • 61% if travelers reported they expect the same level of service as before the pandemic in the next three months

NEW STUDIES SHOW THE VALUE OF SOCIAL MEDIA AMONG TRAVELERS, PLANS FOR HOLIDAY TRAVEL, AND AN OUTLOOK ON BUSINESS TRAVEL

Key findings from Expedia Group Media Solutions, a look at Q3:

• According to this new report, 46% of respondents say travel is more important to them now compared to pre-pandemic.
  • This study of 11,000 consumers also found travel demand is on the rise and expected to return to pre-pandemic levels soon.
  • Notably, this study showed nearly 8 in 10 consumers will take a leisure trip in the next 12 months, and more than half will take at least two trips.
• Social media is playing a big role for younger travelers:
  • 53% of Gen Z travels say social media is a popular source of travel inspiration.
  • 48% of Millennial travelers say social media is a popular source of travel inspiration.
• Following a similar trend to Q3 2021, travelers are planning for the 2022 holiday season.
  • For global searches in Q3 during the holiday season, searches were up more than 60% year-to-year.
  • Though enthusiasm for travel is steady, consumers are paying attention to cost, still being the top concern of travel.
• Optimism and eagerness for business travel continues to improve, yet is still down compared to 2019.
  • According to US Travel Association, most respondents plan to travel in the next 6 months for business, with 80% expecting to travel for business meetings and 78% for conferences.

IMPACTS RELEASES A STUDY ON FREE VS. PAID ADMISSION: DOES THIS BRING A MORE DIVERSE AUDIENCE?

Key findings from IMPACTS, published Nov. 9:

• Overall satisfaction is generally lower when admission is offered free vs. paid.
• Studies show visitors willingness to recommend an organization where admission is free vs. one that requires payment also is not higher and suggests people generally value their time over their money.
• Having free admission also does not generally stream new people through your door, however it does encourage the same people to visit more often.
• This study also found offering free admission does not bring greater diversity to your organization.

FAMILY INTENT TO TRAVEL IS ON THE RISE; RESPONDENTS GIVE INSIGHT TO WHERE THEY FIND TRAVEL INSPIRATION

Key findings from NYU School of Professional Studies, with responses collected between June 22 and July 23, 2022:

• The intent to travel remains high with 85% of parents likely or very likely to travel with children in the next 12 months. Travel intent in 2022 is higher than it was in 2019, with just 70% of parents reporting their intent to travel with children.
• Almost half of the respondents reported they are planning to take a family vacation:
  • 47% reported they are planning a multi-generational trip
  • 46% reported they are planning a trip with family members beyond in-laws.
  • 44% reported they are planning a trip with people not related to them.
• Though families still feel divided over the pandemic, its impact on decision making of travel is declining. 57% of respondents feel the pandemic is mostly contained and feel comfortable to travel. While 43% reported the pandemic is not contained and remain cautious when making travel decisions.
• Pre-pandemic travel behaviors are making a comeback:
  • The percent of families planning a city vacation is up from 34% in 2021 to 65% in 2022.
  • The percent of families traveling for an event has doubled with 23% reporting they were traveling for an event in 2021, to 46% in 2022.
  • The percent of families planning to visit a museum or cultural attraction is also up from 36% in 2021, to 48% in 2022.
• This study shares respondents’ sources of inspiration to travel:
  • 81% say movies inspired them to travel.
  • 73% say TV shows inspired them to travel.
  • 71% say Pinterest inspired them to travel.
  • 49% say travel bloggers inspired them to travel.
• Social media has continued to play a role in inspiration as well for those looking to travel. 68% say they found inspiration from Instagram, 61% said Facebook and 58% said TikTok.

NEW STUDIES SHOW CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS MIGHT WANT TO RECONSIDER AGE FOR SENIOR DISCOUNTS

Key findings from Impacts, published Oct. 26:

• With an increase of Americans living longer and staying productive past traditional retirement ages, new data shows optimal price points for admission to museums and performing arts organizations.
• Many cultural organizations offer admission fees structured around different age ranges. However, these ranges are often calculated without using actual data or market research.
• Impacts Research studied 81 cultural organizations with an adult admission greater than $20 over the third quarter of 2022. Admission value is a measure of how much personal value was derived from the experience given at the time and cost of admission.
• The research presents a chart indicating that a respondent's belief that a cultural organization's perceived value is good or excellent at $20 or more stays relatively stable until age 70.   
• Overall, there is generally no market-driven demand offering a discount to people younger than 70 years of age. In fact, visitors 65 – 69 in the United States have no statistically greater demand for a discount.
• Offering a senior discount before age 70 also discourages potential membership opportunities.

EXPLORING THE VALUE AND SATISFACTION OF BUNDLING EXPERIENCES FOR ORGANIZATIONS

Key findings from Impacts, published Sept. 28:

• Research generally shows that price for admission cost is not a primary barrier for guests visiting museums or performing arts entities.
• Questions arise often at cultural entities whether they should bundle tickets at a single selling point or offer admission with add-ons available for purchase (bundle purchases coasting more).
  • Over 18 U.S. exhibit-based organizations for adult admission, guest paid on average 21% more for the bundled experience.
  • Of these 18 organizations, 73% of guests bought the bundled experience on average. However, only 68% redeemed the total bundle experience.
• Bundling experiences is not cheaper than purchasing a ticket a la carte. However, visitors who purchase a la carte usually have a lower value for cost perceptions:
  • 73% of those who purchased a bundled experience felt there was value.
  • 69% of those who purchased a la carte felt there was value.
• Guests who buy a bundle usually have a higher overall satisfaction and find a greater value in their experiences.
  • 74% of those people who purchased a bundle experience had an overall satisfaction.
  • 70% of those people who purchased a la carte had an overall satisfaction.
  • When a visitor purchases a la carte, the value of the experiences is generally assessed independently.
• Visitors sometimes have a fear of missing out and are willing to pay premium to have the option to do everything regardless of if they get to everything.

CONSUMER CONFIDENCE CONTINUES TO RISE AS GAS PRICES FALL

Key findings from Longwoods International fielded Aug. 31, 2022:

• As gas prices continue to improve, consumer confidence toward travel grows. Only 27% of travelers said gas prices would greatly impact their decision to travel in the next six months, down dramatically from the 43% of travelers who expressed the same sentiment two months ago.
• More than half of travelers plan to visit friends and relatives on their fall trips, and 43% are planning to take a fall road trip. Other top fall trip activities include visiting state and national parks, and going to museums, art galleries and other cultural institutions, as well as fall color tours, visiting a farmers market, attending a festival and hiking/bicycling.

CUSTOMER SERVICE STILL AN ISSUE AND COULD IMPACT FUTURE TRIPS. INTENT TO TRAVEL IN THE NEXT YEAR INCREASES. TRAVELERS SEEKING NEW PLACES AND 'ACTIVE' TIME.  

Key findings from Destination Analysts fielded August 2022:

• 62% of American travelers have taken at least one overnight trip since mid-May.
• 40% of these travelers experienced at least one customer service issue, with staffing shortages topping the list of problems. Gen X travelers expressed the highest level of frustration, while Boomer travelers appeared more patient.
• Bad experiences with service could impact future travel plans – 31% of those reporting moderate to extreme levels of frustration with service issues in recent trips are reconsidering their fall plans.
• Lots of people isn’t always a good thing, as 17% of travelers say crowds are why they didn’t travel this summer.
• Nearly two-thirds of travelers expect to take at least one overnight leisure trip in the next three months, and nearly half play to specifically visit friends or family.
• 30% say COVID is negatively impacting their travel experiences – this is down 17 points from early 2022.
• The top reasons why people are not traveling remains financial – cost of gas, cost of travel and their own personal financial situation. The situation appears to be improving, however, as 31% of travelers saying they’d be taking more trips in the next 12 months, up from 28% in July.  
• Top priorities include spending time with loved ones, visiting new places, having fun, relaxing and being happy.
• 53% are seeking new places to visit, 45% want “active” time, and 37% report wanting luxury travel experiences.
• Looking more deeply into American attitudes toward travel messaging, one-third (34%) say they do not see themselves represented in travel advertisements. There is an opportunity to diversify travel messaging to ensure all travelers feel welcomed to the destination.
• In terms of planning windows for marketers to bear in mind, American travelers are planning their domestic leisure trips about 11.4 weeks in advance on average for trips with a length of stay of one week or longer.
• As for where marketers can best reach travelers, Americans are most receptive to learning about new destinations through websites found via search engine (32%), followed by Facebook (23%), review websites (23%) and online content (22%). TikTok was by far the most popular channel for Gen Z travelers to learn about new destinations (44%), while Millennials were most likely to select Facebook (31%). Websites found via search engine were the top choice for Gen X (35%) and Baby Boomers (36%).

DROPPING GAS PRICES IMPACTING INTENT TO TRAVEL AND CHANGES IN TRAVEL SPENDING

Key findings from Longwoods International fielded Aug. 3, 2022:

• The recent decline in gas prices is having a positive impact on intent to travel.
• While close to a third of travelers (31%) say higher gas prices will greatly impact their decision to travel in the next six months, this is a big difference from the 43% who reported the same in July.
• Still representing close to a third of travelers, those altering travel plans by traveling close to home; reducing the number of trips they will take; and spending less on retail, entertainment and food is dropping.
• Nineteen percent (19%) say that rising gas prices will not impact travel plans, up from 12% in July.
• Travelers who’ve taken a trip in the last three months report a mixed-bag of customer service. While 56% say they experienced the same level of service as before the pandemic, 22% report a lower level of service and another 22% say they experienced a higher level of service.

ADMISSION PRICING NOT SEEN AS A BARRIER TO VISITATION GIVEN BROAD ECONOMIC CONDITIONS    

Key findings from Impacts Research published August, 2022 using Q2 data:

IMPACTS Research analyzes those interested and visiting different types of attractions, including museums, zoos, aquariums, science centers, parks, performing arts venues, etc.

• Many attractions report favorable attendance trends as visitation gradually returns to pre-pandemic levels.
• Economic conditions have raised the issue on whether admission prices should be lowered to prevent being a barrier to engagement and visitation.  
• As of the end of June, there was a dip in projected travel spending by those visiting an attraction – a decrease of 13% for exhibit-based and attractions and 29% for performance-based attractions. This may be seen in a decline in gift shop and food purchases at attractions.
• Researchers note that admission pricing is a core component of a visitor’s experience. Just like travelers intend to still travel, but may “downgrade” their purchases for lodging or meals, researchers suggest that this is what’s happening with site-based visitation as well. A visitor can adjust spending in the gift shop or snacks.
• When researchers asked attraction attendees about barriers to visitation, the following were identified:
  • inflation
  • general concern about the economy
  • travel costs, including fuel and airline tickets
  • concern about financial markets
• Admission pricing – which is one of the only cost-related factors within our control – did not emerge as a barrier. Researchers suggest that tampering with ticket prices in reaction to broad economic issues risks doing more harm than good.
• Instead, they suggest continuing to engage with your customers digitally and to create fantastic content. Now is not the time to reduce promotional spending.   

ACCESSIBILITY REMAINS A PRIORITY. TIPS FOR DESTINATIONS SEEKING TO ATTRACT TRAVELERS WITH DISABILITIES.  

Key findings from MGMY Global’s Portrait of Travelers with Disabilities ™: Mobility and Accessibility fielded June 2022:

• Nearly all travelers with mobility aids encounter accommodations problems (96%) and 86% encounter flight issues.
• As travelers with mobility disabilities with nearly the same frequency as those without mobility issues, researchers call on the industry to provide the same experiences for these travelers as those without accessibility issues.
• Top issues reported for flights include lost or damaged mobility aids (4 in 10), and extended wait times for assistance before or after flights (6 in 10).
• Regarding lodging, 54% say they’ve been given rooms not matching what they booked, 81% have dealt with inaccessible showers or tubs and 52% have had beds too high to access.
• When asked what travel destinations could do to better attract these travelers, the following recommendations top the list:
  • Provide more information on accessibility prior to visiting (84%)
  • Make sure sidewalks, ramps and mobile lifts are available and operational (81%)
  • Promote accessible lodging options (81%)
  • Make more images or virtual tours of places available so a potential traveler can identify any obstacles.

INSTAGRAM TENDS TO BE THE TOP SOURCE OF INFORMATION FOR VISITORS ATTENDING CULTURAL ENTITIES

Key findings from IMPACTS Research, fielded July 20:

• Researchers found visitors who want to know something tend to use a device. This research contemplates 2,882 likely visitors to exhibit-based organization and 1,770 likely visitors to performance-based organizations.
  • For exhibit-based:
    • Visitors are 14% more likely to visit the mobile web than social media
    • Visitors are 3% more likely to visit social media than the web
  • For performance-based:
    • Visitors are 8% more likely to visit the mobile web than social media
    • Visitors are 3% less likely to visit social media than the web
• In the last study, we saw Instagram was the top social media channel for engagement. The question that now arises is, what are specific audiences using?
  • For exhibit-based:
    • Visitors are 3.2 times more likely to visit Instagram than Facebook
    • Visitors are 1.04 times more likely to visit Facebook than TikTok
    • Visitors are 1.8 times more likely to visit TikTok than Twitter
  • For performance-based:
    • Visitors are 2.2 times more likely to visit Instagram than Facebook
    • Visitors are 1.4 times more likely to visit Facebook than TikTok
    • Visitors are 1.2 times more likely to visit TikTok than Twitter
• There are age differences for Instagram users that need to be identified.
  • For exhibit-based:
    • 14% more adults ages 18-34 are using Instagram than adults ages 35-54
    • 68% more adults ages 35-54 are using Instagram than adults ages 55+
  • For performance-based:
    • 14% more adults ages 18-34 are using Instagram than adults ages 35-54
    • 60% more adults ages 35-54 are using Instagram than adults ages 55+
• Social media is crucial for engaging audiences, maintaining relevance, and inspiring visitors to exhibit-based and performance-based organizations. Instagram specifically is inspiring the most engagement.

THOUGH RISING COST STILL CONCERNS AMERICAN TRAVELERS, CRIME-RELATED ISSUES ARE ALSO BEING ELEVATED

Key findings from Destination Analyst, fielded June 2022:

• American travelers continue to show mixed signals for sense of financial well-being.
• Half of travelers say the high travel prices have impacted their travel plans in the past month.
• 93% of travelers who said they planned to take a trip in the next 12 months has dropped to 86%.
• Americans still plan to travel during the fall with 25% planning to travel in September, and 21% in October.
• 43% of American travelers said they have elevated concerns about their safety when thinking of domestic travel:
  • These concerns are most strong between Millennial and Gen Z travelers.
  • When asked what these travelers top concerns were, 37% said theft and 34% said mass shootings.
• With negative COVID-19 test no longer being required to travel internationally, the likelihood of Americans traveling international jumped from 28% to 34% in the month of June.

INSTAGRAM OUTPACES OTHER PLATFORMS FOR ENGAGMENT AND CALLS TO ACTION FOR MUSEUMS, ZOO, ETC.

Key findings from IMPACTS Research, fielded July 6:

IMPACTS Research defines cultural organizations broadly, including museums, performance venues, zoos, aquariums, historic sites, etc.

• More people are engaging with cultural organizations online than before the pandemic. In comparison to 2019, when asked the question of what they have done in the past year in relation to a cultural organization:
  • In 2019, 21% said they visited the website; in 2022, 30% said they visited the website
  • In 2019, 15% followed social media; in 2022, 21% said they followed social media
  • In 2019, 12% liked a social media post; in 2022, 19% liked a social media post
  • In 2019, 16% noticed a news story; in 2022, 15% noticed a news story
  • In 2019, 16% made a visit; in 2022, 14% made a visit
• In order of how visitors are engaging with cultural organizations as of Q2 of 2022:
  • Instagram is 2.76 more times useful than Facebook
  • Facebook is 1.2 times more useful than TikTok
  • Tiktok is 1.5 times more useful than Twitter
• When asked what social media platforms sparked most people to buy a ticket, register for a lecture, join a group, or sign up for a newsletter, Instagram led once again.

UPDATED FORECAST SHOWS IMPACT OF PANDEMIC ON LOST DOMESTIC TRAVEL, BUSINESS TRAVEL AND INBOUND TRAVEL

Key findings from Tourism Economics and US Travel released June 2022: 

• Domestic leisure travel spending has already surpassed pre-pandemic levels, even when adjusted for inflation—though it is projected to remain $46 billion below where it should have been in 2022 if not for the pandemic.

• Domestic business travel is finally picking up and volume is expected to reach 81% of pre-pandemic levels in 2022 and 96% in 2023. Nevertheless, spending, when adjusted for inflation, will not fully recover to pre-pandemic levels within the range of the forecast.

• International inbound travel is making a big comeback, aided by the recent drop of pre-departure testing. It is projected to grow rapidly through the rest of 2022, and then grow at a slower pace in 2023-2026. A full recovery to pre-pandemic levels (volume and spending) is not expected until 2025.

WITH INDEPENDENCE DAY AROUND THE CORNER AND RISING GAS PRICES, AMERICAN TRAVELERS STILL PLAN TO TAKE A TRIP OVER THE LONG WEEKEND

Key findings from AAA prepared May 23, 2022:

• A record number of Ohioans are expected to travel this Independence Day which is outpacing the U.S. While national travel numbers are expected to fall just shy of 2019, AAA expects Ohio travel will build on the record travel numbers set in 2021 to reach a new high this Independence Day.
• Though gas prices are historically high, 42 million Americans , nearly 2.1 million Ohioans, are planning a road trip for the holiday weekend.
• AAA predicts air travel will grow 1.5% nationally. However, with just over 70,000 Ohioans flying during the long weekend, Ohio air travel will fall 1.2% compared to last Independence Day.
• With a large number of Americans traveling and high demand for accommodations, availability may be limited which will impact pricing:
  • AAA found airfare is 14% more than last year
  • Mid-range hotel rates have increased about 23%
  • Daily car rental rate have decreased 34% compared to last year

DESTINATION MARKETERS SAY USER EXPERIENCE, DESIGN, TECHNOLOGY, INTEGRATION AND CONTENT ARE BIGGEST STRUGGLES WITH WEBSITES

Key findings from MMGY completed June 2022:

Survey respondents were more than 155 destination marketers.

• 60% said their primary focus of their website is to inspire.
• Only 50% say they are somewhat satisfied with their website.
• As for what makes them unsatisfied:
  • About 56% say technical performance make them unsatisfied
  • About 27% say performance of site objectives
  • About 41% say content unsatisfied them
  • 81% say both user experience and design make them feel unsatisfied
• When asked what changes were needed to improve user experience, a high of 46% said navigation and information architecture and low of 20% said technical performance.
• An equal 8% said they plan to spend both more and less time on their website.
• Why do destination marketers plan to spend more time on their website?
  • 51% said they are integrating new technology
  • 44% said they are increasing web content production
  • 44% said they are building a new website
  • 37% said they are refreshing their existing website
• Why do destination marketers plan to spend less time on their website?
  • 38% said they are shifting budget to other than advertising
  • 31% said they recently launched a new website
  • 31% said they recently refreshed their existing website
  • 23% said they are decreasing web content production
• As for monetizing their organizations website, 38% said they are not monetizing their website.
• When asked how satisfied destination marketers are with existing email marketing platform:
  • 20% are extremely satisfied
  • 43% are somewhat satisfied
  • 25% are neutral
  • 1% are not satisfied at all
• When asked if destination marketers are using their platform’s automation capabilities to deliver automated email messages, 59% said yes and 41% said no.

AMERICAN TRAVELERS SEEKING INFORMATION ON INSPIRING NEW DESTINATIONS, YET DON'T "SEE THEMSELVES" IN ADS. PANDEMIC INFLUENCE CONTINUES TO BE MIXED BAG. 

Key findings from Destination Analysts fielded May 2022:

• American travelers (86%) expect to travel in the next 12 months and the typical traveler expects to take three leisure trips before May 2023.
• More than 63% say they have a strong degree of openness to learning about new travel experiences and destinations to visit.
• However, more people are feeling unrepresented in the travel marketing they see. This month, 37% agreed with the statement “I’ve noticed that travel advertisements usually do not reflect people like myself”– up 5-points in the last four-weeks.
• When asked which destination images they’d find most appealing, American travelers replied:
  • Beautiful scenery and landscapes (41%)
  • Sunsets (26%)
  • Families enjoy the beach (25%)
  • Wildlife (24%)
  • Friends enjoying the beach (24%)
  • Iconic attractions (22%)
  • Museums or cultural attractions (21%)
  • Scenes from a fun road trip (19%)
  • People dining in a restaurant (19%)
  • People having fun at theme parks (18%)
• The least appealing images were theatrical performances, solo travelers in nature and scenes at sporting events.
• A third of Americans agree it’s a good time to spend money on travel. Additionally, 62% percent say leisure travel will be a high spending priority – the highest level it’s been since July 2021.
• Travelers remain considered about rising prices. Sixty-one percent (61%) of American travelers say they’ll take fewer road trips if gas prices don’t come down this summer and/or stay closer to home (63%), both increased 3 percentage points.
• Thirty percent (30%) say they have cancelled a trip they had planned or considered because of high prices. When asked to rate how much a deterrent specific travel costs are, the two most commonly seen as “deal breakers” are gas (23%) and airfare (12%)
• Feelings about the pandemic and its impact on travel continue to be a mixed bag. More feel that the virus is impacting their ability to have meaningful travel experiences (up 5-points in the last month to 38%).
• In addition, amongst those who have taken an overnight trip in the last 3 months, 27% said they had more than moderate anxiety on their most recent trip (up over 8-points in the last month).
• Despite relaxed mask requirements on commercial aircrafts, a majority of travelers (59%) would still prefer that all passengers wear masks while onboard the plane. However, 34% say relaxed masking requirements increases their interest in traveling by air, compared to about 25% who disagree with this sentiment.

NEARLY THREE-QUARTERS OF TRAVELERS WANT TO USE THEIR PHONES TO MANAGE THEIR HOTEL STAY AND OTHER "HIGH-TECH AND LOW-TOUCH" TRENDS THAT ARE CHANGING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL

Key findings from Oracle Hospitality and Skift published on HospitalityNet June 2022:

• Nearly three-quarters (73%) of travelers want to use their mobile device to manage their hotel experience, including checking in and out, paying, ordering food, and more.
• Personalizing a stay is important, such as picking their exact room and floor and paying for only the amenities they want. Nearly 40% of hotel executives see this ‘unbundled’ model as the future of hotel revenue management.
• 73% agree that they’re more likely to stay at a hotel that offers self-service technology to minimize contact with the staff and other guests.
• 38% want a fully self-service model, with staff only available upon request.
• 39% want to order room service from their phone or a chatbot.
• 49% are also looking for contactless payments (only 5% want to pay in crypto).
• 65% of hoteliers said incorporating new technologies for staff best describes their strategy to weather labor shortages and attract new talent.
• 54% added that their highest priority is to adopt tech that improves or eliminates the need for the front desk experience between now and 2025.
• 39% said they want a fully contactless experience for all basic hotel transactions (check-in/out, food & beverage, room keys, etc.).
• 34% said a staff shortage, and resulting slow service, would be their #1 deterrent to rebooking a hotel. However, just 23% noted that a lack of daily room cleaning is an issue, showing consumers have accepted (and 17% welcomed!) that this pre-pandemic mainstay is never coming back.
• 45% said on-demand entertainment access that seamlessly connects to their personal streaming or gaming accounts is their #1 must-have during their stay. Likewise, 45% of hotel executives said this in-room entertainment set-up is what they’re most likely to implement by 2025.
• 77% of travelers are interested in using automated messaging or chatbots for customer service requests at hotels.
• 43% want voice-activated controls for all amenities in their rooms (lights, curtains, door locks, etc.).
• 25% want room controls that auto-adjust temperature, lighting, and even digital art based on pre-shared preferences.

OUR WORKPLACE BENEFITS AND PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS OUR BOARD GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE, MAY INFLUENCE FUNDING DECISIONS

Key findings from Bayes Business School published in Tourism Economics, May 2, 2022:

• This study examined how (or if!) four aspects of corporate social responsibility impact financial investments and capital support in the hospitality and tourism industry. The four dimensions are social, corporate governance, product/service performance and environmental.
• Why is this important? It gives us a better idea of what metrics may be important to share if you are seeking funding and support. While many of us have no problem sharing information about how an investment will create additional revenue or why the tasks we do make a difference, talking about our stellar social and governance performance might give us the edge. You should consider talking about these, as they seem to influence decisions.  
• Social and corporate governance dimensions seem to have the greatest influence on investment retention and attraction.  
• Tourism-related businesses and organizations who scored high in the social dimension also had high levels of investment and support. This includes strong employee relations, workplace diversity and a sense of community. Metrics included:
  • programs and efforts to ensure employees’ health and safety
  • providing retirement benefits
  • favorable union relations
  • integrates diversity into its management and operations
  • company’s efforts to benefit human rights, including indigenous peoples’ relations, labor and other human rights policies.
  • company’s support of community through education, charity and volunteerism
• Those with strong corporate governance also showed stronger support of capital investments. This dimension includes who makes up the board, decision-making structure, and business ethics.      
• While the environmental dimension had little impact in this study, this could be due to several reasons – 1. The study focused primarily on large-scale projects that may not be as dependent on natural resources as a draw and 2. The authors state that the demand for sustainability and environment-friendly policies is not new, and there may be underlying assumptions that tourism businesses have these in place.
• The authors said that while most companies lump corporate social responsibility into one “single collection,” this study allows you to see how four different elements of corporate social responsibility attraction “different reactions from different stakeholders.”
• Author Pawal Bilinski, says "Rather than trying to be good at everything to increase their image, companies seeking funding should conceptualize the dimensions of CSR, exploring what it is their investors care about and focus on that. Our research shows strong reactions to performance in both social awareness—by maintaining healthy relations with staff, strong employee engagement and community spirit—and corporate governance, through defined board structures, strong sense of business ethics and accountability."

INTENT TO TRAVEL MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND RISES, STILL NOT AT 2019 LEVEL

Key findings from AAA released May 17, 2022:

• Those planning to travel over Memorial Day increased 8.3% over 2021, bringing travel volumes almost in line with those in 2017.
• Still 8.2% under 2019  
• Air travel continues to rebound, up 25% over last year, the second-largest increase since 2010.
• “Memorial Day is always a good predictor of what’s to come for summer travel,” said Paula Twidale, senior vice president, AAA Travel.
• Despite historic gas prices, breaching the $4 mark in early March, 34.9 million people plan to travel by car, up 4.6% over last year. A greater portion of travelers are opting for air and other modes of travel than in previous years. Share of car travel fell from 92.1% last year to 88.9%

MORE THAN HALF INTEND TRAVEL MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND  

Key findings from The Vacationer fielded May 1, 2022:

• Nearly 60% of American adults will travel for Memorial Day or Memorial Day weekend this year. Car travel ranked highest at 50%, followed by plan travel at 7%.
• More than half of American adults say high gas prices will affect their Memorial Day or Memorial Day weekend travel plans.  
• Men are more likely than women to say they will take a road trip for Memorial Day or Memorial Day weekend this year. 59.03% of men said they will. On the other hand, only 54.69% of women said they will be taking a road trip. Interestingly, the women who say they will road trip for Memorial Day weekend will likely go longer distances than the men

TRAVELERS SEEKING WELLNESS ACTIVITIES AND PET-FRIENDLY 

Key findings from Hilton survey released April 2022: 

• More than three in four (76%) respondents experience negative feelings when they go too long without a vacation, with burnout (41%) and boredom (36%) being among the top emotions.
• More than half of survey respondents who are pet owners (55%) are planning to travel with their pets this summer. In fact, 58% would prefer to travel with their pet rather than a friend or family member. 
• 98% of survey respondents acknowledged they prioritize wellness activities while on vacation. 
• More than a quarter (28%) of employed Americans disclosed that, since 2019, they have failed to use all their paid vacation days, with 51% of those respondents admitting it’s because they feel guilty about taking time off. 

PETS ARE IMPORTANT TRAVEL COMPANIONS

Key findings from Harvest Hosts survey of RV members released May 3, 2022:

• More than half of all travelers (52%) admittedly base their travel plans on accommodating their pets – with Millennials being most likely to be swayed by their pets (56%).
• Meanwhile, over one-third of travelers (37%) deemed pet-friendly accommodations a "must-have."
• Millennials are most likely to bring their pets on vacation, with 39% saying pet-friendly accommodations are a "must-have."
• Gen Zers are slightly less tied to their furry friends, with about one-third saying pet-friendly accommodations are "nice to have, but not necessary."
• Boomers are not traveling with pets as much, and 34% say pet-friendly accommodations are "not necessary."

OHIO TOURISM 2021 ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY RELEASED 

Key findings from TourismOhio released May 12, 2022:

• Ohio's tourism industry captured $46.9 billion in visitor spending in 2021 and welcomed 219 million visitors into and within the state.
• The industry supported 411,000 Ohio jobs (full time, part time and seasonal).
• These are major increases over 2020 and near 2019's record tourism numbers when Ohio generated $48 billion in sales and 226 million visits, while supporting 429,000 Ohio jobs.
• TourismOhio also reported the return on investment from marketing efforts in 2021. Every $1 invested in the 2021 Ohio. Find It Here. marketing campaign generated $83 in direct visitor spending and $6 in taxes inside the state.
• Download a hi-res economic impact infographic of the 2021 Tourism Economic Impact here.

FEWER TRIPS, SHORTER DISTANCES AND LESS EXPENSIVE ACTIVITES ARE HOW TRAVELERS ARE ADJUSTING TO RISING FUEL COSTS AND INFLATION

Key findings from Bankrate fielded March 2022

• 69 percent of those planning summer vacations this year say they are changing their plans due to higher gas prices and inflation
• Taking fewer trips (25%), traveling shorter distances (25%), engaging in cheaper activities (23%), booking less expensive accommodations (22%), shortening the trip (19%), driving instead of flying (16%) and flying instead of driving (13%) were how they were changing their trips due to inflation and higher gas prices.
• Household income plays role, with 56% of households who earn less than $50,000 planning a vacation versus 75% of those with households with incomes of $100,000 or more.
• Parents with children under 18 are more likely to take a summer vacation (75%) versus adults with no children (56%)
• Among those not planning a summer trip, 48% said they can’t afford it, 27% are not interested and 20% said they’re concerned about the ongoing pandemic.

OHIO TRAVELER SPENDING STILL DOWN. GROUP DEMAND RISING SLOWLY.

Key findings from US Travel accessed April 29, 2022

• Ohio travel spending in March was down 7% from 2019. This is an improvement from last March when spending was down 31% from March 2019. Although Ohio gained 24 percentage points, this is below the national average.
• Across the nation, traveler spending was down 5% in March 2022 compared to 2019. This is a gain of 29 percentage points from last year.
• To date, Ohio has experienced a loss of $10.7 billion in traveler spending since January 2020.
• National hotel demand recovered to 3% under its 2019 benchmark in March, but is less than its peak in December 2021.
• Group demand rose to 23% below its 2019 levels, reaching a new peak.
• In March 2022, 31% of art museum visitors were from out-of-town compared to 28% last year.

WATERPARK INVESTMENT PROJECTED TO INCREASE. GROWTH ANTICIPATED ACROSS THE BOARD, ALTHOUGH MANY STILL CONTENDING WITH WAGE INCREASES, LABOR SHORTAGES, ADDED EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, INFLATION AND HIGHER TICKET PRICES

Findings from a report published by Hotel & Leisure Advisors shared April 2022

As an OTA member, H&LA is making Waterparks: Riding a Recovery Wave available to you. This report focuses on the current status of outdoor waterparks, indoor waterpark resorts, standalone indoor waterparks and resorts with outdoor waterparks.

• Attendance at waterparks in 2021 was down overall due to COVID-19 concerns that imposed capacity constraints at many waterparks. However, most waterparks were able to increase their prices, and they expect to maintain these higher prices in 2022. Consequently, as attendance returns to pre-pandemic levels, we expect increases in total revenues at many properties.
• Higher wages and prices, inflation and lingering pandemic effects will impact the industry in 2022.
• In 2021, 10 indoor waterpark additions or expansions nationwide included two Ohio indoor waterparks in Ashland and Brecksville. Eighteen standalone outdoor waterparks opened in 2021, including one in Napoleon.
• As seen across many industries throughout 2021, the national labor shortage affected and will continue to affect the waterpark industry throughout the country in 2022. As industries reopened, waterparks and leisure properties were forced to staff quickly. This, combined with the many former workers still reluctant to get back into the roles they once had, caused shortages across all segments.
• In part due to the labor shortage, wages and salaries grew by 4.7 percent in 2021. However, hospitality and leisure industry wages and salaries grew by 6.8 percent, an increase from 4.1 percent in 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Labor shortages have forced many waterpark and leisure properties to increase wages as they compete for workers. As an example, Schlitterbahn waterparks in Texas are advertising positions starting as high as $17 per hour, a substantial increase from pre-COVID-19 levels.
• The cost of nearly everything went up in 2021, which poses concerns for waterpark operators. As of January 2022, the U.S. inflation rate clocked in at 7.5 percent, a substantial increase from previous years. As the costs of food and beverage, labor, energy and materials continues to increase, waterparks have to either absorb those costs and risk profits or pass those costs on to consumers in the form of higher admission rates.
• With labor tight, operators are looking for new ways to retain employees by adding benefits. Herschend Family Entertainment, the nation’s largest privately-owned themed attraction corporation, is offering to cover the cost of tuition, fees and books for employees who wish to further their education. These types of benefits could help properties by encouraging employees to remain on the job longer term as they work through their classes.
• Most waterparks increased their prices in 2021 due to inflationary pressures, higher wage rates and reduced capacity due to COVID-related concerns. Managers we have interviewed indicated that they expect higher prices to continue into 2022, which should allow for higher per capita spending and total revenue at most waterparks.
• For 2022, we will see growth across all segments of the waterpark industry with projected openings of 20 facilities. We also anticipate expansions of more than 31 existing facilities.

BUSINESS TRAVEL EXPECTED TO RESUME AT PRE-PANDEMIC REQUENCY LEVEL. REMOTE WORKERS ENCOURAGED TO TRAVEL MORE TO MEET WITH COLLEAGUES AND CUSTOMERS.

Key findings from Tourism Economics “Business Travel Tracker – 2022 Q1” report in collaboration with US Travel and JD Power.    

• Business travelers expect to resume traveling at a similar frequency as pre-pandemic, averaging about 1.6 trips per month (compared to 1.7 pre-pandemic)
• The share of expected business trips accounted for by trips for external purposes, such as meeting primarily with people from outside their organization, remained approximately stable with the pre-pandemic share at 50%, with the remainder accounted for by trips for internal purposes. Of external business travelers, 88% expect to take at least one trip in the next six months.
• One-third of business travelers are unsure or expect to travel less to attend conferences/ conventions/tradeshows in the next 6 months than before COVID-19.
• Nearly one-quarter (24%) of business travelers plan to take more trips to attend conferences/conventions/tradeshows than they did pre-pandemic and 28% expect to travel more to visit customers and suppliers, while just 17% and 13% expect to travel less for both purposes, respectively.
• Many business travelers expect to make more – rather than fewer - trips to meet with customers, suppliers and other external stakeholders than they did pre-pandemic (15% net positive), and more trips for the purpose of internal team or department meetings (10% net positive).
• Business travelers report developing relationships is the most important aspect of their business trips, followed by closing sales and building awareness of their organization’s products or services.
• One-third of business travelers work fully remote and four in five work remotely at least some of the time. Many business travelers who work partially or fully remote report that their employer encourages them to travel to engage with other team members in person (38%), to attend training sessions in person (32%), or to attend in-person company or team celebrations (29%). Fewer than one-in-five partially or fully remote business travelers report they are not encouraged to travel.
• About 6% of business travelers report they are not sure if they will take a business trip over the next six months. The most frequently cited reason was that meetings and conferences are not occurring (16%), or that their company is currently restricting business travel (13%). Just 12% of respondents who are unsure if they will take a business trip over the next six months referenced video conferencing as a reason.

GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES EXPLORED

Key findings from Avail fielded March 1-2, 2022

• Gen-Zers anticipate spending big on travel this year- more than any other generation-with 72% saying they plan to spend more, or the same, in 2022 than pre-COVID-19 times
• Gen-Zers (71%) and Millennials (71%) lead the way when it comes to making plans to travel more, or the same amount, in 2022 than pre-pandemic
• 69% of all Americans plan to travel more, or the same amount, in 2022 than prior to the pandemic
• 60% of all Americans traveled less during COVID-19 than they did before the pandemic began
• Boomers were revealed to be the most spontaneous travelers, with 64% saying they anticipate booking trips one month or less in advance
• Gen-Zers, Millennials, Gen-Xers, and Boomers all agree that staying within budget is the most challenging part of travel planning
• 72% of Gen-Zers plan to or will consider splurging on a huge trip in 2022, followed by Millennials (68%), Gen-Xers (60%), and Boomers (51%)
• All Americans agree that money is the biggest limiting factor with regard to traveling for leisure in 2022 - more than two times more limiting than safety and health concerns
• 76% of all Americans either feel neutral or agree that the availability of vaccinations has increased their level of comfort with travel - Millennials (77%) and Baby Boomers (77%) are most comfortable because of vaccines
• Just 31% of all Americans say that COVID-19 fears would scare them away from traveling for leisure in 2022 - Baby Boomers (27%) and Gen-Xers (28%) are the least deterred by COVID-19 issues
• 69% of all Americans say that the current state of war between Russia and Ukraine will be a major reason they avoid international travel in 2022

THOSE PLANNING A VACATION ARE HAPPIER THAN THOSE WHO ARE NOT, TRAVELERS WANT TO STAY CONNECTED TO THEIR FAVORITE DESTINATIONS 

Key findings from The University of Alabama’s Public Opinion Lab published March, 2022.

• People who are planning a vacation are significantly happier than those who aren't," said Dr. Jameson Hayes, Associate Professor and Director of The University of Alabama’s Public Opinion Lab. "Reflecting back on your last vacation doesn't necessarily make you happier, but looking forward to your next trip certainly does."
• One’s happiness increases regardless of the type of destination.
• The more you travel, the happier you are – but only up to a point. Respondents who traveled for pleasure 15-21 days per year reported the highest levels of happiness. Those traveling less than 2 weeks per year or more than 3 weeks per year, reported being less happy.
• Vacation souvenirs increase happiness. People who surround themselves with 2-3 physical reminders of their favorite vacation destination reported higher levels of happiness when compared to those who don't.
• Travelers use technology to stay connected with their favorite destinations. Every week, 50% of respondents viewed social media posts that reminded them of their favorite destination. Following a destination on social media, adding it to their weather app, and having a related wallpaper on their phone or computer were the most commonly used reminders.
• Post-pandemic travel is expected to increase. Pre-pandemic, 58% of respondents said they normally spent less than five days per year on vacation. Medium Travelers (6 to 14 vacation nights per year) comprised 29%, while Heavy Travelers (15 days or more) made up 13% of respondents. Light Travelers reported that they plan to travel significantly more as the pandemic wanes, with the group of Medium Travelers expected to increase by 15%.

FINANCIAL STRAIN EMERGING AMONG TRAVELERS

Key findings from Destination Analysts fielded Feb. 23-25, 2022 and released March 15, 2022:

• The percent of American travelers with at least one leisure trip planned in the next 12 months dropped six points in the last month to 87%
• American travelers who feel that they/their household will be financially better off a year from now has dropped to 39% from 45% at the end of January
• Expectations to travel more (36%) and spend more on travel (37%) this year compared to last year have both dipped.
• The amount that Americans estimate they will spend on their travel this year fell to $3,788 from $4,283 reported the week of February 14th.
• 59% of American travelers say travel prices are too high right now.
• One-third of American travelers (34%) report that high travel prices have kept them from traveling in the past month.

FAMILY, ROMANTIC, GIRLFRIEND, SOLO AND REUNION TRAVEL TOP THE LIST OF PREFERENCES

Key findings from Destination Analysts fielded Feb. 23-25, 2022:

• COVID is losing its effect on Americans’ perceived ability to have meaningful travel experiences, now down to 44% from 47% in January.
• The perception of service has improved. Those reporting that travel businesses were having trouble providing adequate service on their most recent overnight trip declined from 40 in January to 31 this week.
• 82% are saying they have strong excitement for travel
• 70% did some trip dreaming and planning in the last week
• 62% say travel is a high budget priority for them.
• The planning window for trips remains relatively shortened—more than 40% of Americans say they would plan a week-long trip in less than two months
• Family trips and romantic getaways are the travel Americans are currently most enthusiastic about, however, more than a third of American travelers say they have high levels of excitement for girlfriend trips, solo trips and reunion trips this year.
• Americans say they are looking to travel most for fun, relaxation, finding happiness and escaping stress
• 54% prefer visiting places they have never been to over places they have visited before
• 54% usually make an effort to limit their personal impact on the environment when traveling
• 48% tend to prefer “active time” to “down time” on vacations

WITHOUT CONTINUED FOCUS ON WELCOMING DIVERSE VISITORS, LOSS OF VISITATION TO MUSEUMS, ZOOS, ORCHESTRAS, ETC. IS LIKELY

Key findings from IMPACTS Research published 3/02/22:

• Organizations that focus on meeting the needs of the type of people who already visit are risking long-term attendance.
• Negative substitution takes place because the market is growing more diverse, while the perceptions of cultural organizations as being places where nontraditional audiences feel welcomed isn’t growing as quickly.
• Negative substitution rates for exhibit-based organizations (zoos, museums, historic sites, etc.) show that each visitor who leaves the market (through death, relocation or migration) is only being replaced by .968 of a person (through birth, relocation or immigration). This loss is not sustainable over years.
• Performance-based organizations are at higher risk, as their lost active visitors are being replaced by only .904 people.
• While focusing on members and current audiences is still important, especially for pandemic recovery, research predicts that without focusing on new types of audiences, loss of overall visitors is inevitable.
• While research shows that more diverse audiences have experienced cultural organizations over the last few years, conversion to faithful and engaged visitors is a long-game and isn’t known. Organizations should work toward understanding the needs and wants of new audience types to keep them coming.
• Click on the article to see specific analysis for zoos, museums, aquariums, science centers and others.

VISITORS SPENT MORE LAST YEAR THAN IN PREVIOUS YEARS. THIS TREND LIKELY TO CONTINUE IN NEAR-TERM.  

Key findings from PGAV shared Feb. 9, 2022

• Visitors report spending more in 2021, particularly when visiting museums, theme parks, zoos and aquariums. Thirty percent (30%) reported spending more than in previous years versus only 11% who said they spent less.
• Pent-up demand, desire to splurge and wanting to spend time with others are among the top reasons why they spent more.
  • 81% tired of being cooped up at home and ready to get out again
  • 77% want to treat self and family more, resulting in a desire to splurge on leisure
  • 72% heighted sense of the need to saver moments spent together
  • 64% help support recovery of businesses hurt by the pandemic
  • 64% increased savings due to less discretionary spending and steady incomes
  • 62% federal government stimulus funds
• Almost two-thirds (64%) say they’ll likely to continue to spend more in 2022
• Whether or not this trend for increased spending continues is unknown. While household incomes are anticipated to be high, the lack of continued stimulus money was identified as a reason for increased spending by 62% of respondents.

ATTRACTIONS PERCEIVED AS BEING MORE WELCOMING

Key findings from Impacts Research end-of-year survey.

• Great news! History museums and sites, science centers, zoos, aquariums, performance-based cultural venues, art museums and other cultural venues rank higher when asked if these venues are welcoming to “people like me” than they did five years ago.
• Exhibit-based venues increased nearly 6% in the perception of being welcoming, while performance-based venues increased 2%.
• History museums and historic sites increased 8%, while art museums increased 9%.
• Authors say there is a growing effort to engage more diverse audiences, which may have influenced these results. The willingness of many of these organizations to tell difficult stories that may have been ignored could also mean audiences feel better connected. As many of these venues prioritized online engagement through the pandemic, this may have reached and appealed to broader audiences.    

TRAVEL SPENDING ANTICIPATED TO RISE; SPECIAL OFFERS CAN BOOST SPENNDIING MORE

Key findings from Expedia Group Traveler Value Index: 2022 Outlook.   

• 80% of American travelers are planning to take at least one leisure trip in the next six months.
• 54% expect to spend more money than they did pre-pandemic.
• Special offers may lure those who anticipate spending more to upgrade, while those who anticipate spending less may be influenced by the discount
• 36% are searching for a sense of contentment and wellbeing on their next trip
• 38% of American travelers want to relax and do nothing
• Car travel continues to be the leading transportation choice, with 77% American travelers surveyed planning to take a roadtrip
• Marketers should target regional areas an easy drive away, promote deals and discounts for quick trips and long weekends.
• 54% say they pick a destination with COVID-19 safety protocols in place, and 49% would choose a less crowded destination.
• 62% of travelers say they follow COVID-19 guidelines during their travels

OMICRON CONTINUES TO IMPACT DECISION-MAKING ON TRIPS; HOWEVER, OPTIMISM THAT THE PANDEMIC WILL IMPROVE IN THE NEXT MONTH SOARS; NEARLY 80% OF AMERICAN TRAVELERS HAVE TRIPS CURRENTLY PLANNED IN 2022

Key findings from Destination Analysts fielded Jan. 12 - 14, 2022

• With Omicron-fueled COVID case records continuing to disrupt life in the U.S.—from staffing shortages to full hospitals—Americans concerned about personally contracting the virus rose over 7-points in the last two weeks to 65.4%. This exceeds levels during the Delta-variant and is the highest it has been since February 2021.
• 71.9% report that at least one person in their personal circle has contracted COVID just in the last month alone (2.9 friends, relatives and/or coworkers on average).
• Omicron also continues to impact trips, with 40.8% of American travelers reporting either a cancellation or postponement specifically due to the variant—an 8-point gain from the start of the month.
• Nearly 30% have said that the challenges procuring COVID tests have stopped them from traveling in the past month.
• About 30% of recent trip-takers reported a high-degree of COVID anxiety and three-quarters of all American travelers say they are or will be more careful when traveling because of Omicron.
• Nevertheless, while 44.6% of American travelers have frequently worried that people are giving up on COVID safety when they shouldn’t, 30% admit to frequently feeling exhausted in the past month from having to deal with the COVID-19 situation and 35% say they have frequently had the thought that “life should go back to normal” despite the pandemic.
• Optimism that the pandemic will improve in the next month has soared 10-points in the last two weeks to 30.6%.
• Nearly 80% of American travelers have trips currently planned in 2022. Over 70% have engaged in travel planning and/or dreaming in the past week alone—a 7-point increase over the past month. Excitement for an unplanned getaway (70.0%) and openness to travel inspiration (66.2%) both increased 5-points in the past two weeks.
• This week, 72.8% of Americans expressed higher levels of excitement for their prospective travel future—reaching the highest level it’s been since the Omicron wave began. In fact, when asked for the one word that describes how they feel about travel right now, “excited” is the top response. The average number of anticipated leisure trips Americans plan to take over the next 12 months has hit its highest peak during the pandemic era at 3.1.
• In addition, more Americans now say that travel will be a spending priority in the next 3 months (58.2%—a 3-month high).
• It appears the typical American traveler has used a wide array of travel planning resources recently. Digital channels naturally dominate destination marketing receptivity. When asked about the channels they’d be most receptive to learning about new travel destinations to visit, website found via a search engine (29.9%), email (24.0%), Facebook (21.3%), streaming video services such as YouTube or Hulu (19.3%) and online content such as articles and blogs (18.0%) topped the list. Instagram is also a top resource for Millennials, while printed travel and lifestyle magazines are key for inspiring Baby Boomers.
• When it comes to travel planning, Americans are commonly using Facebook (27.0%), YouTube (26.0%) and Instagram (20.9%), online travel agencies (24.6%), online content such as articles and blogs (22.4%), printed travel or lifestyle magazines (16.7%) and television programming (14.4%). American travelers are also looking to official resources such as the official destination website (21.9%) and an online visitor guide (14.7%) or printed visitor guide (11.8%) to plan their travel.
• By far the types of trips Americans are most excited about taking in the next year include family trips and romantic getaways. Millennial and Gen Z-aged travelers exhibit much higher levels of excitement for many different trip types compared to older travelers. In terms of interest in specific activities in the next 12 months, Americans are most interested in enjoying scenic beauty, warm weather outdoor activities, road trips, dining in regional restaurants, visiting historical sites and enjoying street food during their travels.

DESTINATIONS THAT HAVE LOW COVID CASE NUMBERS ARE IMPORTANT IN TRAVEL PLAN DECISION MAKING; TRAVELERS LOOKING FOR AUTHENTIC AND NEW EXPERIENCES IN 2022; CLEANLINESS AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS A MUST FOR MANY TRAVELERS

Key findings from Tripadvisor fielded November 2021

• 78% of Americans surveyed said they were likely to travel in 2022.
• In the United States, intent for leisure travel abroad is up 6 percentage points compared to 2019, while domestic leisure travel plans for 2022 are up 8 percentage points against 2019.
• Approximately 7 in 10 respondents surveyed said that destinations that have a low number of COVID-19 cases are important when making a decision on where to travel next. 
• A whopping 75% of Americans say it’s important they “see new places” when thinking about their future travel plans.
• More than a third to nearly half of all travelers surveyed by Ipsos MORI in the United States said that traveling to a destination they’ve never been to before would be more important to them now, compared to trips they took in 2019, when choosing where to travel.
• About a third of respondents also said they are now more open to exploring new travel destinations than before the pandemic. This appetite for the “new” provides the perfect opportunity for businesses to capture a new customer, so they should bear this in mind when planning marketing strategies for the year ahead.
• The top three most important considerations in future travel plans to visit a destination was to get immersive by seeing new places, having new experiences, and learning about history and culture.
• When planning future trips, 34% of American travelers said that it’s more important now than before the pandemic that they choose a destination where they can immerse themselves in “authentic local experiences.”
• 30% of travelers surveyed say it’s more important now that they “pack as many activities” into their holiday travel as possible.
• Roughly 3 in 10 Americans who traveled for leisure in 2019 say it’s more important now than before the pandemic to splurge on a big trip.
• According to the survey, in addition to spending time in nature and relaxing and dining out, one of the main areas where travelers seem to have an interest in 2022 is in self-guided cultural activities. On the other side of the coin, looking at guided cultural activities — those activities and tours, where subject matter experts and professional guides allow for travelers to sit back, learn, relax, and see all that an area has to offer — about 2 in 10 travelers surveyed said they will do more of this when planning trips in 2022 or beyond than before the pandemic.
• 22% of travelers said that they plan to experience more guided cultural activities than they had pre-pandemic.
• One-third of the Americans who aren’t traveling next year said they’ve decided against it because of uncertainty surrounding possible travel restrictions.
• Seventy-percent of Americans who responded to Ipsos MORI’s survey agree that an establishment’s cleanliness will be an important factor in their travel decision making.
• 63% percent of Americans surveyed agree that they would like to see safety measures (e.g. hand sanitizer, perspex sneeze screens, track and trace, etc.) in place at hospitality businesses, even after COVID-19 cases have dropped worldwide.
• American travelers are spending 29% more on their average booking in 2022 than they did in 2019. 

VISITORS TO CULTURAL ENTITIES WANT TO SEE PROOF OF VACCINATION

Key findings from IMPACTS Research published January 19, 2022

• New research this month says 56.8% of adult Americans and 71.1% of likely visitors (people who actually attend these organizations) now believe US cultural entities should require visitors to show proof of vaccination.
• In September, only 48% of likely visitors believed that proof of vaccination should be an admission requirement.
• There is significant variance in sentiments across the US, and things aren't even consistent within states, let alone regions. Consider, for example, major cities within the state of Ohio: Among high-propensity visitors residing within metro Cleveland, 64.8% believe that organizations should require proof of vaccination. Travel two hours down the highway to Columbus, and this belief among high-propensity visitors increases to 71.9%. Keep heading a few more hours south on the same highway to Cincinnati, and the belief that proof of vaccinations should be required by organizations decreases to 54.5%.
• Even with regional variance, however, a majority of Americans increasingly feel safe visiting both exhibit and performance-based entities when vaccinations are required, and the trendline is important to note regardless of where your cultural entity is located.
• Even if your organization is not able to make this a requirement by law or if yours is a particularly red county, trends in overall sentiment and behaviors for the rest of the United States may impact tourism, strategic planning, and market potential considerations.
•  As of the start of 2022, requiring proof of vaccination is now the second biggest factor for making potential visitors to exhibit-based entities feel comfortable, and the third for performance-based entities. In both cases, over 64% of respondents said that requiring proof of vaccination would make them feel safe and comfortable.
• More than half of all Americans think exhibit-based entities should require proof of vaccination, and this has risen notably since September. Not only that, nearly 69% of likely visitors believe that these entities should require proof of vaccination. From a research perceptive on a divided topic, that is a high percentage of likely visitors.

REVIEW OF HOW OMICRON IMPACTED HOLIDAY TRAVEL; DESPITE RECORD COVID CASES IN U.S., TRAVEL SENTIMENT HAS IMPROVED; WHAT'S IN STORE FOR TRAVEL IN 2022

Key findings from Destination Analysts fielded Dec. 26 - 28, 2021

• First, let's review what happened over the holidays, and what can we learn about what the future may hold. Omicron did impact holiday and other future travel. The number of American travelers reporting that that the situation with the Omicron variant has impacted their travel continued to grow—to 32.9%, up from 30.9% two weeks prior. Of the group of travelers who were impacted, 50.7% say they have postponed one or more trips and 43.5% say they have flat-out cancelled a trip(s).
• When asked the week of December 13th, 29.8% of American travelers said they planned to travel over the Christmas holiday. However, when asked if they had in fact traveled over the holiday, only 23.3% actually did. While one-in-five (20.7%) continued to report that they would travel over the New Year’s holiday, there was still a 5-point decline in the percent of American travelers who said they would take leisure trips in January (to 15.1% from 20.7% two weeks ago).
• Nevertheless, leisure travel appeared robust in the last quarter of the year overall, with over one-third of American travelers taking at least one overnight leisure trip during this period and 33.6% reporting taking an overnight trip to visit friends or relatives.
• What's in store for 2022? Unfortunately, COVID still looms large. Currently, 25% of travelers are experiencing stronger levels of anxiety, the highest rate we've seen since October 27. Nearing half (46.3%) feel that the pandemic in America will get worse or much worse in the next month, which is up over 20 points since last fall. 
• Firm confidence in travel safety has also declined. 38.2% say they are confident or very confident in their ability to travel safety in the current environment, down 10 points from November 12. Americans feeling higher degrees of normalcy in their ability to travel as they like dropped to 31%, which is the lowest it has been since September 29. Plus, 27.5% say it's likely that Omicron will impact their travel over the next 6 months. 
• Despite record COVID cases in the US and a holiday period of massive flight cancellations, Americans' overall travel sentiment has actually improved. Those in a ready-to-travel state of mind rose to 77.9%, up from 76% December 13 and among the highest levels since the start of the pandemic. The proportions avoiding conferences/conventions and international travel have both declined (now at 50.5% and 60.6% respectively).
• Just 38.2% say they don't want tourists in their own communities right now - meaning Omicron did not impact local sentiment towards tourism to the same degree that Delta or the original virus strain did. 
• While Omicron has and will impact travel, thus far it has not quelled Americans' interest in travel in the ways previous COVID surges did. In fact, fewer now say that news about Omicron cases make them less interested in traveling (50.1%, down from 54.3%). 
• Strong excitement for leisure travel grew to 69.2%. Americans are also increasingly enthusiastic to learn about new travel experiences (61.1%). They are also willing to make the financial commitment for travel - 35.5% feel that now is a good time to spend on travel and 57.7% will prioritize spending on travel in the next three months. 
• More than 30% of American travelers expect to take more leisure trips in 2022 than 2021 and the average American traveler plans to spend $3,912 on their travel this year. In Q1 of 2022 alone, 46% say they will take at least one leisure trip and 11.1% say they will take at least one business trip.
• American travelers will have a firm focus on fun. When asked about their travel in 2022, Americans' most say they will prioritize having fun (75.8%), followed by relaxing (69.2%), finding happiness (64.1%) and escaping stress (60.9%). 
• For the majority of American travelers, the travel experiences they will highly prioritize are spending time with loved ones, enjoying nature, going to new places they have not been before and getting away from the crowds. 

PREDICTED MARKET POTENTIAL FOR CULTURAL ENTITIES IN 2022

Key findings from IMPACTS Research published Jan. 5, 2022

• Exhibit-based cultural organizations include entities such as museums, historic sites, aquariums, zoos, botanic gardens, and science centers. The actual attendance to these types of cultural entities in the United States averaged 79.7% of 2019 attendance in 2021 (up from 40.5% of 2019 attendance in 2020). As of January 2022, the current market potential for exhibit-based organizations for the calendar year 2022 is 95.5% of their 2019 attendance. 
• In other words, a generic exhibit-based organization that welcomed 100,000 visitors onside in 2019 should expect to similarly engage 95,500 visitors in 2022. 
• Current projections have exhibit-based organizations achieving 2019 quarterly numbers in the second and third quarters of 2023. 
• Market potential is based upon potential attendance. While it contemplates known limiting constraints such as they may exist today (including variant infection information, vaccination uptake, predictions of how long conditions will last, back-to-work schedules, etc.), it is unable to contemplate with certainty previously unknown factions or conditions. 

DOMESTIC LEISURE TRAVEL LEADS RECOVERY FORECAST; DOMESTIC BUSINESS TRAVEL AWAITS 2024 FOR FULL RECOVERY

Driven by Tourism Economics' travel forecasting model, the Fall 2021 travel forecast projects that domestic leisure travel will surpass pre-pandemic levels in 2022 and beyond. Domestic business travel spending is expected to reach 76% of 2019 levels in 2022, while the segment is not expected to fully recover until 2024. International inbound travel spending is forecasted to reach 72% of 2019 levels in 2022, and to fully recover only in 2024 or 2025. 

View US Travel forecast here.

TRAVEL BUSINESSES SCORE WELL ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

Key findings from Longwoods International fielded Nov. 24, 2021

(Please note this survey was fielded prior to widespread news of the Omicron variant and the enactment of travel bans.)

• Intent to travel within the next six months remains relatively stable at 88%, down from a high of 91% reported beginning of the month.
• Those delaying trips to three months out or more increased slightly, while those with no plans to travel increased 4% from end of October.
• Concerns over personal finances and transportation costs are slightly higher than pandemic concerns.
• Close to a third of travelers are not altering plans due to the pandemic, while reducing the number of trips, choosing to drive versus flying and traveling domestically remain the top ways plans are being altered.
• Comfort levels of feeling safe dining in local restaurants and shopping, as well as opening up communities to travelers, rose mid-October, but have plateaued since.
• Most travelers experienced service levels as good as or better than prior to the pandemic on their trips this fall, with about half reporting service comparable to pre-pandemic travel and a quarter rating their service experience as better than before pandemic.  About a fifth of travelers judged service on their fall trips as below pre-pandemic levels.

WHILE INTENT TO TRAVEL REMAINS HIGH, PESSIMISM ABOUT THE PANDEMIC GROWS; GIVING THE GIFT OF TRAVEL WOULD MAKE LOVED ONES HAPPY

(Please note this survey was fielded prior to widespread news of the Omicron variant and the enactment of travel bans.)

Key findings from Destination Analysts fielded Nov. 24-26, 2021

• With 80% of American travelers reporting they have travel plans in place, 33% say they’ll take more leisure trips in the next year and 33% say they’ll spend more money while on these trips.
• Beaches, rural towns and national/state parks destinations will still be where a majority of American travelers head, with more than 70% reporting plans for these types of destinations.
• Interest in urban travel continues to grow, with 66% of these travelers saying they plan to visit cities. In fact, 29% report they will increase their urban travel in 2022.
• American travelers continue to take trips to make up for time missed out on with loved ones during the pandemic: 39% say they will increase family travel next year and 33% will increase travel with friends.
• More than 70% of American travelers did some travel dreaming or planning in the past week alone, particularly discussing potential or upcoming trips with others.
• Optimism about the pandemic dropped nearly 12 percentage points in the last two weeks (27%), while pessimism grew 10 percentage points. One-third expect the situation to get worse soon.
• COVID-19-related topped the list of factors that could influence travel plans. Financial concerns are also weighing more heavily on travelers’ minds. Gas prices, concerns that travel is too expensive right now, and personal financial reasons are all among the top 5 issues deterring Americans from traveling more right now.
• The gift of travel is high on many lists, with 65% of those surveyed saying they’d be happy to receive a travel-related gift for the holidays.

CONSUMERS PREFER TRAVEL ADS DO NOT FEATURE CROWDS, SAFETY PROTOCOLS STILL IMPORTANT, PLANS FOR THANKSGIVING TRAVEL EXCEED 2019 INTENT  

Key findings from Destination Analysts fielded Nov. 10-12, 2021

• The Thanksgiving holiday looks to be a busy one—possibly even exceeding 2019 travel levels. The percent of American travelers who say they plan to travel over the Thanksgiving holiday has more than doubled compared to 2020—31% currently say they will versus 13% last year. This rate is even higher than in 2019, when 23% of American travelers reported taking a Thanksgiving holiday trip.
• COVID remains a travel impediment, with 17% saying they have cancelled a Thanksgiving trip this year due to the ongoing pandemic.
• Taking a road trip, visiting friends and family, and shopping continue to have the strongest safety perceptions among travelers.
• Americans’ sense of normalcy around leisure activities has dropped 2 percentage points over the past two weeks. Now 30% of American travelers feel that the U.S. is “normal” or “close to normal.”
• With 54% of Americans anticipating another significant wave of COVID-19 in the next three months, nearly three quarters say it’s important that destinations they visit continue to maintain safety protocols. While this feeling is even stronger amongst older travelers (77%), 68% of Millennials or younger travelers also deem public pandemic safety measures important in where they choose to travel.
• While 30% are comfortable with seeing maskless people in travel ads, 37% are uncomfortable, while 34% are neutral.
• Large crowds of people in travel ads are likely to draw even more scrutiny. While 21% of Americans are comfortable seeing large groups of people in travel ads now, 42% would be uncomfortable (37% are neutral).
• When asked about the lifting of international travel restrictions at this point in time, the majority of American travelers (54%) said that it was good or very good news. However, this development was relatively more positively received amongst travelers in the West (62%) than in the Midwest (47%).

AMERICAN TRAVELERS CONTINUE TO REGAIN NORMALCY LOST TO THE DELTA VARIANT; NEAR-TERM OUTLOOK FOR TRAVEL IS POSITIVE; BUSINESS AND CONVENTION/GROUP MEETINGS IS REBOUNDING

Key findings from Destination Analysts fielded Oct. 27 - 29, 2021

• Many Americans are looking at lifestyle changes, primarily centered on transforming their relationships with themselves, their family and work. Although change is less likely for Baby Boomer-aged travelers, one-third of those Millennial-age say they intend to change their lifestyle going forward (with another 20% uncertain if they will). 
• The relationship with travel will also change—more trips, using travel as a means to deeply connect with their friends and family, traveling more sustainably and with a greater environmental consciousness, and a greater focus on outdoor activities. And while nearly half of those that intend to change the way they travel going forward say they will travel more internationally, 48.5% say that the pandemic did open their mind to domestic travel opportunities. In addition, over 60% of Millennial age and younger travelers say they are interested in trying a digital nomad lifestyle.
• Americans continue to regain normalcy lost to the Delta-variant surge. This week saw another 3 percentage point gain in those feeling that the U.S is largely normal for leisure activities (31.3%). Now 38.5% feel that the COVID situation will improve in the U.S. over the next month.
• The majority feel confident in their ability to travel safely and sentiment towards tourism in their own communities has improved (39.6% don’t want tourists in town, down from 48.6% at the end of August).
• The proportion of recent travelers who say that travel businesses were having trouble providing adequate service has declined over 5 percentage points in the last two weeks to 41.0%. Nevertheless, two-thirds of American travelers feel COVID will be with us for the long-term and thus it continues to impact travel.
• Over 38% still feel that COVID-19 has impacted their ability to have meaningful travel experiences (up from 34.4% two weeks ago) and 20.7% of recent travelers reported high levels of COVID anxiety on their last trip.
• The near-term outlook for travel is positive. This week, 83.8% of American travelers currently have trip plans, with 53.0% traveling at least once in the next three months. More than 7-in-10 American travelers did some travel dreaming and planning in the past week alone. Nearly 70% have high degrees of excitement about a potential getaway they had not previously considered (a good predictor of upcoming hotel performance).
• Business and convention/group meetings travel is rebounding. When asked about the overnight trips American travelers expect to take in the next 3 months, 15.5% reported business travel (up from 11.8% October 1st) and 12.1% reported convention, conference or group meetings (up from 8.8%).
• Similarly, day trips for these types of travel are also up with 15.3% reporting a day trip for business (up from 10.7%) and 11.4% for convention, conference or group meetings (up from 8.5%).
• Despite the strong desire for travel, Americans are more conscious about their spending. Right now, 52.5% say they will prioritize travel in their budgets—down from 59.8% just two weeks ago. Those that feel that it is a good time to spend on travel has declined from 45.1% to 38.9%. Three-in-five American travelers feel that travel prices are too high right now and 42.7% say that these high prices have kept them from traveling in the past month.
• Travel advertising has a significant opportunity to be more inclusionary. Just 36.1% say they see people they identify with commonly featured in travel advertising and only 38.1% feel travel advertising is designed with people like them in mind. In fact, 15.0% feel that they have recently seen a travel ad that felt exclusionary and 19.4% saw an ad that felt inauthentic.

AMERICAN TRAVELERS PLAN TO CATIOUSLY SPEND TIME WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Key findings from Longwoods International released Nov. 2, 2021

• 70% of American travelers this holiday season plan to visit friends and relatives, showing the great desire to reconnect as we move through the course of this pandemic.
• 40% of travelers who plan to visit family this holiday season intend to do so without any COVID precautions, while 35% indicate they will take some precautions, and another 32% say they will limit the size of their family gatherings this year.
• 45% of American travelers indicate other plans to travel before the end of this year (within the next 60 days), which shows a growing desire to travel this season now that the Delta variant appears to be subsiding.
• As we close out the year and look into early 2022, the desire to travel has reached a tracking survey high of 91% of American travelers saying they have plans to travel within the next six months.
• Almost one in three American travelers (30%) now say that COVID-19 is not influencing their travel plans, which is also a survey high.

NORMALCY CONTINUES TO RETURN AS DELTA VARIANT WANES; ENTHUSIAM FOR TRAVEL IS REBOUNDING IN TIME FOR HOLIDAY SEASON; AMERICAN WORKERS EAGER TO RESUME IN-PERSON MEETINGS

Key findings from Destination Analysts fielded Oct. 13 - 15, 2021

• Normalcy continues to return, as the impact of the Delta variant wanes. In terms of resuming leisure activities, fully 28% of Americans feel that the U.S. has a significant degree of normalcy, up from 24.7% the week of October 4th. 
• Enthusiasm for travel is rebounding, just in time for the Holiday season. Strong feelings of excitement for travel are up to 75.7% from 64.4% the week of October 4th. In addition, researching travel ideas and making travel bookings have both increased in the past week, fueled by improving expectations for the coronavirus situation (39.1% now feel things will get better in the next month, up from 26.9% just two weeks ago). 
• While not recovered to 2019 levels– when 52.8% of American travelers embarked on holiday-related trips—44.9% currently report having at least tentative plans to hit the road this season. This represents a nearly 17 percentage point gain from 2020 (fear of COVID and not wanting to risk the health and safety of loved ones remain the top deterrents to Holiday travel). 
• Leisure and business travel expectations for the remainder of the year have increased. Compared to two weeks ago, more Americans are planning overnight trips in the next 3 months—both for leisure (57.7%, up from 49.3%) and business (14.7%, up from 11.8%). December appears to be the peak month for overnight trips in the remainder of 2021 (32.4%). Leisure (47.2%) and business (12.4%) day trip expectations for the next 3 months have also increased.
• American workers are eager to take a break from the screen and get back to in-person meetings. Amongst employed American travelers, 44.3% said they regularly use web conferences to conduct business. Of these regular web-conference users 68.7% say they have felt the effects of “Zoom fatigue” and 62.8% agree that they are tired of web conferencing and are eager to get back to the in-person meeting experience.
• Vaccination support continues to grow. This week, 77.4% of American travelers report being vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccinated American travelers are feeling more confident in the safety provided by their vaccine (62.1% up from 52.3%). In addition, Americans are showing increased support for vaccine requirements on airlines and “no fly” lists for problematic passengers. Right now, 66.5% agree that airline passengers should be fully vaccinated or present a negative COVID-19 test (up from 60.3% two weeks ago). Meanwhile, 66.3% of American travelers support a national “no fly” list to protect airline employees and 49.8% say that establishing a national “no fly” list would make them more interested in traveling. Meanwhile, 56.9% say they would support an indoor vaccine mandate in their own community.

AS DELTA VARIANT RECEDES, TRAVELER CONFIDENCE IMPROVES

Key findings from Longwoods International fielded Oct. 19, 2021

• More than one in four (27%) of American travelers now say that COVID-19 will greatly impact their decision to travel in the next six months (a decrease of nine points in the past six weeks).
• 48% of American travelers are changing their plans due to the pandemic (down five points in two weeks).
• 58% now support welcoming visitors back into their communities.
• 67% now feel safe travelling outside their communities.
• 70% now feel safe shopping and dining locally which is up 12 points in the past two weeks. 
• When asked about hesitations that are preventing them from traveling: 31% of American travelers report that it is fear of COVID-19; 27% point to uncertainty about their financial situation; while 22% say they have no hesitations about traveling.
• Two-thirds of American travelers are fully or partially vaccinated. However, they are evenly split about holiday travel. Half of these travelers surveyed have no hesitations about traveling this holiday season, while the other half does. 
• Meanwhile, a third of travelers aren’t vaccinated. Among them, two-thirds have no hesitancy about holiday travel, while a third do have hesitancies. 
• Over the past eighteen months, there has been a solid growth in travelers indicating they consume and interact with travel content via online and streaming sources.

KEEP YOUR ONLINE ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES IN PLACE DESPITE BEING OPEN FOR VISITATION

Key findings from IMPACTS Experience fielded in September 2021

Impact Research studies visitors to exhibit-based organizations (museums zoos, aquariums, gardens, historic sites, science centers, etc.) as well as performance-based organizations (theaters, symphonies, dance companies, etc.)

More people are engaged with attractions online now than before or during the height of the pandemic.

• Since 2019, there was a 31%% increase in the percentage of people who visited an exhibit-based organization’s website, and a 25% increase for performance-based.
• Since 2019, there was a 43% increase in people following an exhibit-based organization on social media and a 35% increase in the percentage of people following a performance-based entity.
• During the same time period, there was a 38% increase in people liking an exhibit-based organization’s social media post and a 33% increase for performance-based entities.
• During the same time period, there was a 15% increase in the percentage of people opening an email from an exhibit-based organization and a 35% increase in opening an email from a performance-based entity.

Visitors have higher expectations now, as difficulty purchasing tickets online is increasing as a barrier to attendance, as well as lack of response on social media.

Engagement with paid online strategies dropped, but that could be due to fewer investments by attractions because of budgetary constraints.  

While website content pre-pandemic may have focused on why and how to visit in person, during the pandemic, content shifted to mission-focused content and activities to position attractions as “more than just attractions.” The authors recommend that future online content should serve both purposes and that organizations develop engagement plans for both onsite and online visitors.   

HOTEL BOOKING FLEXIBILITY REPLACES PRICE AS TOP PRIORITY

Key findings from SiteMinder  fielded Sept. 2021:

• There has been an increasing appreciation for travel as well as the sentiment from more than a third of travelers surveyed that they plan to travel more. 
• According to the report, 52% say they have higher expectations from hotels including flexibility, value for the money and security. These elements have the greatest impact on booking behavior. 
• Of the 14 factors that are likely to influence booking, free cancellations and amendments is in the top two priorities for almost a third of travelers.

FACE COVERINGS, ABILITY TO BE OUTDOORS, SEEING OTHERS VISIT AND PROOF OF VACCINATION IDENTIFIED AS IMPORTANT BY THOSE LIKELY TO VISIT MUSEUMS, THEATERS, ETC.

Key findings from Impacts Research fielded Sept. 9, 2021

The findings are shown for exhibit-based organizations (museums, zoos, aquariums, botanic gardens, historic sites, etc.) as well as performance-based organizations (symphonies, theaters, ballets, etc.)

• Mandatory face coverings, ability to be outdoors, seeing others visit and requiring proof of vaccination are among the top things that will make people feel safer visiting exhibit-based and performance-based attractions right now.
• Mandatory face coverings were identified by 72% of those likely to attend performance-based venues, while 67% said so for exhibit-based venues.
• Ability to be outdoors is important to 68% of those likely to visit performance-based attractions, with 59% saying the same for exhibit-based.
• Seeing others visit was also important to performance-based visits (42%) versus exhibit based (49%)
• More than 56% of visitors to performance-based organizations said proof of vaccination will make them feel safer, compared to 48% of those likely to visit exhibit-based organizations.
• Those survey respondents coming from households with children younger than 13 years of age feel stronger about proof of vaccination – 59% versus 44%.
• The author emphasizes that this research is conducted with potential visitors, not just recent visitors. Those who don’t feel safe visiting are not taking your onsite surveys, as they are staying home.
• Those saying that no significant changes are needed, and that they feel safe and comfortable were reported for both those likely to visit performance-based attractions (29%) and exhibit-based attractions (34%)

MILLENNIALS AND GEN Z SUPPORT SAFETY PROTOCOLS AND SHOW INTENT TO TRAVEL, CONCERNS WITH SAFETY INCREASING IN RECENT WEEKS   

Key findings from Destination Analysts fielded Sept. 1-3, 2021:

• Nearly a quarter of Americans said they would be traveling during the Labor Day holiday weekend, up from 13% last year. Among those who did not travel on the holiday weekend, 13% said they cancelled planned trips due to concerns about the Delta variant.
• Millennial and Gen Z age travelers are likeliest to be in a ready-to-travel mindset right now (77%). They are also likelier to be supportive of pandemic protocols like indoor mask requirements right now (72%)
• Perceptions of air travel, indoor attractions and indoor dining as safe have fallen. Travelers viewing indoor attractions as safe is 44%, while 53% view restaurant dining as safe.
• Even though 71% say they are excited to travel in the next 12 months, fewer Americans are reporting planned overnight leisure trips (53% compared to 47% two weeks ago) and leisure day trips (43%, down from 51%).
• Employed travelers say they would be happy to take an out-of-state business trip in the next six months (46%), indicating an increase since early this year.  
• Also on the rise since April is the appeal of attending in-person group meetings. Now 40% would be happy to do so, up from 38% the week of April 12. In fact, one-in-five employed American travelers now plans to attend a convention, conference or other group meeting sometime in the remainder of 2021, with October appearing to be the peak month for this trip type.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES AND ROADTRIPS STAY AT TOP OF TRAVEL INTENTIONS, CONFIDENCE IS SLIPPING, MIXED DESIRE FOR SAFETY PROTOCOLS

Key findings from Longwoods International fielded Sept. 1, 2021

• 90% of American travelers have plans to travel in the next six months. However, 58% say the pandemic will impact their travel decisions, while 22% say it won’t. Those saying coronavirus would greatly impact their decisions to travel rose to 36% from holding steady at 34% since early August.
• When asked specifically about how the Delta variant impacts their travel intentions, 30% say they are still planning to travel between October and December, 20% have postponed travel to later this year, and another 15% have postponed travel till 2022.
• Of those planning to change travel plans due to COVID (55%), here is how these plans may change:
  • Driving versus flying – 33%
  • Reducing the number of trips – 33%
  • Traveling domestically instead of internationally – 28%
  • Rural destinations over urban areas – 16%
  • Not traveling at all – 11%
  • Canceling trips – 10%
• Activities for fall travelers include intent to visit friends and relatives (66%), take a road trip (58%), visit a park (33%), go on a hike or bike ride (28%), visit a farmer’s market (27%), view fall foliage (30%), visit a museum, art gallery or other arts/cultural institution (22%), visit a theme park (19%), visit a farm to experience fall harvest activities (22%), go to a winery, brewery or distillery (19%), attend a festival (17%), participate in a sporting event (12%), go fruit or berry picking (15%).
• 42% are concerned with personal financial situations compared to 36% who say that financial concerns won’t impact their decisions to travel.
• While concerns over COVID-19 continue to be top of mind for many American travelers during travel planning, they are split when it comes to the implementation of health and safety protocols at destinations. Half of travelers cite having clear health and safety protocols as being important when deciding where to travel. However, 44% says that having no travel restrictions at potential destinations is important to them when making these plans.
• Consumer confidence in staying safe is dropping, with 60% say they feel safe dining in local restaurants and shopping in retail stores in their communities compared to a high of 74% in late June. 57% say they feel safe traveling outside their communities, down from 72% in early June.
• Support for opening up their communities to visitors has dropped to 45% from a high of 67% in early June.

MAJORITY OF AMERICAN TRAVELERS SUPPORT BOTH INDOOR MASKING REQUIREMENTS, AS WELL AS VACCINE MANDATES FOR CERTAIN INDOOR ACTIVITIES

Key findings from Destination Analysts fielded the week of August 23, 2021

• Even with high vaccination rates among travelers, the Delta variant situation is casting a heavy shadow. Despite 72.2% of American travelers reporting they have received a COVID vaccine, 63.2% have a high degree of concern about personally contracting the coronavirus right now. In fact, the proportion who are unconcerned about personally contracting COVID has decreased by half since May, dropping from 40.0% to 21.4%.
• A sense of pre-pandemic normalcy has also been cut nearly in half, falling to 22.3% from 42.7% six weeks ago.
• About 60% of American travelers say what’s happening with the Delta variant is making them less interested in travel right now (up from 54.3% the week of August 9).
• Meanwhile, an increasing number of travelers are saying they have postponed an upcoming trip specifically due to the Delta variant (32.7% up from 27.0% two weeks ago); those who say they have cancelled a trip due to Delta variant concerns remains at 27.5%.
• Given what’s happening with the pandemic, the majority of American travelers support both indoor masking requirements right now, as well as vaccine mandates for certain indoor activities. This week, 73.6% of American travelers support the reinstatement of indoor masking policies, growing nearly 9 percentage points since August 9.
• Using San Francisco’s current COVID-19 vaccine mandate for entry to bars, restaurants and gyms as an example, 61.2% of American travelers say they support this (20.6% oppose) and 47.4% even agree it makes the city a more attractive place to visit (25.1% disagree). About 60% of American travelers say they would support such indoor COVID-19 vaccine mandates in their own community, (17.8% would be neutral and 22.5% would be opposed).
• A small gain in optimism about where the pandemic is headed in the next months hints at slight rebounds in travel sentiment. With an increase in the number of unvaccinated travelers who say they will get vaccinated this year (32.1% up from 24.7% August 9) and a record 58.8% of traveling parents of school-age children saying they will have their kids inoculated from COVID-19, the proportion of American travelers who feel the pandemic situation will improve in the next month has gained 6 percentage points in the last two weeks to 26.3%.
• Those in a ready-to-travel mindset improved back to 76.4% from 71.6% and excitement for incremental near-term travel returned to 67.0%, up from 60.7% two weeks ago. Firm confidence in travel’s present safety improved to 42.8% from 36.6%.
• American travelers open to travel inspiration also returned to 58.6% from 52.1% two weeks ago. Unfortunately, sentiment towards convention-related and international travel did not make similar rebounds.
• Perceptions of high travel prices are butting up against growing financial anxiety. American travelers with concerns about their personal finances continued to rise, hitting 55.0% from 47.7% 2 weeks ago, and nearly 45% report they are feeling a lot of financial stress lately. This financial related anxiety likely contributes to almost 60% agreeing that travel prices are too high right now — most particularly hotel rates and gasoline. More than 43% now say high travel prices have deterred them from traveling in the past month, up from 34.6% in just two weeks. On a positive note, despite these affordability perceptions, 54.7% say leisure travel will remain a high priority in their budgets and 41.4% agree that the present is a good time to spend on travel.
• 80% of American travelers still have trip plans. In fact, 24.4% report having travel planned in September, and 23.4% report having travel planned in October. Both November and December are currently above 20%, as well.
• Three-quarters of American travelers did some travel dreaming or planning in the last week alone. Using ski as an example about travelers’ confidence in the future, nearly two-thirds of traveling skiers who have a regular ski destination they travel to say they are likely to visit that destination this season.
• Polarization is present but not overwhelming. Not surprisingly, travelers would like to know that they are welcomed at their destinations—70.2% say that they are unlikely to travel to a destination that has a reputation of being unwelcoming. Interestingly, this week the number of American travelers who said they can think of a U.S. destination where they would expect to be an unwelcoming atmosphere jumped over 7 percentage points to 20.3%. When asked in an open-ended question which domestic destinations come to mind as possibly being unwelcoming, New York, California, Texas and Florida topped the list. Nevertheless—and despite these destinations’ pandemic-related associations —Florida, New York, California, Las Vegas and Texas remain dominant in where Americans name as the places they most want to travel to in the next year.

COVID-19'S NEGATIVE IMPACT ON TRAVEL IS RISING AGAIN

Key findings from Longwoods International fielded August 24, 2021

• Almost two-thirds (59%) of American travelers now indicate they are changing travel plans due to the pandemic, which is up 16 points in just two months and back to levels not seen since the beginning of March 2021.
• While the Delta variant has directly caused more than one-third of American travelers to postpone travel (35%), it has not completely deterred Americans from planning travel, as 88% still report having travel plans in the next six months. This is a consistent level that has been recorded this summer.
• As kids return back to school and the prevalence of Delta rises, there is a small decline in travel plans in less than 30 days (3%), countered by a similar increase in longer term travel plans within the next three to six months.
• There still is a small spike in just the past two weeks of travelers indicating that concerns about either financial security (+3%) and transportation costs (+5%) are impacting their travel plans. At 26% and 23% respectively, these are still relatively low numbers, but represent the highest levels of concern that have been seen this year on these two factors. The fact that many have spent their stimulus checks may be key factors for this.
• Overall, visitors are less inclined to take guidance from their state government that it is safe to travel than they are from federal leadership and agency sources.
• Destinations should adjust marketing strategies to the fluctuations in traveler sentiment to support a safe and profitable fall travel season.

DELTA VARIANT SETTING OFF ALARM BELLS FOR TRAVEL INDUSTRY

Key findings from Longwoods International fielded August 10, 2021

• About a third of travelers have postponed travel specifically because of the delta variant, up from a quarter of travelers two weeks ago.
• The percentage of travelers who say that coronavirus will greatly impact their travel decisions in the next six months jumped from 21% a month ago to 34% in the latest survey.
• Support among travelers for opening up their local communities to visitors has plunged from 67% two months ago to 47% in the latest survey.
• And the percentage of travelers who feel safe eating in local restaurants and shopping at local retailers has also declined, from 74% in late June to 60% in early August.

BACKSLIDE IN TRAVEL SENTIMENT CONTINUES DUE TO DELTA VARIANT; HOWEVER, MORE THAN HALF OF TRAVELERS SURVEYED ARE EXPECTING TO TAKE AT LEAST ONE OVERNIGHT TRIP IN THE NEXT THREE MONTHS

Key findings from Destination Analysts fielded the week of August 9, 2021

• Optimism about the pandemic has receded to a level last seen during the Winter COVID-19 surge. Since June 8, optimism has fallen over 40 percentage points, reaching a year-to-date low of 20.4%. Instead, more than half of American travelers now expect the pandemic to get worse in the U.S. over the next month. Americans feeling pre-pandemic normalcy has tumbled another 7 percentage points to 25.3%, after reaching 42.7% a month ago.
• After months of steady recovery, confidence in travel’s safety now continues to decline. After hitting a high of 52.9% just six weeks ago, the percent of American travelers who feel “confident” or “very confident” they can travel safely in the current environment fell to 36.6%.
• Nearly half (48.0%) agree that media coverage of the COVID-19 situation has them doubting that it is safe to travel.
• Fortunately, the majority of American travelers still feel road tripping, dining in restaurants, staying in a hotel, visiting amusement parks and other outdoor attractions, shopping and outdoor recreational activities are safe; however, it’s notable that less than half now consider flying on an airplane, visiting a museum or indoor attraction, and riding in an Uber/taxi is safe.
• Delta variant-related concerns are disrupting trip plans and making it more difficult to market travel right now. This week, a notable number of American travelers continued to say the Delta variant had caused trip postponements (27.0%, up from 25.4% July 26) and even cancellations 23.0%, up from 18.9%). Travel enthusiasm overall has certainly been impacted.
• More than 54% say that the Delta variant has made them less interested in traveling right now. Those with high levels of excitement to travel now is down to 60.7% from 68.2% two weeks ago, while openness to travel inspiration fell to 54.1% from 64.4%. Travelers reporting a “not ready” mindset has climbed to 28.4% from 19.3% one month ago. These concerns extend to their home communities, as well. Those saying they don’t want tourists in town right now hit 41.9%, the highest it has been since Memorial Day.
• Male travelers are feeling more positive. In this week's survey, those who identify as men report lower stress levels and a stronger sense of normalcy in their lives. Relative to women, they are more confident they can travel safely and exhibit greater optimism and commitment to their travel future. A key factor may be vaccination status. This week, 74.2% of male travelers report receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, compared to 58.9% of women.
• More vaccinations will come. Nearly a quarter of unvaccinated American travelers say they will get a COVID-19 vaccine this year. Another 29.4% of these unvaccinated travelers say they are open to getting the COVID vaccine but need more information about it.
• As we head out of the summer peak —and despite diminished enthusiasm right now —many Americans are still planning autumn travel. With the peak summer travel weeks in the rearview mirror and COVID concerns up, the percentage of travelers expecting to take one or more overnight leisure trips in the next three months has fallen to 51.5% from 63.0% July 26.
• Meanwhile just 34.4% say now is a good time to spend money on travel, down from 42.4% two weeks ago, and Americans reporting travel as a budget priority dropped to 51.3% from 62.2%. And yet 75% of American travelers still did some travel dreaming or planning in the last week alone, with 23.9% reporting trip plans for September, and 26.1% for October.
• Financial sentiment is steady. More than 44% of American travelers feel that their household will be better off financially a year from now. Just 11.3% anticipate that they will be worse off. Meanwhile, recent spending on leisure travel was strong, with the typical American traveler reporting spending $995.94 on their last overnight trip within the past month.

FEAR OF DELTA VARIANT IMPACTING SOME TRAVEL PLANS; TRAVELERS EXPRESS STRONG SUPPORT FOR VACCINES

Key findings from Longwoods International fielded July 27, 2021

• With coronavirus case numbers, hospitalizations, and deaths on the rise again, support among travelers for opening their communities to visitors also has dropped from a peak of 67% in early June to 57% as of July 27.
• Confidence in the safety of eating in local restaurants and shopping in local retail locations has suffered a similar decline, from three-fourths to only two-thirds of travelers.
• More than half of travelers surveyed would require vaccinations for all international travelers to the U.S. and another 14% would make that a requirement for visitors arriving from “high-risk” countries.

OPTIMISM ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS SITUATION IN THE U.S. HAS PLUMMETED; DELTA VARIANT DISRUPTING TRAVEL PLANS; ON A BRIGHTER NOTE, METROPOLITAN AREAS CONTINUE TO MAKE GAINS IN RECOVERY

Key findings from Destination Analysts fielded the week of July 25, 2021

• American travelers’ expectation that the coronavirus situation will get worse in the next month has made a significant jump from 19.6% the week of July 12th to 43.0% this week—surpassing expectations that the situation will get better (32.0%) for the first time since the week of February 1st. This worsening expectation has impacted Americans’ excitement to travel right now (68.2%, down from 72.6%), personal health concerns (56.6%, up from 49.5%) and their confidence in the ability to travel safely right now (49.3%, down from 52.9%).
• When asked to give one word that best describes how they feel about travel right now, Americans’ top response was “exciting” the week of July 12th. Now, they mostly feel “good” about travel; however, the number of people citing “unsafe,” “nervous,” “worried,” or “anxious” is growing.
• Due to recent media coverage of the COVID-19 situation, 44.8% are now doubting that it is safe to go out and about and 45.0% doubt that it is safe to travel now. These decreased feelings of safety have led to a drop in perceptions of normalcy. This week, less than one-in-three (32.3%) American travelers feel that the U.S. is close to “normal” in terms of resuming leisure activities—down 10 percentage points from 42.7% the week of July 12th.
• Recent news about increasing Delta variant cases have made half of American travelers less interested in traveling right now (53.6%, up from 51.0% the week of July 12th). In fact, a quarter (25.4%) have postponed an upcoming trip and 18.9% have cancelled a trip specifically due to the Delta variant. In addition, overnight trips appear to be in decline—this week 43.8% of Americans said they took at least one such trip in the past month which is down from 49.6% who said the same the week of July 12th.
• Among those who took an overnight trip in the past month, cities/metro areas were the top destination type visited (39.3%), followed by small towns (30.9%) and beach destinations (26.9%). Due to recent COVID outbreaks, some cities have reinstated indoor mask requirements and while 15.7% of American travelers are opposed, 68.2% support this requirement.

2021 ANNUAL ATTENDANCE PROJECTIONS HAVE IMPROVED FOR SOME ORGANIZATIONS

Key findings from Colleen Dilenschneider published July 21, 2021:

• Market potential for 2021 for exhibit-based organizations (museums, zoos, aquariums, historic sites, botanic gardens, etc.) has increased from 72.2% of 2019 attendance levels as projected in early January 2021 to 77.2% of 2019 attendance levels as of mid-July 2021.
• The vaccination rate for eligible people has massively increased, and this has fundamentally changed the US public’s perceptions and behaviors concerning their leisure activities.

• Increasing home values and low interest rates have given Americans who are likely to visit cultural organizations more access to capital to support their preferred leisure activities.

• Government-funded stimulus programs have effectively subsidized leisure activities for many high-propensity visitors.

•  As the year progressed through Q2 2021, people interested in cultural activities – but not necessarily a specific cultural activity – were able to “scratch their cultural itch” at a museum (or zoo, aquarium, etc.) at the likely expense of other activities perceived as being less safe or which simply had not yet resumed the same level of programming as in past years.

ABTA SURVEY REVEALS CONTINUED CONFIDENCE IN TRAVEL PROFESSIONALS

Key findings from ABTA fielded July 22, 2021

• New research from ABTA reinforces an ongoing trend seen throughout the pandemic for people seeking the security and reassurance of booking a package holiday with a travel professional.
• The research, conducted at the beginning of July, shows holidaymakers are 25% more likely to book a holiday with a travel professional now than before the pandemic, with half citing the security of a package holiday as their main reason.
• This was followed by trusting travel companies to look after them (48 per cent), and the travel professional’s up-to-date advice (42%).
• The findings also show that consumer confidence in and awareness of the ABTA brand remains consistent with pre-pandemic levels, with almost three-quarters of respondents associating the brand most strongly with reassuring (74%), experts (74%), confidence (73%) and safe (73%).

PERCENTAGE OF VACCINATED TRAVELERS CONTINUES TO BUILD; VACCINATIONS STILL PLAY A KEY ROLE IN TRAVELERS' DESTINATION CHOICES

Key findings from Longwoods International fielded July 13, 2021

• The majority of American travelers have some level of vaccination with 57% now fully vaccinated, up from 24% on March 17 and 42% on April 14.
• 6% of travelers have received one of two doses. 
• 19% say they have no intention of getting a vaccine, while nine percent intend to be vaccinated soon and another 10% are unsure if they will or not. 
• A combined 53% say the rate of vaccinations will have some influence or will strongly influence their destination choices.

OVERNIGHT TRIPS ARE ON THE RISE; AMERICANS FEEL THAT NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO SPEND MONEY ON LEISURE TRAVEL

Key findings from Destination Analysts fielded the week of July 12, 2021

• More than half of American travelers took an overnight trip in the past three months (52.2%, up from 44.6% the week of June 28th). These overnight travelers were overwhelmingly satisfied with their trips, despite some reporting less satisfactory experiences with restaurants not being fully open (22.1%) and travel prices being high (20.5%). Still though, one-in-three of these recent overnight travelers report that their recent travel experiences have made them more enthusiastic to travel (32.2%).
• There is hope for increased vaccinations amongst travelers. Of those who remain unvaccinated, 34.2% say they will get inoculated soon or at some point this year, while 23.8% are open to the vaccine but need more time or information. Unfortunately, 36.7% of this group say they will not take the COVID-19 vaccine.
• Americans feel that now is a good time to spend money on leisure travel. With more than two-thirds (67.9%) of American travelers reporting having been able to save at least some money this month and 42.1% saying their household is “better off” financially compared to one year ago, 44.6% of travelers feel that now is a good time to spend their money on leisure travel—a sentiment that is much more strongly held amongst younger travelers (57.8% for Millennials or younger, 45.7% for Gen X vs. 30.9% for Boomers or older).
• Despite increased savings, travelers are still feeling price conscious. 50.6% of Americans say that travel rewards programs will continue to be important to how they generally plan their leisure travels and 69.8% agree that getting the lowest possible prices while traveling is important to them. Still though, travelers are feeling the sting of increased travel costs, with 59.2% agreeing that travel prices are generally too high right now, particularly hotel rates, gasoline, airline tickets and car rental fees. When asked if high travel prices have kept them from traveling in the past month, 36.9% agree that it has.
• Travelers’ increasing environmental conscientiousness should not be discounted. 52.3% feel that the environmental impact of travel is “important” or “very important” when planning their trips and 38.1% “usually” or “always” make their travel plans specifically thinking about the impact of travel on the environment.

CUSTOMER SERVICE STRUGGLES BEGINNING TO ALTER TRAVELERS FUTURE PLANS, CONCERN OVER NEW PANDEMIC WAVE MAY BE LOWERING CONFIDENCE TO TRAVEL SAFELY

Key findings from Destination Analysts fielded June 23-25, 2021

• Based on personal experience, overnight travelers (43%) say travel industry businesses appear to have trouble providing adequate services. This is causing travelers to re-think future trips, with 17% saying they’ll do more research on future trips, 15% reporting they won’t travel as much and 12% reporting that they changed the destination or attraction for an upcoming trip based on this experience.
• Concern about the spread of the virus is rising (up 6% in the last month). This may also be causing a downturn to their openness to travel inspiration (at 71% this week versus 73% last week) and confidence in their ability to travel safely (48% versus 52% last week).
• Safety of others, personal safety and worries about the COVID-19 variants are what 40% of travelers say are considerations that keep them from taking more trips.
• More than 77% of American travelers still plan to take a leisure trip in the next three months, averaging 1.9 trips.

DOMESTIC LEISURE SPENDING NEARLY RECOVERED, BUSINESS TRAVEL FORECASTED TO BE A LITTLE LESS THAN HALF OF 2019

Key findings from US Travel released July 1, 2021:

• Domestic leisure spending has already nearly recovered. It is estimated to have reached 92% of 2019 levels in Q2 of this year. The latest forecast projects that it will be 99% recovered (relative to 2019 levels) next year and 102% in 2023
• Domestic business travel spending is still lagging far behind leisure and is expected to reach just 43% of 2019 levels in 2021 and 71% of 2019 levels in 2022 before fully recovering in 2024
• International inbound travel is not expected to fully recover until 2024. International spending is projected to reach just 67% of 2019 levels in 2022 and 87% in 2023. International leisure travel is expected to recover slightly faster than international business travel
• According to Zartico and Predict HQ, festivals are driving leisure event rebound and July 2021 is 80% of July 2019 attendance levels while concerts are just 25% of 2019 levels and performing arts 15% of 2019 levels
• Sport event attendance is gaining momentum and July 2021 sport event attendance is now at 60% of 2019 levels

OHIO POSTS GUIDELINES FOR TRAVEL ECONOMY RELIEF GRANTS; APPLICATION PORTAL  OPENS TOMORROW

Guidelines are posted for four grant programs providing $155 million in non-repayable funding to entertainment venues, hotels and other lodging businesses, food and beverage establishments, and businesses that opened in 2020. The funds were established through bills passed in May.  

All four programs will be administered by the Ohio Development Services Agency. Guidelines, terms and conditions, and required documentation for all four programs are available now at BusinessHelp.Ohio.Gov. Applications can be submitted beginning Tuesday, June 29. 

Limited amounts of grants are available per county. Unused county funds will then be available for those left out of the first round of funding. It is very important that you apply as early as possible.  

The Food and Beverage Establishment Grant will provide grants of $10,000, $20,000, or $30,000 to restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and other food and drink businesses. The amount of individual grants to eligible businesses will be determined by the business’s loss of revenue in 2020. The total funding available for this program is $100 million. PLEASE NOTE: Eligibility is being expanded to wineries, breweries and distilleries who did not qualify based on their NAICS code on the original guidelines. Those guidelines are being revised to make sure wineries, distilleries and breweries with tasting rooms and food service are eligible.  

The Entertainment Venue Grant will provide grants of $10,000, $20,000, or $30,000 to zoos, aquariums, theaters, music venues, spectator sports venues, museums, historical sites and other entertainment venues. The amount of individual grants to eligible businesses will be determined by the business’s loss of revenue in 2020. The total funding available for this program is $20 million.

The Lodging Grant will provide grants of $10,000, $20,000, or $30,000 to hotels, motels, and bed and breakfast operations. The amount of individual grants to eligible businesses will be determined by the business’s decline in occupancy rate in 2020. The total funding available for this program is $25 million.

The New Small Business Grant will provide grants of $10,000 to small businesses that were established between Jan. 1, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2020. The total funding available is $10 million.

Access Guidelines and More Information Here

FEDERAL RELIEF OPENS FOR PASSENGER VESSELS, PILOT VESSELS AND MOTORCOACH COMPANIES

Established by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, the Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services (CERTS) Program was created to support transportation service providers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including motorcoach, school bus, passenger vessel, and pilot vessel companies.

Under the program, Treasury will provide up to $2 billion in grants to eligible companies that certify they have experienced an annual revenue loss of 25 percent or more as a direct or indirect result of COVID-19. CERTS grant funds are primarily  to cover payroll costs, but may also be used to cover the acquisition of services, equipment, including PPE and protection measures from COVID-19 for workers and customers; continued operations and maintenance of existing equipment and facilities; rent, leases, insurance, and interest on regular debt service.

Application Deadline:  The CERTS portal will be open for applications through July 19, 2021.  

Learn More and Apply Here

REGISTER NOW IF YOU ANTICIPATE APPLYING FOR STATE RELIEF MONIES

Details about the industry grants programs announced earlier, including when applications will open, will be available soon. Before the Development Services Agency launches the programs, more details will be posted under Investing in Ohio’s Future at BusinessHelp.Ohio.Gov.

Each program will require applicants to have an OH|ID, and businesses that plan to apply can get an OH|ID now, if they don't already have one. Register in OH|ID (https://ohid.ohio.gov) by creating an account with a username/password. Click on Create OH|ID Account to set up an account in OH|ID. For help with the process, click here.

The programs are:

• Food and Beverage Establishment Grant: This program will provide grants of $10,000, $20,000, or $30,000 to restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and other food and drinking businesses. The amount of individual grants to eligible businesses will be determined by the loss of revenue in 2020.
• Entertainment Venues Grant: This program will provide grants of $10,000. $20,000, or $30,000 theaters, music venues, spectator sports venues, museums, and other entertainment venues. The amount of individual grants to eligible businesses will be determined by the loss of revenue in 2020.
• Lodging Grant: This program will provide grants of $10,000, $20,000, or $30,000 to hotels, motels, and bed and breakfast operations. The amount of individual grants to eligible businesses will be determined by the business' decline in occupancy rate in 2020.
• New Small Business Grant: This program will provide grants of $10,000 to small businesses that were established after Jan. 1, 2020, through Dec. 31, 2020.

PROTOCOLS STILL IMPORTANT (PARTICULARLY AMONG YOUNG FAMILIES), BUT ONLINE TICKETING, NO INDOOR DINING AND OUTDOOR MASK WEARING APPEAR TO BE PROTOCOLS YOU CAN SAFELY DROP WITHOUT LOSING BUSINESS

Key findings from Impacts Research fielded June 4

• As of June 4, approximately 62% of high-propensity visitors to cultural entities in the United States believe that organizations should require all visitors to wear a mask.
• Households with children under 13 feel the strongest at 70%, while households without children who said masks should be mandatory is 55%.
• Researchers predict visitors will be divided like this for a while, as the rate at which travelers want businesses to operate “normal” has slowed.
• Indoor face coverings and special hours for those with health considerations are the top two health requirements visitors feel are important for safe visitor experiences, followed by social distancing.
• Wearing masks outdoors, waiting outside until there is enough capacity, purchasing tickets for time slots, and not eating or drinking while indoors are those visitors least believe are important for protecting their safety and the ones they may find irritating.

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION DIPS AMONG HOLIDAY TRAVELERS

Key findings from Destination Analysts fielded June 2-4, 2021

• Over the Memorial Day holiday, nearly a quarter of American travelers took a trip.
• Among these travelers, 65% said they had a negative-leaning experience—most commonly restaurants not being fully open (19%), crowding (19%) and poor COVID-19 safety standards (18%).
• That being said, nearly half (54%) said their Memorial Day trip helped them feel more comfortable with being out and traveling again.
• Given that households with families are still cautious due to vaccination rates, it’s good news that more American traveling parents say they’ll have their children vaccinated (60% versus 45% last week).
• Most Americans (roughly 80%) say they are ready to travel.
• The expected number of leisure trips in the next 3 months grew this week to 3.0 trips on average. While small towns and rural destinations are the likeliest types of destinations that travelers will visit, urban destinations are returning, with approximately 40% saying they anticipate visiting a city in the next 3 months. Average leisure trip spending during this time period is anticipated to be $1,810, higher than $1,691 reported last week.
• More Americans than ever during the pandemic recall seeing travel-related advertising, with 46% reporting seeing advertisements for travel destinations in the past month. Broadcast television (43%) and online advertisements (42%) were the top mediums in which Americans recall travel ads, while ads for hotels (44%) and theme parks (42%) were the types of ads most widely recalled.
• Travel ads are also bringing joy to Americans as well as influencing destination decisions. When asked to consider the most recent travel ad they saw, over half said these ads made them feel happy (53%). Importantly though, a third of American travelers say that they have indeed decided to visit a destination as a result of having seen an advertisement (32%).
• American travelers want ads that are honest, friendly and fun.
• Websites found via search engine, broadcast television, Facebook, streaming video, print magazines and email campaigns are the best ways to reach Americans with travel messaging.
• Younger travelers in particular (Millennials or younger and Gen X) are especially likely to turn to Facebook to learn about new destinations to visit.
• A significant rise compared to one year ago, the desire for a fun/entertaining tone in travel ads has increased 30 percentage points, from 22% to now 47%.

AMERICAN TRAVELERS PLANNING TO HIT THE ROAD, EXPRESSING MORE CONFIDENCE   

Key findings from Longwoods International fielded May 26, 2021

• American travelers with plans to travel in the next six months continues to rise (now at 90%) - 22% have a trip planned within the next month and 25% have one planned in one to two months.
• While 30% of U.S. travelers are saying COVID is not impacting their travel plans, 31% of U.S. travelers are choosing to drive instead of flying to their destination, 23% say they’re reducing the number of trips, and 30% are choosing to travel domestically instead of internationally.
• Just over one-quarter (26%) of travelers indicate that coronavirus will greatly impact their travel plans, showing a steady decline in this number for more than a month.
• Only 46% of travelers plan to change upcoming travel plans due to COVID-19, down 10 points from one month ago.
• Since mid-April, the percent of Americans waiting to travel until they receive the vaccine declined by 10 points, reaching a low of 23% this wave. 17% plan to wait until the majority of Americans are vaccinated while 15% will wait until their friends and family are vaccinated to travel. 44% indicated that the COVID-19 vaccine has no impact on their travel plans.
• As Americans continue to become more confident in their perceptions of travel and safety, 67% feel safe traveling outside of their own community, up seven points from two weeks ago. 61% are in support of welcoming visitors back to their communities and 66% indicate they feel safe dining in local restaurants and shopping in retail stores.
• Less than half of U.S. travelers indicated COVID-19 would have some impact on travel decisions in the next six months, and one-quarter (26%) indicated that COVID-19 will greatly impact their travel plans. 23% of travelers said concerns about their personal financial position would greatly impact their travel plans while 21% said the same in regards to transportation costs.

CONFIDENCE GROWS WEEKLY, BUT SAFETY PROTOCOLS STILL EXPECTED (ESPECIALLY AMONG YOUNGER TRAVELERS)

Key findings from Destination Analysts fielded May 26-28, 2021

• Confidence to travel safely continues to improve. At 26%, those who believe travel and leisure activities are unsafe is less than half of what it was at the start of the year.
• Avoidance of convention related travel again reaches a record low (45%).
• Those who booked a sporting event ticket doubled in the last week from 8% to 16%.
• Approximately 77% of American travelers report that they are taking leisure trips in the next 3 months. These travelers will take an average of 2.1 overnight trips this summer. Average leisure trip spending during this period is anticipated to be $1,691.
• Visitation to cities continues to return, with 42% reporting they will visit an urban destination during their summer travels, up from 38% last week.
• More than 70% of American travelers, however, still want to see destinations enforcing at least one pandemic safety protocol, such as masks (38%), social distancing (36%), and capacity limits (34%). They will be researching whether their intended destinations have these in place.
• The expectations for safety protocols are based on age and hometown. More than 80% of millennial and GenZ travelers want some COVID mitigations in place, while Boomers are split – 60% want them and 40% say none are needed. Read last week's update on why this may be a result of unvaccinated children in their households.
• Outdoor versus indoors activities is still a factor. This week, 71% of American travelers describe their mindset around large outdoor events as ready. When it comes to large indoor events however, readiness is at 58%. Even though there’s growing readiness to attend large events, 80% desire pandemic protocols in place at these functions, including attendance limitations and social distancing.
• Those seeking urban destinations are less interested in relaxation and more interested in great good experiences.
• Those looking for entertainment and parties may head to beaches, theme parks and mountains, while those seeking new places and things are likely to choose rural areas and small towns.
• Those seeking adventure and exploration are more likely choosing parks and mountains. Interestingly enough, those choosing to visit a national park are seeking beauty over relaxation.
• Those comfortable enjoying leisure activities in their home community is at a pandemic-high (67%).

AS STATE MANDATES ARE LIFTED, CONSUMER DATA ON EXPECTATIONS SHARED

In an industry where customer service is important, here is a link to consumer expectations for safety protocols at your business or organization. As comfort levels are changing quickly, we'll continue to keep you updated on what customers expect. Pay careful attention to new research showing how families with children living at home feel. 

How Travelers Feel About Safety Protocols May 27 2021

INTEREST IN URBAN AREAS JUST AS HIGH AS RURAL AREAS, GROWING CONFIDENCE IN ATTENDING CONVENTIONS AND CONFERENCES, MARKETING CHANNELS STARTING TO RETURN TO PRE-PANDEMIC NORM

Key findings from Destination Analysts fielded May 20-22:

• Consumers are feeling less anxious attending conventions and conferences. Those who are avoiding these has reached a pandemic-low of 52%, and 23% disagree that they will avoid.
• Great news for urban areas! Those travelers surveyed seeking to visit cities and urban areas is tracking similar to those who are interested in rural and beach destinations at 37%.
• In the last week, 78% dreamt and/or planned traveled, up nearly 5 percentage points. One-third report that they researched travel ideas online. Nearly 77% of American travelers say they are in a ready-to-travel mindset.
• Last week, 19% of American travelers booked a trip including hotels (57%) and airline tickets (44%). This is up 33% from the week prior.
• Americans report they will take an average of 2.3 leisure trips over the next 3 months.
• Instagram appeared in the top five channels travelers say they are most receptive to learning about destinations, and online travel agencies (such as Expedia) are among most frequent resources used to plan travel.
• Although 25% of those surveyed agree that gas price increases and shortages have led them to change or cancel Memorial Day travel, nearly a quarter (23%) of American travelers say they will take a trip for the holiday this year, averaging 3.5 days.
• When asked to evaluate their customer service experiences on their most recent trip, those surveyed had greatest concern with service in restaurants, with 24% saying a restaurant experiences diminished enjoyment of their trip. Hotels, motels and inns performed better, with only 8% of travelers saying they had encountered customer service problems. More than 40% of travelers agreed that, due to the pandemic, businesses in the travel industry appeared to be having trouble providing adequate service to travelers.

GROWING CONFIDENCE TO TRAVEL SAFELY, GAS PRICES EMERGING AS A CONCERN, SPLIT BETWEEN CLOSE-TO-HOME AND LONGER TRIPS

Key findings from Destination Analysts fielded May 13-15

• Consumer confidence in being able to travel safely continues to rise, with just under 35% American travelers avoiding travel (a 20% improvement in three months).
• Concern about travel prices and personal finances are increasing.
• While nearly 31% report concern about gas prices, 16% say they are reconsidering or canceling travel plans because of volatility in the gasoline market.  
• More than 70% of American travelers are excited and open to new trips in the near-term. They are seeking travel inspiration.
• Search engine, email campaigns and social remain the top channels cited in this survey.
• July (33%) and August (32%) remain the top months when American travelers are planning to take leisure trips. A quarter of American travelers report planning to take a trip in September or October.
• While 46% say they are planning trips closer to home, 41% report interest in longer and more involved destinations this summer.

BUSINESS TRAVEL BOOKINGS INCREASING, MORE EXPECT TO TAKE DOMESTIC BUSINESS  TRIP WITHIN NEXT THREE MONTHS

Key findings from Global Business Travel Association fielded May 10-15, 2021 among corporate travel managers and business travel suppliers.

• While there is growing optimism for recovery, 66% have cancelled or suspended most or some domestic business trips.
• A growing number, however, plan to return to domestic business travel in the next three months.
• Hotels and airlines echo these findings, with 54% seeing a growth in corporate bookings. Those reporting unchanged bookings are 36%, while only 10% reported a decrease in bookings. 
• Employees may be more willing to travel for business, with 75% of corporate managers saying their employees seem willing to travel versus 10% they suspect are unwilling. Safety (79%) and vaccination status (74%) are the top reasons for hesitancy. 
• Many corporate managers (46%) say they will resume travel regardless of vaccination status of their employees. 
• A majority (56%) of business travelers report they're as likely to extend a business trip for leisure as before the pandemic. Nineteen percent (19%) are more likely to take a "bleisure" trip, while 17% are less likely.   

GRANTS FOR HOTELS, ENTERTAINMENT VENUES, RESTAURANTS, SMALL BUSINESSES, FAIRS AND OTHERS SIGNED INTO LAW.

This afternoon, Governor DeWine signed two bills into effect that will provide much-needed relief for many in the Ohio travel economy. OTA thanks the Administration and members of the General Assembly for helping our industry recover from the pandemic.

Details about how to apply for these programs are not yet available. OTA is working with the state agencies responsible for administering the grants to offer a webinar and more details as they are known. 

Funding approved includes the following:

Local Fairs – $4.7 million in grants through the Ohio Department of Agriculture

Entertainment Venues - $20 million in grants to entertainment venues impacted by the pandemic. This funding is not restricted for indoor venues only. Development Services Agency will provide grants in amounts of $10,000, $20,000 and $30,000 based on demonstrated loss of revenue due to canceled events or performances.

New Business Relief Grants - $10 million in grants of $10,000 for new businesses in this state opening after Jan. 1, 2020.  These businesses were not eligible for the small business grants issued last year.

Small Business Grant - $150 million in grants of $10,000 to all eligible businesses who applied for grants on or before Dec. 11, 2020 under the Small Business Grant Relief program last year, but whose requests were not funded.

Bar and Restaurant Assistance - $100 million to provide relief to bars and restaurants. Ohio Development Services Agency will provide grants in amounts of $10,000, $20,000 and $30,000 based on such factors as demonstrated loss of revenue and the number of employees eligible bars and restaurants employ.

Lodging Industry Grants - $25 million to provide relief for lodging industry businesses. Ohio Development Services Agency will provide grants in amounts of $10,000, $20,000 and $30,000 based on such factors as demonstrated loss of revenue and occupancy rates.

GOVERNOR DEWINE WILL REVISE MASK ORDER TO REFLECT NEW GUIDANCE FROM CDC

• Ohio will update its masks mandate for fully vaccinated residents to reflect new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• The updated order will state that vaccinated Ohioans no longer need to wear a mask unless they are in a healthcare setting (includes nursing homes), traveling on public transportation or are in a business or workplace the requires masks.
• The actual order will be released Monday. It will be in place until June 2, when most remaining health orders will be lifted.
• Those who are not vaccinated still should wear a mask/socially distance.
• Governor DeWine stated, “If a business chooses to require masking for employees and customers, that is permitted under the CDC guidance and our order. If a business chooses not to require masks and leave that choice to customers and employees, that is also in line with the CDC guidance and our order.”
• If the numbers rise again, Gov. DeWine would have a discussion with the general assembly about how to address this. 

PUBLIC HEALTH ORDERS TO BE LIFTED JUNE 2, 2021

SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES SHOULD BE TOP PRIORITY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND DMOS, TRAVELERS REPORT GROWING CONFIDENCE IN TRAVELING AND ARE MAKING PLANS

Key findings from Longwoods International fielded April 28, 2021

66% of American travelers plan to take a trip within the next six months.

Although travelers report feeling more comfortable and ready to travel, the pandemic remains the top factor influencing the decision to travel, with 53% saying it will impact their decisions. With a majority of travelers still paying attention to the pandemic, now is perhaps not the time to ease up on safety protocols and messaging.

Concerns about personal finances will impact decisions for 37%, while transportation costs are impacting decisions for 38%. The affordability and roadtrip opportunities in Ohio remain well positioned for travelers concerned with price.

• 31% are choosing destination they can drive to as opposed to fly
• 26% are reducing the number of trips they’re taking
• 16% are choosing rural destinations over city destinations
• 11% are choosing not to travel at all
• 10% are canceling trips
• 26% say COVID-19 is not influencing travel plans

Travelers continue to report feeling more comfortable.

• 53% support opening up their communities to visitors
• 60% feel safe traveling outside their community (a record percentage since early May)
• 59% feel safe dining in restaurants and shopping in retail stores

Vaccinations continue to influence travel plans.

• 27% of travelers say they’ll wait to travel till vaccinated
• 21% say they’ll wait to travel till a majority of Americans are vaccinated
• 18% say they’ll travel when the majority of people in their destination of interest are vaccinated
• 18% will wait to travel until friends and family are vaccinated
• 16% will wait to travel until majority of those in their community are vaccinated
• 39% say the vaccine has no impact on travel plans

When asked what should be the priority of local government (and DMOs) right now, supporting businesses was the top response.

• Helping businesses hit hardest by the pandemic to reopen and recover (48%)
• Supporting the growth of locally-owned businesses (44%)
• Creating reasons to visit during off-season, creating economic opportunities for local businesses year-round (22%)
• Investing in community project that locals and visitors can enjoy, such as trails and cultural projects (20%)
• Engaging with and helping minority-owned businesses (19%)
• Investing in community programs for tourism and hospitality workers (19%)
• Investing in the natural environment (18%)
• Investing in reducing, offsetting or mitigating tourism’s carbon footprint through things like renewable energy, public transportation (17%)

RESTAURANT REVIALIZATION FUND WILL BEGIN REGISTRATIONS ON FRIDAY, APRIL 30 AND APPLICATIONS WILL OPEN MONDAY, MAY 3

SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman announced the U.S. Small Business Administration will begin registrations on Friday, April 30, 2021, at 9 a.m. EDT and open applications on Monday, May 3, 2021, at noon EDT for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. The online application will remain open to any eligible establishment until all funds are exhausted. 

“Restaurants are the core of our neighborhoods and propel economic activity on main streets across the nation. They are among the businesses that have been hardest hit and need support to survive this pandemic. We want restaurants to know that help is here,” said Administrator Guzman. “The SBA has focused on the marketplace realities of our food and beverage businesses in designing the Restaurant Revitalization Fund to meet businesses where they are. And we are committed to equity to ensure our smaller and underserved businesses, which have suffered the most, can access this critical relief, recover, and grow more resilient.”

Established under the American Rescue Plan, and signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11, 2021, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund provides a total of $28.6 billion in direct relief funds to restaurants and other hard-hit food establishments that have experienced economic distress and significant operational losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This program will provide restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location. Funds must be used for allowable expenses by March 11, 2023. 

“Recognizing the great urgency to help restaurants keep their doors open – and with a clear mandate from Congress – the SBA worked at a breakneck speed and is excited to launch this program,” said Patrick Kelley, SBA Associate Administrator, Office of Capital Access. “From day one, we engaged with diverse stakeholders in the food industry community to make sure we built and delivered the program equitably, quickly, and efficiently.”

In preparation, the SBA recommends qualifying applicants familiarize themselves with the application process in advance to ensure a smooth and efficient application experience, specifically by:

• Registering for an account in advance at restaurants.sba.gov starting Friday, April 30, 2021, at 9 a.m. EDT.
• Reviewing the official guidance, including program guide, frequently asked questions, and application sample.
• Preparing the required documentation.
• Working with a point-of-sale vendor or visiting restaurants.sba.gov to submit an application when the application portal opens. [Note: If an applicant is working with a point-of-sale vendor, they do not need to register beforehand on the site.]
• Attending a live recorded virtual training webinar.
• Tuesday, April 27 | 2:30 p.m. EDT | Register here
• Wednesday, April 28 | 1 p.m. EDT | Register here
• Wednesday, April 28 | 2:30 p.m. EDT | Register here

For the first 21 days that the program is open, the SBA will prioritize funding applications from businesses owned and controlled by women, veterans, and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. All eligible applicants are encouraged to submit applications as soon as the portal opens. Following the 21 days, all eligible applications will be funded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Consistent with the legislation and the intent of Congress, the SBA continues to take steps to ensure the equitable distribution of relief, particularly for the smallest businesses, by creating a $9.5 billion set-aside: $5 billion for applicants with 2019 gross receipts of not more than $500,000; $4 billion is set aside for applicants with 2019 gross receipts from $500,001 to $1,500,000; and $500 million for applicants with 2019 gross receipts not more than $50,000.

For more information, visit sba.gov/restaurants or in Spanish at sba.gov/restaurantes.

Museums, live venue operators and promotors, theatrical producers, live performing arts organization operators, motion picture theatres and talent representatives can start applying for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program today at noon. This program is offering $16 billion in grants.   

The SBA is accepting applications the next 14 days from those who lost 90% or more gross revenue last year due to the pandemic. Beginning May 10, those who lost 70% or more may apply. A third wave of funding will be awarded to those who experienced 25% or more loss during one quarter of 2020, based on 2019.

Eligible applicants may qualify for grants equal to 45% of their gross earned revenue, with the maximum amount available for a single grant award of $10 million. 

To apply, please review information on the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant application portal carefully.

• Use the checklist to make sure you have everything you need to complete your application. Review additional resources at gov/svogrant such as theapplicant user guide and FAQ. Keep these resources open throughout the application process.

• Register on the SVOG portal. 

For technical assistance such as a password reset, browser suggestions, or how to use the multi-factor authentication with an app and the QR code, applicants can call 1-800-659-2955 or, for the deaf and hard-of-hearing 1-800-877-8339 and follow the prompts to SVOG assistance. The call center is now open 24/7.

MANY ARE OPEN TO TRAVEL INSPIRATION NOW; ROAD TRIPS HAVE GROWN DURING THE PANDEMIC

Key findings from Destination Analysts fielded Apr. 16-18:

• This week, 71.9% of American travelers say they are in a ready-to-travel mindset compared to 28.1% who are not ready to travel.
• 63.4% are highly open to travel inspiration right now.
• Three-quarters of American travelers did some travel planning and dreaming in the past week, with 16.4% actually making a reservation or booking.
  • 51.8% booked a hotel room.
  • 32% bought airline tickets.
  • 24.1% made rental car reservations.
  • 18.3% booked a home sharing service, like Airbnb.
  • 15.5% bought amusement park tickets.
  • 14.4% bought museum or attraction tickets.
  • 13.7% bought tickets to a sporting event.
• More than 75% of respondents will take at least one trip in the next three months.
• With more inspiration to travel right now, American travelers are showing a receptiveness to travel messing in a variety of channels.

• Highlights from graph:
  • Social media is most common for younger travelers.
  • TikTok is growing as a channel for travel influence with nearly a quarter of younger travelers saying it is ideal place to reach them.
  • Older travelers remain largely committed to Facebook.
  • Search engine marketing remains key for travel marketing, particularly to reach older travelers.
• An important proportion of travelers are looking to print resources like travel and lifestyle magazines.
• Americans have shown an increase in happiness when seeing their own communities advertised for tourism.
  • 50.4% said they would feel happy or very happy if they saw an ad promoting the area they live.
  • 17.4% said they would feel unhappy or very unhappy if they saw an ad promoting the area they live.
  • 39.5% said they aren’t ready for tourism in their community yet.
• Two-thirds of Americans took a road trip during the pandemic.
  • The average number of road trips taken by Americans during the pandemic was 2.5.
  • 51% say their pandemic road trips have made travel by car more appealing.
  • 62% of pandemic road-trippers agree their experience has reminded them of how fun a road trip can be.
• Business travel continues to recover slowly.
  • 56% of those employed by companies in which there is business travel say it has resumed, up from 48% from the week of March 7.
  • 47% of business travelers feel the COVID-19 pandemic will change the way their employer does business travel.
  • 52% of business travels said they hope not to travel as much as they did for work before the pandemic.

TRAVELERS REPORT FEELING LESS GUILTY; BOOKING WINDOWS REMAIN SHORT; SEEKING ESCAPES AND NEW EXPERIENCES

Key findings from Destination Analysts fielded Apr. 9-11:

• 39.1% of American travelers report not feeling guilty traveling, surpassing 36.7% who do feel guilty traveling.
• Over 86% of travelers currently have at least tentative leisure travel plans.
• As for what is motivating travelers right now:
  • 64.8% want to relax or escape stress.
  • 59.8% want to get away from daily life.
  • 59.7% want to spend time with family.
• Many travelers are seeking newness as well. These include:
  • 51.4% wanting to escape from boredom.
  • 48.1% want to have new experiences.
  • 44.8% want to visit a new place.
  • 35.3% want good experiences for their children.
  • 33.5% want to party, hangout, have fun.
  • 23.0% want to meet new people.
• 45.7% or American travelers say they plan to book travel reservations closer to their travel date.
  • Over 40% of travelers who will be making hotel, car, rental, attraction and event bookings say they will be booking less than four weeks out.
  • 28.5% of air travelers say they will purchase their flights less than a month before travel.
• In regard to type of travel expected in the next three months:
  • 52.4% are planning to book leisure travel.
  • 36.8% want to visit friends and relatives.
  • 12.0% are planning other.
  • 11.4% are planning group meeting travel.
• 54.4% of business travelers say they would be happy if their employer asked them to attend an in-person conference, convention, or group meeting.
• When American business travelers expect to feel comfortable attending in-person conferences/group meetings:
  • 17.3% reported they feel comfortable right now.
  • 19.0% reported feeling comfortable in the spring.
  • 25.8% reported feeling comfortable in the summer.
  • 21.1% reported feeling comfortable later in 2021.
  • 16.8% reported feeling comfortable in 2022 or later.

SUMMARY OF NEW HEALTH ORDER ISSUED BY THE STATE OF OHIO 4/6/2021

A simplified public health order has being released by the Ohio Department of Health covering guidelines for social distancing, facial coverings, and gatherings.

This new health order replaces nearly all other orders, including those for campgrounds, entertainment venues, mass gatherings, bars, restaurants, banquet and catering services, fairs, etc. Requirements under those previous orders are no longer mandated; only what is stated in the new order is now required by the state. 

Keep in mind, local health departments can impose stricter regulations.

This new order gives businesses the freedom to implement with common sense those things that most prevent the spread of coronavirus:

• face coverings
• social distancing
• sanitizing
• hand washing

Please Note:

• There is NO LONGER an order limiting capacity at outdoor events to 30% fixed seating capacity.
• Indoor meetings without fixed seating (in other words, seats bolted to the ground) are not under any capacity restriction, other than your ability to provide setups with social distancing in place.

Face Coverings

Face coverings should be worn at all times in:

• Any indoor location that is not a residence
• Outdoors when it is impossible to maintain a six-foot distance from individuals who are not part of your pod or household
• Waiting for riding, driving, operating public transportation, taxi, car service, or ride-sharing a vehicle. This doesn’t apply to private or rental vehicles where members of a pod/family are sharing a vehicle.

Face covering requirements do NOT apply when:

• While seated and actively eating and drinking. Must remain seated.
• While working alone in an enclosed space, such as an office.
• If an individual is separated by at least six feet in all directions in a space that is not used or accessible by the public, such as an office
• When actively participating in broadcast communications
• Individual is less than 10 years old
• A medical condition prevents wearing of a mask
• When individual is communicating with someone who is hearing-impaired or another disability where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication
• While actively exercising in a gym or indoor facility, as long as six or more feet of distance between individuals exists
• While actively engaged in public safety, such as law enforcement, firefighters or emergency medical personnel
• When prohibited by law or regulation
• When in violation of documented industry standards
• When in violation of documented business safety policies
• When an officiant of a religious service
• When working in an industrial or manufacturing facility, employees must be separated by at least six feet in all directions or by a barrier

Managing Events, Meetings and Groups

All limits for capacity are lifted, other than for indoor facilities with fixed seating. Spectators at an indoor facility with fixed capacity are limited to 25%. If your seating is not fixed (such as a meeting venue where setups for events are flexible), this does not apply.

However, you still have to provide the 6-foot distancing between individuals who are not from the same household.

Keeping the Six Feet of Separation Between Groups of Individuals

When gathered together in any setting, individuals should be in a group of no more than 10 individuals, and each group should be separated from other groups by at least six feet. Take this into consideration when planning any function or when managing the flow of customers.  

Think of this in terms of “party size.”

Large Gatherings

• When managing an event, discourage standing or sitting close together in buildings or other parts of the premises.
• Where possible, maintain one-way traffic in buildings and other area of premises.

Exhibitions, Competitions and Auctions

• All participants maintain six ft. distancing.
• If a competition, family members of participants have priority in viewing areas.
• Microphones must be sanitized after each person uses them.
• Virtual events should be considered, though not required.
• Buyers have priority seating at auctions. Social distancing must be maintained for all events.

Capacity Limit for Spectators at Indoor Facilities

• Spectators at an indoor facility with fixed seating are limited to 25% of fixed seating.
• Maintain 6-foot distancing between seated spectators with groups of up to 10 seated together.

Social Distancing

• Maintain 6-foot social distancing in all directions for employees and customers.
• Continue frequent hand washing / hand sanitizing.
• Cover coughs/sneezes into your elbow not your hands.
• Regularly clean high-touch surfaces.
• Where possible include signs, tape or other to remind employees and customers to maintain 6-foot distancing.
• Have hand sanitizer available for employees and customers.

Sanitation

• Hand washing or sanitization upon entry of a facility.
• Provide sanitizers that meet CDC guidelines throughout your business, event, meeting, etc.
• Routinely disinfect high-contact surfaces and areas.

Signage

• All businesses and organized gatherings, where possible shall post signage at all entrances to wear face coverings and to maintain 6-foot distancing at all times on grounds or premises.

Buildings

• Strive to maximize ventilation, including doors and windows.
• Indoor facilities expected to employ filtration of MERV 13 or higher as soon as possible.

Food and Beverages                      

• All establishments or organized gatherings (such as meetings and events) that serve food and beverage should require patrons to be seated while eating and drinking.
• Tables should be six feet apart.
• No more than 10 people per table.
• Facial coverings are to be worn when not eating or drinking.
• Food and beverage to be consumed while seated.

GOVERNER DEWINE ANNOUNCES THE STATE OF OHIO IS SIMPLIFYING HEALTH ORDERS

New, more simplified public health orders are being released by the Ohio Department of Health today. These more simplified public orders will replace and consolidate several existing public health orders. As of this email, the new order was not posted. We will provide details about this order as soon as it is released, and we have the opportunity to review. Additional guidance specifically for graduation and proms will be released tomorrow.  

The governor said the new order focuses on the basics, and he emphasized that there is nothing new nor any surprises. He highlighted a few of the regulations that will be included.

• Masks will continue to be mandatory.
• Clarification of 10 person gathering – this means how many people you are with, or “party size.” This does not mean events, festivals and other such functions cannot be held; it means smaller groupings within a larger event should not be larger than 10 people. If you manage a parade, event, meeting, etc., keep individual group sizes to 10 persons or less. There can be lots of groupings of 10 or less. 
• Businesses and venues should promote one-way traffic patterns to maintain six feet distancing.
• Try to maintain six-feet between groups of 10. If you are an event organizer or business, group of 10 or less should be separated by six feet from the next group of 10 or less.
• Practice good handwashing and routine disinfecting, so continue to offer handwashing and sanitizing stations.
• There will still be restrictions on capacity, and these will be outlined in the order. In particular, the capacity for fixed seating indoors will remain capped at 25%. Even with this capacity limit, understand that groups (or bubbles of 10) must be separated by six feet.
• Stay seated while actively eating and drinking – this includes at festivals, events, meetings, restaurants, bars, and any other location where food or beverages are consumed.   

The Ohio Travel Association is extremely pleased with the governor’s response to requests for simplification and clarification of public health orders. Together with OHLA, OTA has talked with the administration many times over the confusion of the 10-person mass gathering and need to clarify the health order’s intention.   

The public health order can be found here.

WHAT CONSUMER DEMAND RECOVERY COULD LOOK LIKE FROM COVID-19

Key findings from Bookings.edu:

• At the McKinsey Global Institute, a study was done analyzing consumer demand and behavior during the pandemic in China, France, Germany, the U.K., and the U.S.
• The research found that the pandemic experiences varied widely across income, age, and geographies, not in terms of just health, but the economic impact, too.
• After analyzing consumer spending according to disposable incoming and age and examining behavioral shifts forced on consumers, it was found that over the exceptional nature of the shock provides reason to be optimistic for a fast rebound in consumer spending once the pandemic is over.
• The 10-20 percentage-point spike in the savings rate (doubling in the U.S.) left many households in a strong position to spend.
• Looking closer at recovery by segments, examining nine segments divided into low, middle, and high income and young, middle, and old age, it is found the recovery in consumer demand is likely to be uneven, especially in the U.S.

• It was expected that spending by middle- and high-income cohorts in the U.S. to bounce back to pre-COVID-19 levels between 2021 and 2022.
• It was found that spending by lower-income cohorts could drop below pre-COVID-19 levels once stimulus measures expire as lower-income households have lost jobs or face income uncertainty.
• During the pandemic, long-standing consumer spending habits were interrupted, accelerated, or reversed.
• To determine if these pandemic induced behaviors will continue, six consumption shifts that cover a broad range of consumer life and are drawn from sectors that cover almost three-quarters of consumer spending was examined.
• This examination included:
  • Online grocery shopping.
  • A sharp decline in live entertainment.
  • The emergence of home nesting.
  • Decrease in leisure air travel.
  • The switch to remote learning
  • An increase in virtual health care visits.
• In the end, it was found online grocery shopping, virtual health care visits, and home nesting are likely to stick. However, leisure air travel, remoting learning, and live entertainment will likely revery closer to pre-pandemic patterns.
• It was also found that the speed and depth at which behavioral changes embed themselves within a population also depends on the actions of the government and industries.
• The analysis has led to conclude the shape and structure of consumer spending may be quite different, and this may lead to even greater polarization of consumption.

SAM REGISTRATION WEBINAR FOR SHUTTERED VENUE, RESTAURANT GRANT  APPLICATIONS

Businesses planning to apply for the federal Shuttered Venue Operators Grant or the Restaurant Revitalization Fund can learn how to register at SAM.gov in this no-cost webinar.

The Ohio Procurement Technical Assistance Center at Ohio University is hosting the webinar at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 1. The webinar will detail the process to a successful registration for the federal System for Award Management (SAM.gov).  It will also instruct a business to apply for a DUNS number that is also required. Topics covered:

• Obtaining a free Dun and Bradstreet Number required to start SAM Registration (takes 72 hours to process).
• Information required in SAM; SAM is a free government registration.
• Common mistakes to avoid; get it done correctly the first time.
• Q&A.

To register, click here.

AMERICANS WORRY WHAT THE PANDEMIC WILL DO TO OUR ECONOMY; TRAVELERS REPORT WHAT THEY ARE LIKELY TO SPEND THEIR STIMULUS CHECK ON

Key findings from Destination Analyst fielded Mar. 22: 

• The proportion of American travelers that feel the pandemic situation will get worse in the U.S. in the next month rose over 7% to 18.5% after hitting a record low last week of 11.1%.
• This week, 79.6% of Americans are highly concerned about the pandemic impact on our national economy. This may also play a role in their feelings towards tourism in their own communities.
• 46.1% of Americans travelers who report they would be happy to see an ad promoting tourism in their town, 64.8% report the most common reason being to help local businesses.
• 38.3% of those who have or are expecting a stimulus check say they are likely to spend a portion of it on leisure travel. This is more prevalent among millennial age travelers who are as likely as boomer age travels to spend their stimulus money on travel.
• A record high of 73.8% of American travelers did some travel planning and dreaming in the last week.
  • Over one-third of American travelers reported daydreaming about vacationing.
  • Nearly 30% researched travel ideas online.
  • 15.8% said they made a travel reservation in the last week. Of the 15.8%, 57% booked a hotel room while only 42.1% bought airline tickets.
• Many Americans do expect a longer-term impact from the pandemic on their travel.
  • Nearly 60% agree that the pandemic has changed their outlook on life overall.
  • 46.9% agree they will put more effort into visiting places on their travel bucket list in the next few years.
• When asked if the pandemic has changed their opinions about the types of destinations they want to visit for leisure in the future:
  • 41.8% said yes to at least some degree.
  • 52.2% said they will be visiting beaches, national parks and other outdoor destinations more as a result of the pandemic.
  • 44.6% report they are less likely to visit urban, entertainment and theme park-focused destinations in the next few years due to the pandemic.
  • About four-in-ten American travelers expect they will be sticking closer to home and spending less on their leisure travel in the coming years.

GUIDELINES OPENING FAIRS WITH EXCEPTIONS NOW AVAILABLE

Guidelines on fairs has been released and can be found here.

TRAVELER OPTIMISM POINTS TO FUTURE INDUSTRY RECOVERY; PEOPLE ARE BECOMING MORE COMFORTABLE OPENING THEIR COMMUNITIES

Key findings from Longwoods International fielded Mar. 3:

• 84% of travelers reported they have travel plans in the next six months. This is up 3% from Feb. 17.
• As for when travelers next trip might be:
  • 17% said they currently do not have any trips planned.
  • 16% said within the next month.
  • 20% said the next 1-2 months.
  • 26% said in the next 3-5 months.
  • 21% said their next trip will be in the next 6 or more months.
• COVID-19 still impacts decisions of when travelers might travel in the next six months. 35% of people said COVID-19 greatly impacts their decision, while only 11% said it has no impact at all.
• Though COVID-19 does have an impact on travelers next trip, on Feb. 17, 41% of travelers said COVID-19 greatly impacted when their next trip would be. Now, this percentage is only 35%.
• 61% said they would change their travel plans due to COVID-19, whereas 66% said they would on Feb. 17.
• COVID-19 continues to influence peoples travel plans in the next six months.
  • 32% said they are reducing the number of trips they are taking.
  • 32% said they are choosing destinations they can drive to as opposed to flying.
  • 26% said they are only traveling within the U.S. instead of internationally.
  • 15% are choosing not to travel at all.
  • 15% said they are choosing rural destinations over city destinations.
  • 11% said they are canceling all trips.
  • 20% of travelers said COVID-19 is not influencing their travel plans.
• 44% of people agree or strongly agree to support opening their communities to visitors.
• 50% said they feel safe traveling outside their communities.
• 49% feel said dining in local restaurant and, shopping in retail stores in their communities.
• The vaccine continues to greatly impact travel plans.
  • 36% still plan to wait to travel until they received the vaccine. This is down 2% from last month.
  • 32% said the COVID-19 vaccine has no impact on their travel plans. This is down 1% from Feb. 17.
• When asked if travelers have worked remotely since March of 2020, 33% said they have worked remotely and spent time on vacation. Whereas only 12% have worked remotely but did not spend any time on vacation.

GOVERNOR DEWINE RELEASED UPDATED SPORTS AND MASS GATERHINGS ORDERS

Governor DeWine just released public health orders easing mass gathering mandates and requirements for sports and entertainment venues. We are still trying to interpret some of these orders, but here are summaries and links to the order themselves. We highly recommend that you consult these orders.

1) First Amended Revised Order to Limit and/or Prohibit Mass Gatherings in the State of Ohio, with Exceptions

• Wedding receptions, funeral repasts, proms, and other events, whether or not food is served, at banquet facilities shall comply with previously signed health orders, including those regarding restaurants and facial coverings. 
• Events at banquet centers no longer have a 300-person limitation, so long as they comply with other health orders. 

Link to public health order

2) Addenda to Director’s Second Amended Order that Provides Mandatory Requirements for Youth, Collegiate, Amateur, Club and Professional Sports signed 9/25/2020 and Director’s Order that Provides Mandatory Requirements for Entertainment Venues signed 8/25/2020

• The maximum number of spectators in any indoor sports venue shall be 25% of fixed, seated capacity. 
• The maximum number of spectators permitted in any outdoor sports venue shall be 30% of fixed, seated capacity. 
• The maximum number of patrons permitted in any indoor entertainment venue shall be 25% of fixed, seated capacity.
• The maximum number of patrons gathered in any outdoor entertainment venue shall be 30% fixed, seated capacity. 

Link to public health order

AMERICAN TRAVELERS REPORT WHAT THEY PLAN TO DO ON THEIR NEXT TRIP

Key findings from Longwoods International fielded Feb. 17:

• Travel plans for Americans stayed the same this week in comparison to the week of Feb. 3. 81% still have plans to travel in the next six months.
• American travelers reported what they plan to do on their next leisure trip:
  • 45% plan to visit friends and family.
  • 35% plan to visit the beach/waterfront.
  • 34% plan to take a road trip.
  • 26% plan to visit a national park, state park, or monument.
  • 18% plan to explore a city.
• 41% say COVID-19 greatly impacts travel decisions in the next six months which is up 1% from Feb. 3. 12% say it has no impact at all.
• There are still major influences of COVID-19 and travel in the next six months.
  • 31% say they are choosing destinations they can drive to instead of fly.
  • 30% are reducing the number of trips they are taking.
  • 25% are traveling within the U.S instead of internationally.
  • 21% are choosing not to travel at all.
  • 15% are choosing rural destinations over city destinations.
  • 15% are canceling trips.
  • 16% reported COVID-19 is not influencing travel plans.
• As for perception of safety:
  • 15% say they support opening their communities
  • 15% say they feel safe traveling outside of their community
  • 16% said they feel safe dining in local restaurants and shopping in retail stores.
• The COVID-19 vaccine still plays a major role on travel plans.
  • 38% report they will wait until they receive the vaccine to travel.
  • 20% will wait until friends and family are all vaccinated.
  • 19% will wait until majority of Americans are vaccinated.
  • 18% will wait until majority of people in their destination of interest are vaccinated.
  • 16% will wait until the majority of their community is vaccinated.
  • 33% say the COVID-19 vaccine has no impact on their travel plans.

INTENT TO TRAVEL CONTINUES TO RISE, MORE IN A TRAVEL READINESS STATE OF MIND, 56% OF TRAVELERS OPEN TO INSPIRATION THOUGH ADVERTISING

Key findings from Destination Analyst Feb. 14-19:

• 12.7% of American travelers said they took a trip for the long Valentines and Presidents Day weekend. This doubled what was reported for Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend.
• How American travelers perceive travel within their own communities is also critical to understanding the travel industry’s recovery. This week:
  • 44.3% agree they feel comfortable going out for leisure activities where they live.
  • 39.1% of Americans continue to say they would be happy to see their community advertise for tourism, whereas 29.1% say they would be unhappy.
  • Urban areas are far likelier to feel happy about travel advertisement (50.1%) in comparison to those residing in suburban (35.6%) or rural areas (34.7%).
• Americans anxiety about the pandemic continues to decline. A record 39.3% of Americans feel the situation will get better next month with the administration of COVID-19 vaccines.
• Perceptions of travel and leisure activities as unsafe has fallen to a record low of an average of 46.2%.
• Around 60% of American travelers feel at least somewhat confident they can travel safely in the current environment.
  • Travel guilt has declined to 44.0%.
  • 58.5% are in a travel readiness state of mind.
• 80.2% of Americans have plans for one or more trips this year, July still looking to be the peak month for travel.
• More than half of Americans have taken action toward their very next leisure trip:
  • 26.1% researched destinations to visit,
  • 18.8% booked lodging,
  • 14.4% researched travel activities.
• Primary motivations for these next leisure trips are to spend time with family, relax, and escape stress and simply get away from the routines of daily life.
• Advertising inspires more travel. This week, 55.8% report being high open to travel inspiration. Over a quarter of all American travelers – and over 35% of those Millennial age or younger – say that an advertisement has specifically motivated them to travel to a destination. 38.9% say seeing a destination ad made them feel “happy” or “very happy.”

SHORTER TRAVEL PLANNING AND BOOKING IS OCCURING 

Key findings from Colleen Dilenschineider fielded Feb. 17: 

• There are two timeframes: leads days to visit (the average number of days between when they expressed their initial intention to visits and when they actually visited) and the time period between ticket purchase and redemption. Looking at these two timeframes separately, here is what the research shows.
• Local audiences are planning visits in shorter timeframes.
  • Before the pandemic, a person living within 10 miles of an attraction might decide on a Wednesday they will visit a museum on Saturday. Now, studies show a person living within 10 miles of an organization makes their decision to go and then attends the very next day.
  • People prefer day trips and to travel by vehicle during the pandemic.
  • It is also noted that the lead time for national visitors has decreased.
  • There is some related evidence that drivers of national travel, mostly business travel, have also correspondingly decreased in terms of planning length. Business travel trends impact visitation to places like visiting the zoo before a meeting, conference cocktail parties at museums, or families accompanying the business traveler.
• People have also started redeeming their tickets sooner.
  • Pre-pandemic, approximately 78% of visitors purchased and redeemed their tickets within 24 hours. This year, it’s up to 89% of tickets purchases.

• People are not pursuing national travel to the same extent as last year. This results in a higher percentage of local, suburban, and exurban audiences coming through at organizations doors.
• People may be making tentative plans and ‘seeing how they feel’ when their desired date of attendance arrives.
• What do these shortened timeframes mean for cultural organizations?
  • Be mobile optimized. Studies show 40.4% of people are using mobile devices to purchase tickets. 38.2% use a desktop or laptop.
  • Value social care. People are acting upon their visitation decision more quickly which can lead to time sensitive questions. Social media continues to be important for marketing. Showing these short time frame questions on your platforms is beneficial to your organization.
  • Cultivate local audiences. Knowing that local audiences are especially likely to be activated may also impact an organization’s messaging, web content, and target. It may also impact what you highlight onsite and how you build a sense of community.

THE ARRIVAL OF THE COVID-19 VACCINE HAS REIGNITED TRAVEL PLANNING IN THIS U.S. 

Key findings from Longwoods International fielded Feb. 3: 

• Vaccines are top of mind for American travelers with two thirds saying the vaccine will impact their travel plans. 
• 35% of travelers say they will wait until they have received their vaccine to travel.  
• 21% say they will wait to travel until majority of Americans are vaccinated.  
• 37% of travelers say the COVID-19 vaccine has no impact on their travel plans.  
• 81% of travelers surveyed say they plan to travel in the next six months. That is only 6% lower compared to March of 2020.  
• As for when travelers plan to take their next trip, 19% say they do not have any trips planned, 11% say they’ll travel within the next month, 16% say in the next 1-2 months, 26% say in 3-5 months, and 28% say in 6 months or more.  
• Willingness to open communities to travelers is showing slight increase since March. In March 2020, 35% surveyed said they supported opening their community to visitors. Now, 41% support opening their community.
• 49% of travelers say they strongly agree or agree they feel safe to travel outside their community. In March of 2020, only 40% felt this way.  
• 45% also said they feel safe dining in local restaurants and shopping in retail stores within their community. Last March, only 31% of people felt safe doing this.  
• What type of information are travelers seeking right now?
  • 47% say they would like delivery and takeout food options in your community,
  • 46% said deals and offers for travel, dining and entertainment for future use,
  • 36% said ways to support local businesses/organizations impacted by COVID-19,
  • 26% said purchasing merchandise and gift cards from local businesses online,
  • 22% said online virtual tours of museums, art galleries and other visitor attractions,
  • 21% said videos of inspirational or interesting travel destinations,
  • 20% said live streams of performances by local musicians, artists, or theater groups,
  • 20% said sharing travel experiences or ideas with others online, and
  • 16% said 360-degree imagines/videos or virtual reality experiences of travel destinations.

GOVERNOR DEWINE'S BUDGET DETAILS RELATED TO THE TRAVEL ECONOMY IS PROACTIVE AND STRATEGIC

Earlier this week, Governor DeWine released the Executive Budget for FY22 and FY23. As part of his budget, a one-time investment of $1 billion is proposed to spur economic growth. As part of his Investing in Ohio Future, the following will help businesses operating within the Ohio travel economy save jobs and accelerate overall economic recovery in Ohio:

$200 million will provide grants to bars and restaurants that have been affected by the pandemic. $100 million this fiscal year and $100 million in FY22 will provide grants of up to $30,000.

$150 million in FY21 will provide grants of $10,000 to all qualified Small Business Relief Grant applicants that didn't receive funding in the initial application period.

$50 million over FY 21 and FY22 will provide grants of up to $30,000 for lodging businesses that have seen a significant reduction in occupancy because of the pandemic.

$40 million over FY21 and FY22 will provide grants of up to $30,000 to indoor entertainment venues that have been most affected by the pandemic

$20 million over FY21 and FY22 will provide grants of $10,000 to 2,000 new businesses who were unable to apply for previous assistance because they were newly launched.

$50 million over FY22 and FY23 to fund a national marketing campaign promoting Ohio as a place to live, work, learn and play.  

Other investments target community infrastructure projects, expanding broadband, workforce development, TechCred credentialing. More information can be found in the  Investing in Ohio fact sheet.  

The governor and his team recognize the hardships our industry continues to experience, as well as our role in getting the economy moving again when the time is right. His proposed budget will not only save Ohio jobs, but it will help us bring back jobs in the future. 

This budget now goes to the General Assembly for approval in the next few months, so telling your  story to your state elected officials will be more important than ever. OTA is working with its partners to develop a strategy and communications tools.    

OTA PROVIDES STATEMENT OF SUPPORT OF THE GOVERNOR'S EXECUTIVE BUDGET

OTA submitted the following statement of support in response to the budget's release: 

Governor DeWine and his team appropriately titled the Executive Budget initiative “Investing in Ohio,” and the Ohio Travel Association applauds this true investment in the future of the state. With a 22% unemployment rate and a loss of more than $12.8 billion in revenues due to the pandemic, Ohio’s travel and hospitality businesses are in trouble. They’re also a major road to economic recovery. When people travel, whether it’s a day-trip to a museum or an overnight to enjoy a live performance, they spend money that supports businesses and generates tax revenues. To help keep these businesses intact so they’ll be able to fuel this economic activity later, the Governor has wisely provided much-needed relief to save jobs. At the same time, Ohio can accelerate recovery and get more Ohioans back to work through stimulating travel with increased promotions. It is imperative that this two-prong approach occurs if we are to experience an overall economic recovery in Ohio. The losses are too deep and too broad for the economy to recovery fully without recovery of the businesses dependent on travel spending.  

Melinda Huntley, Ohio Travel Association Executive Director

GOV. DEWINE ANNOUNCED EXECUTIVE BUDGET, INCLUDES HELP FOR OHIO TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY BUSINESSES

Governor DeWine announced his Executive Budget for FY 2022-2023 at 1:30 p.m. that includes an Investing in Ohio Initiative to help the state recover. Funding priorities include those absolutely essential in helping our travel and hospitality businesses recover, as well as for accelerating recovery. 

Please note that this is not an approved budget at this point in time, but needs to get support of both chambers of the Ohio General Assembly. Thanks to Governor DeWine and his Administration, including Development Services Agency Director Lydia Mihalik, this proposed budget is the first step in saving our jobs and businesses in Ohio.  

Investing in Ohio Initiative is a critical component of the Governor’s budget and includes the following:

• Supporting small businesses hurt most by the pandemic
  • $460 million in relief will be available for businesses in the entertainment and hospitality sectors
  • Of that, $20 million is for those businesses launched in 2020, as these businesses haven’t qualified for previous relief
  • The Governor also said he will protect businesses from tax increases
• Strengthening Ohio communities
  • $450 million will be targeted for key infrastructure projects, such as restoring brownfields, water quality improvements, etc.
  • As part of this, dollars will be invested in broadband expansion
• Telling Ohio’s story to the rest of the country
  • $50 million will be dedicated to marketing the state of Ohio as a place to live, work, earn and play
• Championing career and vocational education
  • $70 million will be dedicated for workforce development initiatives, including helping Ohioan’s with career-level Tech-Cred credentialing program and high school credentialing

The Governor explained that these investments are essential for fueling the state economic recovery.

More details will be posted on this page later today as they are released. 

For months, OTA and OHLA have worked together to emphasize the role of our industry in the state's economic recovery. We've emphasized the need for additional support for those businesses hardest hit, as well as how to accelerate recovery through investing in the marketing and messaging. We are pleased that our message has been heard, and we are thrilled the Governor and his team have proposed ways to make these happen.  

Your assistance will be essential to ensure these dollars remain in the state budget. Look for talking points, opportunities to engage with your state elected officials and tools in the weeks ahead.  

OHIO HEALTH ORDER SIGNED, REDUCING CURFEW BY ONE HOUR STARTING THURSDAY (1/28)

Governor DeWine announced Wednesday evening (1/27) that Ohio Department of Health Director Stephanie McCloud signed a health order pushing back the statewide curfew one hour, changing the start time of the curfew to 11 p.m. starting Thursday, 1/28.

Read the order here. 

INTEREST  IN THOSE SEEKING URBAN EXPERIENCES IMPROVING, TRAVELERS MAY TRAVEL MORE TO MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME

Key findings from Destination Analysts fielded Jan. 22-24:

• The percentage of Americans travelers highly concerned about personally contracting the virus, their friends or family contacting the virus, and the pandemic’s impact on personal finances and the national economy has increased this week.
• Yet, 30% said they feel the pandemic situation is going to get better in the next month.
• In a measurement of “pent up demand”, two-thirds of those whose typical travel patterns were altered by the pandemic say they are going to travel more in 2021 to make up for lost time.
• How quickly and efficiently the vaccine is distributed will impact consumer confidence about traveling. Nearly 60% said the vaccine distribution is making them more optimistic that they can travel safely within the next six months.
• In the last week, 38.7% day-dreamt about leisure travel, 30.3% talked about travel with friends or relatives and 27.0% researched travel ideas online.
• 47% of American travelers anticipate taking a trip in the next 12 weeks. Nearly 75% of these trips are expected to be with within 250 miles of these travelers’ residences.
• 56.2% anticipate traveling April through June, 67.6% anticipate taking a trip July through September, and 49.5% are looking at October through December.
• Interest in traveling to urban destinations continues to improve, with 36.3% saying they’re planning to visit urban destinations in the next three months. These urban travelers are driven by a desire for food experiences (49%), shopping (40%), energy and excitement (39%), cultural offerings (35.2%) and specific attractions (30.7%).
• Those traveling in the next three months, however, are as likely to be interested in rural areas and small towns (38.7%). Top reasons for seeking these experiences include peace and quiet (60%), scenic beauty (59.6%), escape from crowds (59.1%), relaxation (57.7%) and charm and ambience (41.8%).
• More than half of those that prefer rural destinations right now say COVID-related safety concerns is why they prefer rural.

OHIO LEISURE AND HOSPITALITY JOB LOSSES ENDS YEAR AT 22%

Leisure and hospitality jobs continue to be lost, as the industry lost 9,200 jobs the month of December. Unemployment within leisure and hospitality represents 80% of jobs lost in Ohio last month.

Based on BLS data released this morning, Ohio lost 125,400 industry jobs in 2020. This is a 22% unemployment rate, or nearly one in every four workers. Businesses categorized in Arts, Entertainment and Recreation experienced the greatest percentage loss at 24.85% or 20,300 jobs, while Accommodations and Food Service ended the year with a loss of 105,100 jobs, a 21.55% drop.

Only two other Ohio industries experienced 2020 job losses in the double digits – Education and Health Services (-18.99%) and Real Estate and Rental Leasing (-10.53%).          

HEAR MORE ABOUT SBA'S SHUTTERED VENUE GRANT PROGRAM ON RECORDED WEBINAR

Learn more about the SBA Shuttered Venue Grant Program on this archived webinar from last week. This program was designed to help some of those most impacted by extended shutdowns and restricted capacities throughout the pandemic. It will provide non-repayable grants equal to 45% of gross earned revenues. Eligible applicants could include museum operators, theatre operators, live performing arts, live venue operators or promotors, talent representatives and any subsidiary of these organizations that the qualifications. The webinar also talks about EIDL loans, as well as PPP, and gives you information to consider before choosing which route to go. Those receiving PPP are not eligible for the SBA Shuttered Venue Grant program. All details and an application date are not yet available through SBA, but for more information, check Sba.gov/coronavirusrelief frequently.

ALTHOUGH ANXIETY CAME DOWN A BIT, SO DID THE HIGHS SEEN LAST WEEK IN TRAVEL SENTIMENT

Key findings from Destination Analysts fielded Jan. 18-22, 2021:

• Americans continue to show that they believe better days are in sight. The percent of Americans who feel the pandemic situation in the U.S will get worse in the next month fell another 6.5% this week to 43.2%, the lowest it has been since Sept. 27.
• The modest decline in travel sentiment was seen across generation, although Boomer travelers are generally significantly less ready, excited and open to inspiration than younger travelers, even over the rest of 2021.
• One metric that did continue a positive trend is the retreat in perceptions of travel and leisure activities as unsafe - which dropped to 48.9% and is now lower than where is was March 15.
• In terms of what Americans are looking for in travel experiences in 2021, right now scenic beauty, outdoor activities in warm weather, beach destinations and resorts, National Parks and road trips are predominant in their minds.
• Right now, 36.8% of those Americans who attend live events and festivals say they would be comfortable traveling to attend such an event by June; the rest need more time.
• With the COVID-19 vaccine being a major factor for normalcy for many travelers, this week 49.7% say they will avoid travel until vaccines are made widely available.

MARKET POTENTIAL BY QUARTER IN 2021: PROJECTED ATTENDANCE TO U.S. CULTURAL ENTITIES

Here is the overall level of attendance that museums and performing arts organizations can reasonably expect this year, findings from Colleen Dilenschneider Jan. 20, 2021: 

• What attendance can exhibit-based entities expect in 2021? Exhibit-based cultural organizations include entities such as museums, historic sites, aquariums, zoos, botanic gardens, and science centers. The actual attendance to these types of cultural entities in the U.S. average 40.5% of 2019 in 2020.
• As of January 2021, the current market potential for exhibit-based organizations for the calendar year is 72.2% of their 2019 attendance.
• What is likely driving this change? The rollout of the vaccine. We see that many people planning to defer their visits until after they are vaccinated.
• What attendance can performance-based entities expect in 2021? Performance-based cultural organizations include entities such as theaters, symphonies/orchestras, and ballet. The actual attendance to these types of cultural entities in the U.S. average 22.8% of 2019 attendance in 2020.
• As of 2021, the current market potential for exhibit-based organization for the calendar year of 2021 is 57.7% of their 2019 attendance.
• We knew attendance wouldn’t recover at midnight on Jan. 1, yet there is still a reason to believe that the vaccine may start to bring more stability in the second half of this year.

ZOOS, SOME MUSEUMS, LIVE PERFORMANCE VENUES AND OTHERS: INFORMATION PENDING ON SBA SHUTTERED VENUE OPERATOR GRANTS

The Shuttered Venue Operators (SVO) Grant program was established by The Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Non-Profits, and Venues Act, signed into law on Dec. 2020. The program includes $15 billion in grants to shuttered venues, to be administered by the Small Business Administration’s Office of Disaster Assistance. Eligible applicants may qualify for SVO Grants equal to 45% of their gross earned revenue, with the maximum amount available for a single grant award of $10 million. $2 billion is reserved for eligible applications with up to 50 full-time employees.

Initial information also says that qualified entities can't have received PPP funding in the latest round.

Eligibility details are forthcoming, but the website states the following are eligible:  

• Live venue operators or promoters
• Theatrical producers
• Live performing arts organization operators
• Relevant museum operators, zoos and aquariums who meet specific criteria
• Motion picture theater operators
• Talent representatives, and
• Each business entity owned by an eligible entity that also meets the eligibility requirements

LIQUOR PERMIT-HOLDING FUND DEADLINE EXTENDED TILL JAN. 31

Governor DeWine reminded Ohioans that there are funds available for those holding on-premise liquor permits. Although it's called the Bar and Restaurant Fund, remember these are available to any business holding these permits, including hotels, movie theatres, bowling alleys, etc. $2,500 is available per location, and there are many who have not applied. This money does not have to be repaid. Any venue in Ohio that has a current liquor license is encouraged to apply. 

WHILE ASPIRATIONS TO TRAVEL ARE RISING, MOST AMERICANS DON'T ANTICIPATE TRAVELING TILL MAY; ONE IN FOUR ARE BROWSING IDEAS ONLINE

Key findings from Destination Analysts fielded Jan. 1-3.

• After dropping in the latter half of December, Americans pessimistic that the pandemic will get worse in the U.S. in the next month increased this week to 55.9%. There are rising anxieties about the pandemic’s impact on personal finances and the national economy.
• Nearly half of Americans say they are not confident they can travel safely in the current environment.
• Yet travel is a beneficiary of the new year’s hope. Americans highly open to travel inspiration is up over 6% in the last week (52.6%), and Americans in a travel ready state-of-mind returned to 52.9% after dropping below 50% at the end of December. Inversely, loss of interest in travel has retreated 6 percentage points in the last three weeks to 43.3%.
• As Americans look out over their travel year in this first week of January, they cautiously see an average of three leisure trips in 2021 (Note: if this expectation holds true, leisure trips will be down approximately 39% from 2019 levels). It appears trips will ramp up beginning in May, peak in July, ramp back down in October and bump up again in December.
• The percent of American travelers who say that they will avoid travel until vaccines are widely available has fallen to 46.7%; meanwhile more Americans than ever are saying they will take the vaccine (60.1%).
• Over 38% of American travelers say they have day-dreamed about taking a trip in the last week and a third have talked to a friend or relative about a future trip. Nearly a quarter of American travelers have researched travel ideas online just in the past week.
• About 18% anticipate their first trip by commercial airline in 2021 will be in the second quarter (April-June).
• The majority of Americans do not plan to travel in the next three months—37.5% do. While 84.5% of these trips will indeed be overnight trips, 66.2% will be regional, and over a third of those traveling say they will be staying in the home of a friend or relative. Both cities and small towns and rural areas will most commonly be visited, however the pandemic will still be dictating trip behaviors. 41.3% plan to visit less crowded places and 30.2% plan to visit outdoor-oriented destinations.
• In terms of the channels they feel most receptive to travel messaging in, Millennial and Gen Z travelers say Instagram and Facebook, Gen X and Baby Boomer travelers say search engines and email campaigns.

ALTHOUGH EAGER TO TRAVEL, AMERICANS WILLINGNESS TO GET ON THE ROAD MY BE DUE TO PERSONAL FINANCES AND VACCINATION STATUS

Findings from a Yahoo Finance and The Harris Poll fielded Dec. 18-21: 

• Only 14% of Americans have booked travel out of state in 2021 so far, and just 28% of Americans plan to travel out of state within three months of getting vaccinated.
• Half of survey respondents said they plan to travel out of state within six months of their vaccines.
• Older Americans showing greater intent with 50% of respondents 65 and older saying they wouldn’t feel comfortable traveling until their vaccines. Young adults are twice as likely to travel less frequently after getting vaccinated.
• This may be due to finances. 54% of people 18 to 34 were unable to save money during the pandemic, compared to slightly less (49%) of people over 65.
• Almost two-thirds of families with income of more than $100,000 plan to travel, while just 37% making under $50,000 will travel out of state within six months of their vaccines.  The richer $100k+ cohort indicated they’d travel more frequently — or the same amount — and lower-income $50,000 households said they would likely travel less.
• More people are more comfortable staying with relatives (70%) and at hotels (65%) than at a short-term rental like an Airbnb or VRBO (50%.)

NEARLY HALF OF AMERICAN TRAVELERS PLANNING TO TAKE A TRIP SPRING OR SUMMER, WHILE 26% ARE UNDECIDED

Key findings from Longwoods International fielded Dec. 16-20:

• As COVID-19 case numbers continue to rise, 72% of U.S. travelers expect to change their travel plans in the next six months. Since mid-November, there has been a steady increase in travelers canceling their plans, up to 41% this past week. Despite this, 57% of American travelers still have travel plans in the next six months.
• Concerns around the coronavirus continue to be the main impediment to travel. 52% of U.S. travelers stated it would greatly impact their travel in the next six months while only 20% of U.S. travelers indicate that the economy would greatly impact their decision to travel, a slight increase from earlier this month but still relatively low.
• Rebuilding travelers’ confidence will be key to seeing improvement in their perception of travel and safety within and outside their communities. 46% of U.S. travelers indicated they do not plan to travel until a vaccine is available to them, up from 41% two weeks ago. 44% feel safe venturing outside of their local communities, up from 39% last month. This wave also saw a slight increase in the percentage of travelers who support opening their own local communities to visitors, now at 35%.
• When asked about travel plans in 2021, 26% of traveling Americans are still deciding if and when they plan to take a trip. Nearly half of travelers (47%) indicated they are planning to take their first trip in the late Spring or Summer of 2021. Only 2% of travelers indicated they do not plan to take any trips next year.

A summary of the travel-related provisions in the new federal relief packages is available here

$12.7 BILLION IN LOSSES TO OHIO’S TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY THUS FAR

Ohio has lost $12.7 billion in traveler spending as of the week ending Dec. 17, according to weekly data tracking by Tourism Economics. During the week ending Dec. 17, Ohio businesses lost $262 million from the same time last year, a 46% loss. Average losses per month have continued to worsen since September, with the biggest drop in average monthly spending occurring since November.

This reduced spending is having a direct impact on federal, state and tax revenues. As of the week ending Dec 17, federal tax revenues generated through Ohio traveler spending are down $801 million, with state tax revenues down $375 million and local tax revenues down $221 million.  

INTENT TO TRAVEL FOR LEISURE OR BUSINESS BEGINS TO CLIMB

Key findings from MMGY fielded Nov. 15-20:

• After a high of 46% reported in September, the percentage of those likely to take a domestic leisure trip dipped to 40% in October and is up to 41% in November.
• Intent to take a domestic business trip continues to increase from 33% in September to 38% in November.
• One in five (21%) business travelers is likely to attend a conference or convention, up from 17% last month.
• One in four (24%) is likely to attend an off-site business meeting, up from 22% last month.
• Travel by car remains the most likely form of transportation for leisure travel - 35% say they’ll drive 101 to 300 miles one way, 31% report they’ll take a trip up to 100 miles, 20% say they’ll drive 501 miles or more and 12% say between 301 and 500 miles.

DETAILS STARTING TO EMERGE REGARDING FEDERAL RELIEF BILL

A summary of the new relief bill was shared today by US Travel. Although not final, many of the relief measures asked by the tourism industry are included. Some highlights include the following:

• $300 billion for small businesses, including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), 7(a) loan program and Economic Insurance Disaster Loans
• The second round of PPP provides PPP loans, with loan forgiveness, for small businesses with fewer than 300 employees AND a 30% revenue loss in any quarter of 2020
• The bill also expands eligibility for destination marketing organizations (DMOs) with fewer than 150 full-time and part-time employees to receive a first PPP loan
• $160 billion in funding for state, local and tribal governments, which is similar to the Coronavirus Relief Fund under the CARES Act
• Funding for airports, including set asides for airport concessionaires
• $2.5 billion for vaccine distribution by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and $10 billion for testing and contact tracing

OHIO TOURISM INDUSTRY LOSSES EXCEEDS $12 BILLION

Based on Tourism Economics weekly tracking of traveler spending, Ohio has lost $12.2 billion in traveler spending since March. New weekly numbers include a loss of $259 million the week ending Nov. 21 and $231 million lost during the week ending Nov. 28. This averages out to be a 43% loss in business over the last two weeks of November, which is slightly worse than the national average of losses (41.5%).    

As of Nov. 28, the year’s overall loss in Ohio sales has resulted in a loss of $768 million in federal tax receipts, $359 million in lost state tax receipts and $212 million less for local governments.

OHIO IS EXPERIENCING 22% LEISURE AND HOSPITALITY UNEMPLOYMENT

According to the report released this week by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Ohio leisure and hospitality employees remain the hardest hit with 21.8% fewer jobs. Digging deeper, attractions, arts and entertainment jobs recorded the largest loss with a 27.4% unemployment rate, while accommodations and food service is down 20.9%.

No other industry in Ohio recorded more than 13% unemployment in the October BLS report. Job losses in leisure and hospitality represent 35% of all non-agricultural jobs in Ohio.

SUBMIT ONLINE PURCHASING OF GIFT CARDS AND MEMBERSHIPS

BWC DIVIDEND CHECKS TO BE SENT DEC. 10

Lt. Governor Jon Husted said BWC dividend checks will be mailed beginning Dec. 10.  

THOSE HOLDING ON-PREMISE LIQUOR PERMITS ELIGIBLE FOR $2,500

Less than 50% of on-premise liquor permit holders in Ohio have taken advantage of the $2,500 grant. Learn more here. 

TRAVEL SENTIMENT TAKES A NEAR-TERM HIT, SKI/SNOWBOARD TRAVEL SAFETY SENTIMENT DIPS, BUT DEPENDS ON SAFETY PROTOCOLS PUT INTO PLACE 

Key findings from Destination Analysts weekly survey fielded Nov. 20-22, 2020: 

• 61.9% of American travelers continue to agree that the current surge in cases has made them less likely to travel in the next three months. The percent of Americans who agree they have lost their interest in travel for the time being is now approaching half.
• The poor course of the pandemic also appears to be affecting sentiment towards ski/snowboard travel this season. Fewer ski/snowboard travelers feel that a ski/snowboard trip is safe this 2020/2021 season than did in October. However, over two-thirds of these travelers say that the institution of pandemic protocols would make them more interested in taking a ski/snowboard trip this season.
• Nevertheless, there are indicators that the impacts of this current virus surge on travel may not be as deep or long-lasting as previous surges. The perception of travel activities as unsafe, engagement in travel avoidance overall, avoidance of international travel specifically and avoidance of conventions are still not near peaks hit in July and April.
• Looking locally, over 40% of Americans feel comfortable going out for leisure activities in their own communities.
• While 56.1% do not want tourists coming to their community right now, this sentiment is also not at July and April levels. 
• Americans continue to report having trips planned over the next year (82%).
• As they look to where they want to travel to over the next year, Americans are most commonly reporting that relaxing, fun, memorable, affordable and comforting are important attributes in the destinations they consider.
• The latest vaccine news has made 58.1% of American travelers more optimistic about life returning to normal (or near normal) in the next six months.

AMERICAN TRAVELERS SHOWING INCREASED CONCERNS AND CHANGING NEAR-TERM TRAVEL PLANS  

Key findings from Longwoods International's Traveler Sentiment weekly study fielded Nov. 18, 2020:

• The percentage of Americans planning to change their upcoming travel plans due to COVID-19 increased this week to 77% (the last time we saw it this high was mid-July). 
• The percentage of travelling Americans who indicated that they do not plan to travel until a vaccine is available to them jumped up a full ten points to 44% in the past two weeks (34% in Wave 24)
• The percentage of Americans who feel safe traveling outside their community dropped seven points from the previous wave. It was 46% a couple weeks ago compared to 39% this week.
• Our custom question this week was a repeat from Wave 23 (factors preventing travelers from taking a trip). Concern about spreading/contracting COVID-19 continues to be the top area of concern for travelers (60% this wave compared to 53% in wave 23).
• Silver Lining:  Despite all of this, 62% of travelling Americans still indicate that they have travel plans within the next six months. 

INTENT OF GOVERNOR'S GATHERING ORDER IS LARGELY FOR SOCIAL EVENTS. SAFETY PROTOCOL IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER.   

In Tuesday’s State of Ohio COVID-19 briefing, Governor DeWine stated that the Nov. 15 Amended Gatherings Order “has to do of course with wedding receptions and funerals.” The Governor can be heard reinforcing this point in this [on-demand recording of the announcement, at 07:33.]

OTA and OHLA previously contacted the Governor’s office to explain urgent concerns about the impact of the order on meetings, conferences and banquet events. The Governor’s comments and those conversations confirm the intent of the order is for social events, and the state has not taken action to lead to cancelling business events by making them unworkable. For business events, venues are directed to ensure compliance with existing requirements and standards for seating including limits on the number of attendees per table, social distancing, face coverings, cleaning and disinfecting, and health safety.

OHIO NONPROFIT GRANTS GUIDELINES RELEASED - DOES NOT INCLUDE RECREATION AND/OR CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS

Despite the gap in relief for many recreation and cultural organizations due to the arts and culture grants only being given to about 350 organizations who already receive state funding, the new nonprofit grant guidelines released today do not include those from the travel and hospitality economy most in need. Only 501(c)(3) agencies that provide direct services to low-income or at-risk Ohioans are eligible for the nonprofit relief program, and the agency further says eligibility is granted to only those outside health care, education, recreation and/or cultural activities. More details can be found here.

ONLY A THIRD OF ON-PREMISE LIQUOR LICENSE HOLDERS HAVE APPLIED FOR RELIEF

Only about a third of all on-premise liquor license holders have taken advantage of the Ohio Bars and Restaurants $2,500 relief payment. Remember, this payment is not reserved just for bars and restaurants. Hotels, meeting venues, attractions and others who have on-premise liquor licenses are eligible. Learn more here.

RETAIL ENFORCEMENT UNIT WILL BE VISITING RETAIL BUSINESSES

When asked about enforcement of the retail mask-wearing compliance, Governor DeWine said the Bureau of Worker’s Compensation will be managing the retail enforcement unit. He said inspectors will be going into stores and meeting with store managers.  

The mask-wearing order and the public health order making changes to social gatherings have not been released yet.  

SMALL BUSINESS RELIEF GRANTS STILL AVAILABLE IN SOME COUNTIES

There are some Ohio counties where there are still Small Business Relief Grant of $10,000 available. To be eligible for funding, small businesses must have at least one, but no more than 25 Ohio employees paid via W2 wages as of Jan. 1, 2020.  Funds have been set aside for 50 businesses in each of Ohio’s 88 counties, and businesses have until Nov. 23 to apply.  After that, remaining funds for that county will be shifted to the larger pool of money to be distributed throughout the state.

Learn more, and apply here. 

The following counties have grants available as of this morning: Hocking, Perry, Holmes, Pike Paulding, Jackson, Defiance, Lawrence, Highland, Wyandot, Coshocton, Carroll, Morgan, Brown, Morrow, Monroe, Fayette, Noble, Adams, Hardin, Preble, Harrison and Vinton. 

TRAVEL SENTIMENT DECREASES EVEN THOUGH COMFORT LEVEL ABOUT FEELING SAFE TRAVELING OUTSIDE THEIR COMMUNITIES SHOWS SOME IMPROVEMENT

Key findings from a Longwoods International survey fielded Nov. 4:

• The record surge in new COVID-19 cases combined with federal (and some state and local) health official guidance advising against holiday gatherings and travel is having a significant impact on Travel Sentiment.
• 58% of American travelers have indicated they have travel plans in the next six months. This is the lowest it has ever been in this tracking sentiment study since we began it in March.
• 53% of respondents indicated they are not planning to take a trip this holiday season. This is 5-points higher than Wave 22 (48%), which was fielded on October 7th.
• 34% of American travelers say they do not intend to travel until there is a COVID-19 vaccine. (Holding fairly steady from Wave 23.)
• One silver lining is that the percent of American travelers who feel safe traveling outside their community (46%) as well those feeling safe dining and shopping locally (47%) is holding steady for the moment despite the news of surging cases and travel advisories.

OHIO SENATE LEADERSHIP ANNOUNCED TODAY

Sen. Matt Huffman, a longtime state lawmaker, will serve as president of the Ohio Senate starting in January, the majority Republican caucus announced Tuesday. The majority caucus also announced that: Sen. Jay Hottinger of Newark will serve as president pro-tem; Sen. Kirk Schuring of Canton as majority floor leader and Sen. Rob McColley of Napoleon as majority whip.

SMALL BUSINESS RELIEF PROGRAM TO BEGIN CONTACTING APPLICANTS THIS WEEK

Those for-profit businesses who applied for Small Business Grants will begin hearing this week on whether or not they are eligible for funding.  To apply for funding, please visit here.

STILL NO GUIDELINES FOR NONPROFIT RELIEF PROGRAM

This economic relief program will be administered by Ohio Jobs and Family Services.

MORE TRAVELERS WILL BE SEEKING RELAXATION, THANKSGIVING TRAVEL INTENT LOW, INCREASED CASES DECREASING COMFORT LEVELS TO TRAVEL EVEN LOCALLY 

Key findings from Destination Analysts survey fielded Oct. 23 through Nov. 1:

• Relaxation will be a key lifestyle priority in the next six months (67%). This is up from 59% in April.
• Growing concerns about the pandemic continue to negatively impact sentiment towards travel in the near-term.
  • Excitement levels about taking a getaway in the next month and openness to travel decreased again this week, while perceptions of travel activities as unsafe again increased.
  • Confidence that they can travel safely in the current environment eroded 5 percentage points in the past 3 weeks (26.5% from 32.0%).
  • Even comfort going out for leisure activities in their own communities has declined (42% from 47% on Oct. 18).
• Fewer travelers are comfortable traveling for Thanksgiving. Only 14% are planning to travel for the holiday, and 9% are undecided.
  • Of those planning to travel, 36% will be staying in hotels, with 51% intending to stay with friends and family members
• Despite near-term concerns, intent to travel in the long-term remains steady. When asked about their travel intentions in the next two years, respondents said:
  • 33% will take more domestic trips
  • 31% will travel more with family
  • 26% will travel to national parks and public lands (unclear whether this is an intention to experience the outdoors or specific to public-managed lands)
  • 24% will travel to complete bucket lists
  • 24% open to new ideas for travel
  • 20% will travel more internationally
  • 19% will travel more with friends
  • 17% will travel to visit iconic cities 

LOSS OF TRAVELER SPENDING HAS LED TO $11 BILLION IMPACT TO OHIO THUS FAR

Tourism Economics tracking of weekly spending shows that Ohio has lost $11 billion thus far since March. Ohio businesses experienced a $246 million loss the week ending Oct. 17 which is a 2% greater loss than experienced the week prior. This is the second week in a row Ohio losses have moved in the wrong direction for the good of Ohio and its businesses.    

This loss in traveler spending is having a direct impact on federal, state and local tax revenues as well. A loss of $323 million in state sales tax receipts has occurred thus far due to traveler spending loss, as is $191 million in lost local sales tax receipts. Federal tax revenues are down $690 million due to the loss of Ohio travel.

INCREASE IN CASES AND LACK OF CLARITY IN SAFETY PROTOCOLS PREVENTING BOOKINGS 

Key findings from Longwoods International Traveler Sentiment Survey Week of Oct. 26. 

• As there is a sharp rise in new cases reported across the country, 53%  of American travelers say that fear of spreading/contracting COVID-19 is preventing them from taking a trip.
  • Lack of clarity in health and safety protocols as well as travel restrictions in desired destinations continue to rank high among factors preventing travel.
• 36% of American travelers say they do not intend to travel until there is a COVID-19 vaccine.
• Restrictions on attractions and local dining as well as uncertainty over being welcome in desired destinations are significant, but much less than the other factors preventing travel.
• Only 13% of those surveyed have no hesitation about traveling at the moment.
• The percent of American travelers who feel safe traveling outside their community may be starting to trend downward as reports of new cases rise
  • Currently at 46%, which is down from 50% just one month ago

Several new Ohio economic relief packages were announced by the Governor this afternoon. The Ohio Travel Association and the Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association will continue to work with the Administration for additional relief targeted toward those who have been impacted the most, including those nonprofits who have been excluded from state and federal assistance, but who will be essential for recovery. This includes our state's DMOs. 

Small Business Relief Grant

The Small Business Relief Grant is designed to provide relief to Ohio businesses that have been negatively affected by COVID-19. Governor Mike DeWine has designated up to $125 million of funding received by the State of Ohio from the federal CARES Act to provide $10,000 grants to small businesses to help them through the current crisis. The program, which will begin accepting applications November 2, 2020, will be administered by the Ohio Development Services Agency. Nonprofits are ineligible.

Application opens Nov. 2, 2020.

Bar and Restaurant Relief Program

This program provides $2,500 to eligible restaurants, bars, wineries, breweries, etc.  This includes those with on-premise liquor permits, including many hotels.

501(c)3 Who Have Not Received Assistance Thus Far

Arts and Culture Relief Program

This includes museums. Few details are available yet on either of these programs, but we will post additional details as known on the OTA Update page.

AMERICANS HAVE INCREASED APPRECIATION FOR THE OUTDOORS, INCREASING RECEPTIVENESS TO OUTDOOR ADVERTISING

An updated Harris Poll was released Oct. 18.

Key findings:

• 69% of Americans say they have an increased appreciation of the experience and awareness of their surroundings when they are outside
• Even with winter approaching, Americans are turning to the outdoors for safety, sanity and entertainment
• Three in 10 (29%) say they will continue to adjust to outdoor socialization during the winter months
• With high interest in nearly all outdoor activities, consumers are more receptive to outdoor advertising. Just under half (45%) say they are noticing outdoor advertising (billboards, outdoor video screens, posters, and signage) more than before the pandemic and 38% say they find these ads useful because they provide them with information on COVID safety and hygiene
• At the same time, indoor advertising is less noticed and two-thirds (68%) of Americans say they have been spending so much time looking at screens that they tune out digital online ads

MEETING PLANNERS SLOWLY GROWING MORE OPTIMISTIC, FUTURE MEETINGS ARE BEING PLANNED

iMeet surveyed meeting planners Oct. 18.

Key findings:

• The percentage of planners who believe they will resume face-to-face meetings by the end of the year rose slightly to 17% this week—up from 16%
• Just under half of planners (49%) have one or more request for proposals for the future in progress and 73% of planners have at least one future face-to-face meeting contracted
• Looking into 2021, fewer than four in 10 (38%) planners are now targeting the first half of 2021 to resume face-to-face meetings (down from 40% last week), with the majority (24%) targeting Q2

THOUGHTS ON ATTENDING MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES, OUTLOOK FOR SKI AND SNOWBOARD DESTINATIONS

Destination Analysts released its most recent findings this week collected from traveler surveys Oct. 16-18:

 Key Findings:

• Increasing virus cases have elevated concerns among American travelers’ about contracting the coronavirus. Concerns on personal finances and the national economy also rose this week.
• 25% fewer Americans will be traveling to celebrate the holidays this year. Those who will travel during the holidays are planning on taking 2.4 trips on average, with 35% saying they will travel by air. However, 28% plan to decrease their spending on these holiday trips relative to last year.
• Nearly 40% of convention travelers say they have plans to attend a convention/group meeting event in the next year. The percent of convention travelers who report they would be happy if asked to attend such a meeting in the next six months has grown to 49.7% from 40.8% in June. Trust in both the conference organizers to institute protocols that look out for attendees’ health and fellow attendees to behave appropriately as not to spread COVID-19 has also grown significantly.
• While 60% of American travelers say they prefer or strongly prefer in-person to virtual conventions/conferences, one-in-five feel neutral—fine to go either way—and another 20% say they prefer virtual.
• Of ski and snowboard travelers who have a destination they regularly visit for overnight trips, 68.3% say they are likely to return to this favored destination on an overnight trip this season. Nearly 30% of these travelers also say they are open to taking a trip to new ski/snowboard destinations.

GROUP TRAVEL PLANS LEAST LIKELY TO CHANGE, PERSONAL CAR TRAVEL UP TO 300 MILES MOST COMMON

MMGY Travel intelligence released its October Travel Intentions report. The survey of American travelers was fielded end of September, before the most recent increase in cases.

Key findings:

• Travelers surveyed were least likely to cancel group tour packages (39%), with 40% saying they postponed group tours and 21% said they continued as planned.
• On the other hand, 52% said they cancelled plans for vacations. Only 9% said they proceeded as planned.
• 63% of those with plans to attend conferences cancelled plans, with 26% postponing. Twelve percent continued as planned.
• 54% of off-site plans for business meetings were cancelled, with 33% postponed. 13% continued as planned.
• They are more likely to have cancelled plans to attend live music concerts (59%), theatre (51%) and sporting events (61%)
• Two-thirds (67%) expect to take a leisure trip in the next six months, while 56% say they are likely to take a business trip during the same time period.
• How far will they travel? 61% are willing to travel up to 300 miles for a trip in their personal car
  • 34% saying 101-300 miles
  • 27% saying fewer than 100 miles
  • 15% report hey will travel 301-500 miles
  • 23% said they’ll travel 500 miles or more
• 41% said they’d stay in a hotel/resort, with 32% saying vacation home or condo

NEW FEDERAL BILL INTRODUCED TO STIMULATE TRAVEL AND HELP THE TRAVEL ECONOMY

This week, Senator Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Senator Cramer (R-ND) introduced the Hospitality and Commerce Job Recovery Act of 2020, a bipartisan bill that will provide targeted economic relief for struggling travel-related businesses. The bill includes the following:

• Support the convention and trade show industries by establishing a tax credit for the cost of attending or hosting a convention, business meeting, or trade show in the United States between Jan. 1, 2021 and Dec. 31, 2023.
• Make improvements to the Employee Retention Tax Credit.
• Restore the Entertainment Business Expense Deduction by repealing the changes made by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
• Support the restaurant industry by establishing a tax credit for restaurants or food service businesses, covering any cost associated with reopening or increasing service at an establishment forced to close down or reduce operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic—including any renovation, remediation, testing, or labor cost needed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Credit would be effective between the date of enactment and Dec. 31, 2022.
• Provide a modest tax credit for qualified travel expenses for many Americans.

YOUR HELP NEEDED ON MONDAY FOR SOCIAL MEDIA BLAST

The message is simple - leadership must come together to pass a COVID-19 recovery package ASAP to help save the tourism industry.

Led by U.S. Travel and the COVID RELIEF NOW COALITION (of which the Ohio Travel Association is a partner), a social media  

Next Monday, we are coordinating a targeted social campaign and are asking that all travel businesses and workers message your member of Congress with the provided copy on Twitter and Facebook at noon on Oct. 19.  

Find graphics and your legislator's Twitter handles by clicking below.

SIMPLE TOOLKIT FOR TWITTER BLAST FOR COVID RELIEF 

MORE THAN A THIRD OF ALL JOBS LOST IN OHIO ARE FROM THE LEISURE AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

September Ohio Jobs and Family Services data indicates there are 131,000 fewer Ohioans employed by the leisure and hospitality industry. This represents more than a third of the nonagricultural job losses in the state. Overall, the industry is experiencing a 23% job loss. Arts, Entertainment and Recreation is down 23,900 jobs from this time last year or 29%, while Accommodations and Food Service is down 107,100 jobs representing 22% of this sector's workforce based on last year.

LOSS OF TRAVELER SPENDING HAS LED TO $10.8 BILLION IMPACT TO OHIO THUS FAR

Tourism Economics tracking of weekly spending shows that Ohio has lost $10.8 billion thus far since March. After holding steady the two previous weeks, Ohio losses dipped 3% the week ending Oct. 10.    

This loss in traveler spending is having a direct impact on federal, state and local tax revenues as well. A loss of $316 million in state sales tax receipts is caused by this traveler spending loss, as is $187 million in lost local sales tax receipts. Federal tax revenues are down $674 million due to the loss of Ohio travel.

OTA AND OHLA PUSH FOR EQUITABLE TREATMENT OF CONVENTION CENTERS AND MEETING SPACES 

Current Ohio Department of Health regulations limit meetings to 300, regardless of the size of the venue. In the meantime, Ohio economies are continuing to nose-dive. After showing glimpses of improvement over Labor Day, the rate of consumer spending in communities as slowed. In part, this is due to the inability of convention centers and hotels to host business beyond the 300. 

The Governor revised the Dine-Safe order this week allowing restaurants and bars to set capacity based on their ability to keep customers socially distanced. The same opportunity should be given to convention centers, hotels and other meeting venues.

OTA and OHLA are working together to educate the Ohio Department of Health and the Governor's Office on the impact, as well as how meetings can move forward based on venue size versus an arbitrary cap.

CONFIDENCE SLIPS SLIGHTLY, FALL PLANS STILL LIKELY, DISCOUNTS MAY HELP INSPIRE; CONSIDER MARKETING WORKCATIONS AND SCHOOLCATIONS

Destination Analysts released its updated survey of American travelers today. Here a few key findings:

• When looking at the chart tracking concerns about contracting the coronavirus, the last few months have been weeks of rolling peaks and valleys. We’ve yet to feel as unanxious as we were early June (before cases began to spike again), but since early July, our concern has ebbed and flowed almost weekly. This past week, it’s risen again.  
• Travel confidence slipped this past week, with 27% of American travelers confident or very confident they can travel safely, down from 31% last week. Those with a “ready to travel” mindset fell to 52% after being higher than 54% for a month.
• Despite these reservations, American travelers appear to be ready to book reservations. Three-quarters of American travelers report having tentative travel plans during the next six months.
• Those indicating that travel could be inspired through price cuts and discounts is at an all-time high since March, with 40% of American travelers reporting these make them more interested in traveling in the next three months.
• Nearly two-thirds plan to travel this fall. Top motivations include relaxation, spending time with family and escapism.
• Small towns and rural areas (38%), outdoor recreation in state, regional or national parks (36%), and metro areas (30%) lead the pack in destinations of interest, although 50% are open to visiting new destinations.
• Travelers are more likely to stay in full-service (3 – 4 star) hotels (35%) or with friends or relatives (32%). Other lodging options include budget hotels or motels (15%), luxury hotels (15%), bed and breakfasts inns (11%), vacation home rentals (11%) and shared lodging (10%).
• What do they want to do?  Forty-three percent (43%) want to visit restaurants, 38% want to hang out with friends, 37% want to go shopping, 29% want outdoor attractions, 28% want to go hiking, and 17% want to visit an indoor attraction.
• Interest in workcations and schoolcations (where kids attend school remotely while on a trip) is growing. Those hoping to secure these travelers should ensure high-quality internet access and places of peace and quiet for getting work and schoolwork done.   

The new amended dining order can be found here.  It allows restaurants to determine capacity based on ability to social distance and makes some revisions to self-service areas.

ECONOMIC RELIEF TO RESTORE JOBS IS STALLED

Yesterday, the most recent coronavirus relief package failed to pass the Senate. The relief package, offered by Senate Republicans, which included many provisions Ohio Travel Association, U.S. Travel and all of you have fought hard to secure failed mostly along party lines 52-47. Help is needed to rehire Ohioans and recover our economy, so be on the lookout for an additional OTA Legislative Alert very soon.

$9.3 BILLION HIT TO OHIO BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITIES THUS FAR

Based on weekly traveler spending tracking conducted by Tourism Economics, Ohio has lost $9.3 billion in visitor spending since mid-March. Less spending in hotels, restaurants, gas stations and attractions means greater unemployment and less taxes paid to support libraries, schools, safety services, roads and other social programs. Losses in tax revenues due to decreased Ohio travel spending as of Aug. 22 total $565 million for federal programs, $265 million for state programs and $158 million for local governments. (SOURCE: Tourism Economics and US Travel) 

OHIO ROAD TRIPS RECOVERING AT SLOWER PACE, LABOR DAY TRAVEL SHOWED PROMISED

Arrivalist measures consumer road trips of 50 miles or more in all 50 U.S. states by tracking a panel of GPS signals. On a national level, road travel over Labor Day week 2020 was just 5% lower than Labor Day weekend 2019. In Ohio, we experienced 10% less road travel over the same time period. (Comparing Labor Day travel that occurred a week earlier last year).

Ohio road travel is recovering at a slower pace. Ohio road travel is down 22% in the past 30 days, compared to 14% nationally. Within our competitive set (MI, IN, IL, WV, KY, PA and NY) road travel was down 16%.

AIR TRAVEL STILL STUNTED

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) updates passenger screenings on a daily basis, providing a comparison to the same time last year. Air travel over the Labor Day holiday travel period (Thursday-Monday) in 2020 was 64% lower than the same period in 2019; a significant decline but considerably better than the 70% y/y declines seen in recent weeks. Source: US Travel and TSA

LEISURE AND BUSINESS TRAVEL INTENT IMPROVING, DEALS ON TRAVEL THOUGHT TO INFLUENCE

MMGY released its monthly survey of 1,200 Americans on Sept. 4.

• 42% report they are likely to take a domestic leisure trip during the next six months, up 4% from last month.
• 35% report they are likely to take a domestic business trip in the next six months, also up 4% from last month. Perhaps even more telling is that those saying they are not at all likely to take a business trip next six months fell from 35% to 25% during the same time period.  
• Personal car is still the vehicle of choice, and reached a high of 75%, with 39% saying they are willing to drive 300 miles or more each way.
• While containing the spread of COVID-19 continues to have the greatest influence on future travel decisions, survey respondents report they could be influenced by great travel deals (33%).
• Likelihood of attending a business meeting (21% from 17% last month) or conference (18% from 13% last month), as did taking a group tour (16% from 13%).

LAST-MINUTE GETAWAYS, SAFETY-FIRST, BUDGET-FRIENDLY, OUTDOOR TRAVEL LEADING TRENDS

Tripadvisor released its Seasonal Travel Index for Fall report this week.

• 61% of U.S. travelers are more likely to consider outdoor or nature trips, and 54% are more likely to consider road trips now, compared to before the pandemic
• Travelers are looking for short getaways with 55% of fall travelers booking two to five night stays, and 36% booking one-night stays.
• Fall travelers are booking more near-term trips, often less than a week in advance
• 68% of global travelers say safety and cleanliness of establishments are important.
• Domestic travelers across the globe are searching for hotel stays less expensive than last year.
• While more travelers are viewing luxurious resorts and all-inclusive properties, campgrounds and farmhouses are recovering the fastest year over year.
• Hiking is recovering faster than any other amenities offered by hotels across the world year over year.
• While hotels make up the majority of interest due to size, Bed & Breakfasts have shown continuously stronger recovery year-over-year. Quaint, romantic and charming hotel properties over-index in the U.S.

FOCUS ON SEO, WEBSITE CONTENT, EMAIL, SOCIAL MEDIA, PRINTED PUBLICATIONS TO ATTRACT TRAVELERS

Destination Analysts released its weekly survey of 1,200 Americans fielded Sept. 4-6:

• Top marketing channels preferred right now differ by generations:
  • BOOMERS
    • Websites found via search engine, 33%
    • Email, 25%
    • Official local or state travel guide, 21%
    • Travel or lifestyle magazines (printed), 20%
    • Online content (articles and blogs), 20%
    • Broadcast television, 17%
  • GEN X
    • Websites found via search engines, 32%
    • Email, 28%
    • Facebook, 24%
    • Online content (articles and blogs), 24%
    • Travel and lifestyle magazines (printed), 23%
    • Advertising on Internet, 22%
  • MILLENNIALS/GEN Z
    • Facebook, 29%
    • Instagram, 28%
    • Websites found via search engines, 25%
    • Online content (articles and blogs) 21%
    • Streaming video (Hulu, YouTube, etc.), 20%
    • Email, 20%
• Over one-third of American travelers reports they took a leisure trip this past summer, with beaches and rural areas the most popular destinations.
• More than 80% of these travelers stayed overnight on these leisure trips, largely in friends/relatives homes and hotels, and over two-thirds said they researched the coronavirus-related rules and regulations in their trip destination.
• 36% access online travel content, 21% asked friends and relatives, 16% used printed travel guides and 10% used social media content to plan their trips
• 49% who traveled said their trips inspired more confidence that they can safely travel right now; 7% feel less confidence after the experience

TRAVEL CONFIDENCE INCHING UPWARD IN LATEST LONGWOODS STUDY

Longwoods International released its weekly Travel Sentiment Study - Wave 19 today, fielded Aug. 26.  

Key Findings:

1. Heading into Labor Day Weekend, traveler confidence is showing positive signs of rebounding.
2. The percentage of those confident in traveling outside their communities jumped to 49%, the highest level since early May.
3. The percentage of those confident in dining in local restaurants and shopping in local stores is also up to 48%, the highest level since the May 13 low of 31%.  
4. a majority of American travelers indicate they plan on taking a trip in the next six weeks… road trips being most popular.
5. Almost 70% of Americans indicate that they plan to travel in the next six months.
6. Almost half of American travelers now report feeling safe in traveling outside their communities.

$9.1 BILLION IMPACT ON OHIO TRAVEL ECONOMY THUS FAR WEEKLY YEAR-OVER-YEAR SPENDING STUDY REVEALS

As of Aug. 22, Ohio’s travel economy has lost $9.1 billion in travel spending, according to year-over-year data compiled by Tourism Economics. 

FEAR AND BUDGET CUTS WHICH COULD LIMIT ATTENDEES OBSTACLES FOR BOOKINGS

If your business relies on meetings, conventions and trade show business, Northstar Meetings Group’s latest survey provides important insights.

Northstar Meetings Group surveys more than 800 planners, with just over 80 percent of them responsible for events in the United States. Their latest survey released Aug. 26 shows planners are more confident and rebooking activity is slowly rising. However, far fewer planners are expecting to produce in-person events in 2020, and most planners believe the second quarter of 2021 is the earliest they are likely to produce such gatherings. Fear remains the biggest obstacle; not just fear of travel, which impacts the viability of business events, but also the fear that uncertainty brings.
 
Here’s what they had to say about their latest survey:

• While 55% of planners are rescheduling events, 28% are researching but not ready to book. Another 10% is actively issuing RFPs and 7% are booking new events. Sourcing and booking intent have risen slightly since a month ago.
• Fear of safety, business expectations and budget cuts, variability of cases across the country are the primary factors affecting a planners ability to book.
• Planners are generally confident. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being most confident, planners' confidence level for their immediate future averages 6.25.
• Local and regional events, and events of 100 or fewer attendees, have gained favor, as planners indicated they will plan more of them next year.
• Boutique hotels and resort properties currently are the most favored venues for near-term meetings.
• On-site technology tools are growing in interest relative to virtual, indicating a growing confidence in the return of physical events.
• Face masks and other safety protocols are now accepted as "industry standards," but testing — either on-site or prior to events — is not seen as a requirement.
• Planners are accepting digital events as solid options, and that they need to make virtual events an ongoing component of their portfolios. They are beginning to gain confidence in the business potential for virtual events.

PAST VISITORS, LOCAL VISITORS, WIDE OPEN SPACES TOP TRAVEL MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES 

Destination Analysts surveys more than 1,200 American travelers weekly. Here is a summary of their findings as of Aug. 23.

• Three-quarters of American travelers say they have tentative leisure trip plans in the next 16 months. For the remainder of 2020, approximately one-third of American travelers have at least tentative trip plans.
• Travelers continue to most commonly want to spend time with loved ones, enjoy nature and avoid crowds. Relaxation and finding peace of mind, amidst having fun and happiness will also be key in these travelers’ plans.
• Engaging past visitors is key, as 70.4% say they are likely to return to a destination they have previously visited, 42.0% still plan to visit a beach this year, 37.8% say they will visit a city, and 34.8% name small towns and rural areas as a trip destination.
• Half of American travelers report dining out at a restaurant in the past two months and 20.5% say they have visited an outdoor attraction.
• Distance-learning education may lead to more interest in family travel this fall, as 37.2% of parents with school-age children say the education uncertainty has made them more likely to travel this fall, while 20.4% say it makes them less likely.
• While nearly 40% say they will prioritize excitement and energy and seeing new places, there are many who say they will prioritize budget travel and staying close to home. In fact, 33% say they will be taking a staycation this year and 53.9% say they will be taking a regional trip under 200 miles.

ALL ENTERTAINMENT VENUES PERMITTED TO OPEN. ENTERTAINMENT VENUE AND SPORTS ORDERS RELEASED TODAY

Governor Mike DeWine just released the new public health orders for entertainment venues and sports facilities. Please read these orders carefully. They may include information not previously covered in the guidelines we released Friday.  

Entertainment venues not already open based on previous orders are permitted to open at midnight tonight. This includes auditoriums, stadiums, arenas, concert and music halls, theaters, ballrooms, gymnasiums, convention centers, arcades, bingo halls, adult and child skill or chance games, laser tag facilities and interactive game facilities.

Public Health Order that Provides Mandatory Requirements for Entertainment Venues 

Public Health Order that Provides Mandatory Requirements for Youth Collegiate Amateur Club and Professional Sports

REPORT PROVIDES RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DMO FUNDING

Whether your DMO is rural or urban, small-budgeted or large, looking for alternative funding is important. Miles Partnership, Civitas and Tourism Economics have released a new report exploring 10 recommendations. Funding Futures: Overview of 10 Options for New or Enhanced Funding for Tourism & DMOs in the Recovery of COVID-19  is the summation of surveys with state tourism offices, U.S. DMOs and Canadian DMOs. The recommendations discussed include the following:

• Stimulus Spending and Recovery Funding
• Building Reserves
• Sharing Risk-Insurance
• Role, Responsibilities and Structures of DMOs
• Evolution of Dedicated Funding
• Tax Increment Funding
• Enhanced Public-Private Co-Op Funding
• Short-term Rental Revenues
• Outcome-based Funding Models
• Regenerative Funding Models  

PUBLIC HEALTH ORDER GOVERNING YOUTH, COLLEGIATE, AMATEUR, CLUB AND PROFESSIONAL SPORTS RELEASED

Ohio has released a public health order governing all sports events. This order supersedes previous orders regarding sports activities. 

GOVERNOR DEWINE STATES MORE INFORMATION ON PERFORMING ARTS WILL BE COMING IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS

Governor Mike DeWine stated that there will be more information in the next couple of days on performing arts for both schools and professionals. He speculated that audiences may have to be moved back further in venues due to projection, and that the administration is working with scientists on this issue in the meantime.

GUIDELINES FOR SPORTS TO BE RELEASED IN A PUBLIC ORDER

During a press conference today, Governor DeWine said all sports can go forward this fall. He will be issuing a public order with details, but he said these sports guidelines apply for any sports activity in Ohio. Technical difficulties with the broadcast today meant much of the information discussed was not communicated. As so many of our members economically rely on sports activity, we will soon share additional information, as well as a link to the public health order when it is released.  

Sports Public Health Order 

INCONSISTENT AND EVER-CHANGING TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS IMPACTING DECISIONS TO TRAVEL (AND SPEND MONEY IN OUR COMMUNITIES)  

Longwoods International released its weekly traveler sentiment survey today. 

Key Findings:

• The inconsistent and ever-changing travel restrictions and health protocols across cities and states is causing American travelers to be hesitant about traveling in the U.S. 
• About half of U.S. travelers (52%) are aware of there are different restrictions regarding travel in various destinations they might visit, but they are unclear exactly what those restrictions are. 
• About four in ten American travelers are aware that different destinations have instituted individual health protocols (mask and social distancing requirements, etc…), but they are confused about the precise protocols for destinations they are considering
• One in four American travelers aren’t even sure they would be welcome in the destination they are interested in visiting.
• Lack of clarity causes concern for personal safety, which causes hesitancy to travel…

 Silver Linings:

• Stabilization continues along most key sentiment indicators. 
• Travelers economic concerns about impacting decisions to travel remain low.
• A positive uptick occurred in those feeling comfortable dining and shopping locally (which is essential to getting people moving again).

ABILITY TO MANAGE THE VIRUS IMPACTS FUTURE INTEREST IN TRAVEL

Destination Analysts released its most recent research today. Among the highlights are the following:

• The ability of regions to control the virus may impact visitation far into the future. Nearly one-third of American travelers say they are less likely to visit an American destinations that they most associate with coronavirus-related issues, even after the pandemic ends. In addition, 53.7% say that if a destination they are currently interested in visiting experiences difficulty managing the coronavirus situation, they will be less likely to visit even after the pandemic is over.
• 15% say they ultimately decided not to visit destination specifically because of coronavirus-related concerns
• Over the last month, millennials are showing increased concern about contracting the virus.
• To travel or not to travel appears nearly evenly split. While 49% of American travelers report having leisure trip plans during one or more months in the remainder of the year, 52% do not currently have any leisure trip plans in 2020.

EMERGENCY MEASURE TO BE DISCUSSED TOMORROW TO BAN LIQUOR SALES PAST 10 P.M.

Governor DeWine called for an Ohio Liquor Control Committee to consider an emergency measure to stop liquor sales at 10 p.m. wherever liquor is served, with all drinks having to be consumed by 11 p.m. If this emergency rule is approved after the committee meeting tomorrow at 9 a.m., the order will be signed Friday to be put into effect Friday night. This emergency rule includes all who serve alcohol. The existing ability of carryout meals to allow for two drinks will be expanded to a 3-drink limit.

He reminded all that there is a 10-person mass gathering limit, and he said a new order outlining the following recommendations will be available on coronavirus.ohio.gov tomorrow:

• Gatherings at a household or family residence should be limited to close friends or family members
• For residences in red counties, they should limit hosting or attending gatherings of any size
• Masks should be worn at all times
• Physical distancing should
• Only do takeout or carryout when strict social distancing can be maintained
• Take extra precautions when attending bars and nightclubs
• Protect anyone with serious medical conditions at home
• High risk individuals should take special precautions to limit the number of people they come in contact with
• Make the number of people you interact with as small as possible

OHIO TRAVEL SPENDING DOWN $7.7 BILLION - LOSSES TO BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITIES

The Ohio travel economy has lost $7.7 billion since March, according to weekly reports tracking year-over-year activity each week. This loss means $481 million less federal tax dollars, $225 million less state tax revenues and $134 million less for local governments.

SUPPORT INCREASING PPP ELIGIBILITY. DECISIONS LIKELY BEING MADE THIS WEEK. 

Act Now: Ensure DMO Eligibility for PPP Becomes Law

GOVERNOR MANDATES JUNIOR FAIRS ONLY AFTER JULY 31

All fairs starting on or after July 31 will be limited to Junior Fairs only and will only include 4-H and FFA competitions. There will be no grandstand events, rides or games. Unless show events extend beyond, the Junior Fairs will have a 10 p.m. curfews.

GOVERNOR TO ADDRESS BARS ON THURSDAY

When asked about some mayors mandating bar closures at 10 p.m., the governor said he applauds the decision and that more will be shared about bars Thursday during the press conference.

DETAILS ABOUT PHASE 4 OF ECONOMIC RELIEF ANTICIPATED IN NEXT FEW DAYS

Details about Phase 4 of a coronavirus relief effort coming out of DC will be announced in the next few days. We will be reaching out to you throughout the next week or two for you to tell your story to lawmakers. Ohio has lost $7.8 billion in traveler spending so far and still has more than 180,000 leisure and hospitality workers furloughed or laid off. Our businesses are struggling, and we need to make sure those making decisions on future relief packages understand the severity of the situation.

Thank you to the 198 Ohio businesses who responded when we asked for your support of business liability protection for those businesses who are following safety guidelines. We are hoping that this protection is included in the new legislation. Other priorities include extension and expansion of existing relief programs (such as the Payroll Protection Program) and stimulus measures. Here is a link to US Travel’s priorities for Phase 4.  

Look for more information next week. The bill is anticipated to move quickly, so we will keep you updated.

CONTENT MARKETING CHANGES TO MAKE 

“You have to think like a magazine editor,” says Jacquie Chakirelis with Quest Digital Marketing.  While talking about content marketing during this week’s OTA Travel Marketing webinar on July 22, Jacquie reminded all to think less about selling and more about telling a story.

She also said that the customer journey is far more complex these days and savvy marketers will respond. Customers are spending more time researching before buying, with much of that being online. Similar to what LocalIQ talked about two weeks ago when examining the customer journey, the post-coronavirus sales funnel is elongating - giving customers more opportunities to get to know you, and that might take 3 to 6 months or more.  

Jacquie offered 11 content changes you should make right now. Read more here. 

OHIO LEISURE AND HOSPITALITY JOBS REPRESENT MORE THAN A THIRD OF ALL OHIO JOBS LOST SINCE FEBRUARY

Ohioans supported through jobs within leisure and hospitality continue to suffer. Preliminary unemployment figures for June 2020 show 30% fewer jobs since a year ago and more than 180,000 still unemployed since the pandemic started. Only two other Ohio industries have job losses in the double digits - mining/logging at 16% and professional and business services at 11%.   

OHIO HUMANITIES OPENS SECOND ROUND OF GRANTS ON JULY 31

Ohio Humanities is offering additional OH CARES funding to help cultural nonprofit organizations affected by COVID-19 health crisis. According to Pat Williamsen, Ohio Humanities executive director, up to $60,000 is available to assist nonprofit organizations that serve the public by offering programs in history, literature, philosophy or other humanities topics. Grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded through a competitive application process. Grants may be used for digital programming, humanities education staff, and supplies to maintain the safety of employees and patrons. Organizations that received OH CARES grants in the first round of funding are ineligible. Applications for OH CARES II grants will be available beginning on Friday, July 31; the deadline for submission will be Friday, Aug.  14.  A webinar about this funding initiative will be held on July 29 at 10 a.m. More details here. 

YET ANOTHER RESEARCH STUDY SHOWS MANDATORY MASK POLICIES WILL INCREASE BUSINESS  

One day after we shared Destination Analyst research showing overwhelming evidence that mandatory mask policies are good for getting business through your gate/door, Longwoods International releases its traveler sentiment study making an even stronger case. This study was fielded July 17. 

• 61% of American travelers prefer that destinations require masks
• More than half of those travelers (35% of total travelers surveyed) will ONLY visit a destination with mandatory mask policies
• 9% are less likely to visit if masks are mandated, and only 3% of these will refuse to visit destinations with mandatory mask policies

Other indicators show increased concern and decreased intent to travel in the next few months, likely related to growing surges throughout the country. Only 38% feel safe traveling outside their communities, down from a high of 46% a month ago.    

'SURVEY SAYS' TIP SHEET: ARE MANDATORY MASK POLICIES GOOD FOR BUSINESS?

In this time of uncertainty, the Ohio Travel Association monitors consumer behavior and travel trend research continuously. With so much information out there, we look for consistency in findings that can help Ohio’s travel businesses and organizations. Some of you are still deciding what to do, while others are struggling to convince leadership that mandating masks is the way to go. Here is a  Survey Says: Mandatory Masks fact sheet that answers the question, "Are mandatory mask policies good for business?" 

CONTACT LOCAL JOBSOHIO NETWORK TO ACCESS PPE TOOLKITS

JobsOhio will deliver 15,000 PPE toolkits to businesses throughout th state beginning next week. They will be working through regional network offices, which you can find here.

NINETEEN (19) COUNTIES NOW AT LEVEL 3. FACIAL COVERINGS MANDATED. 

During the Governor's press conference today, the following counties were announced as being a Level 3 Public Health risk, therefore, initiating mandatory facial coverings for all within the counties starting 6 p.m. tomorrow. Level 3 counties are being advised to limit activities as much as possible. It also means that all businesses operating in these counties must mandate mask-wearing.

Trumbull County was lowered to a Level 2.  

• Athens County (approaching Level 4)
• Hamilton County (removed from the watch list as approaching Level 4)
• Butler County (removed from the watch list as approaching Level 4)
• Allen County
• Cuyahoga County (removed from the watch list as approaching Level 4)
• Clermont County
• Delaware County
• Fairfield County
• Franklin County
• Licking County
• Lorain County
• Lucas County
• Montgomery County
• Richland County
• Scioto County
• Summit County
• Union County 
• Wood County
• Pickaway County

Just as a reminder, here are the requirements and exclusions.

Facial coverings are required:

• In any indoor location that is not a residence
• When outdoors and unable to consistently maintain a distance of six feet or more among individuals who are not members of their household; and
• When waiting for, riding, driving or operating public transportation, a taxi, a private car service or a ride-sharing vehicle. This does not apply to private or rental vehicles where members of a family are sharing a vehicle, nor does it apply to vehicles engaged in direct travel through a county that does not stop in that county.

Those not required to wear facial coverings include the following:

• Individuals under 10 years of age
• A medical condition, including those with respiratory conditions that restrict breathing, mental health conditions or disability contraindicates the wearing of a facial covering
• The individual is communicating or seeking to communicate with someone who is hearing-impaired or has another disability, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication
• The individual is alone in an enclosed space, such as an office, and which space is not intended for use or access by the public
• The individual is actively engaged in exercise in a gym or indoor facility so long as six or more feet of separation between individuals exist
• The individual is actively participating in athletic practice, scrimmage or competition that is permitted under a separate Department of Health order
• The individual is actively engaged in a public safety capacity, including but not limited to law enforcement, firefights or emergency medical personnel
• The individual is seated and actively consuming food or beverage in a restaurant or bar
• When facial coverings are prohibited by law or regulation
• When facial coverings are in violation of documented industry standards
• When facial coverings are in violation of a business’s documented safety policies
• Individuals actively participating in broadcast communications
• Individual is an officiant of a religious service

RISING CASES ARE LOWERING INTENT TO TRAVEL; PERCEPTIONS ABOUT THE REWARDS OF TRAVEL ARE CONCERNING

Americans are more concerned about their safety and wellbeing than they've been in the last three months. According to Destination Analysts, this is impacting intent to travel as both perceived safety and plans to travel in 2020 are dropping. 

Intent to visit attractions (including cultural attractions, museums, zoos, etc) is also dipping. According to a weekly study released this week on colleendilen.com, there are now regional differences due to rising cases, showing the absolute importance of controlling the virus for the economy, as well as for safety:

"You’ll note that one-week intentions to visit cultural organizations in Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and Texas have decreased in the last few weeks, as well as in the region consisting of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and New Mexico. At a value of 2, these numbers indicate that plans to visit cultural organizations in these regions are extremely low, despite having a comparatively large number of cultural enterprises open compared to other regions."  

Marketing Staycations and to a tighter geographic region remains perhaps the best-bet for many destinations. Sixty percent (60%) of American travelers surveyed say they are taking a staycation this summer. Other facts from Destination Analysts July 12 survey:

• Those who feel safe going out for leisure activities locally has declined to 34.2% from 42.1% just three weeks ago (June 19th).
• A majority of American travelers continue to say that too many people in their communities are not wearing face masks and not maintaining the appropriate social distance in public. 

An interesting finding from this week's Destination Analyst report looked at how Americans view how coronavirus has impacted the experiential promises of travel. For example, while 77% said "having fun" is critical and of high importance to travel, 49% say COVID-19 has had a significant impact on their ability to have fun or has made it impossible. Check out the graph to see how other travel motivations are impacted.   

Let's dig into this a little deeper, shall we? (OTA doesn't have the answers to these questions, but they are things we should think about in the next coming months, and we will continue to explore in our travel marketing webinars and chats.)

Why are travelers perceiving basically any travel experience as less rewarding right now?   

• Is it concern over safety casting a dark cloud over the experience?
• Is it concern that the safety guidelines being implemented are altering the experiences so much that the rewards can't be experienced?
• Is it due to fewer messages about the aspirational rewards of travel itself and more messages about safety precautions? (remember, this survey is about perceptions, and we all know the role of messaging in creating perception)  

Doing what we can to control the virus is paramount to keeping our businesses open, but also for getting people through our doors. Reminding travelers about the joy to be found at your experience doesn't mean you also aren't making their safety a #1 concern. It's a fine balance, but it's not an either/or option for most. Even if you are marketing local, don't forget you still have to inspire them to come.    

Marketing in this climate remains a challenge. Here are some other findings that could help:

• 11.0% say they are already in a “back traveling” state of mind
• 11.1% say they are ready to travel with no hesitations
• 35.3% say they could be convinced to take a trip this year that they hadn’t previously considered.
• Americans agree the safest types of trips one could take this year are camping and RV trips.
• Millennial or GenZ generations continue to exhibit less fear and hesitation and more openness and readiness to travel now
• Men—particularly those with household incomes above $80K—also continue to index more highly for travel marketability compared to women.

OHIO BUSINESSES REQUEST BUSINESS LIABILITY PROTECTION 

A letter requesting protection from frivolous lawsuits if businesses are following safety guidelines was submitted to Ohio members of Congress today. More than 190 Ohio businesses operating in the travel economy signed the letter. Congress returns to session next week and liability protection is one of the  items to be discussed. Read the letter submitted by OTA and OHLA here.   

REQUEST FOR ECONOMIC RELIEF FOR DMOS

Finalizing and passing the next round of coronavirus relief legislation will be the priority next week when Congress resumes. A request to provide additional relief for DMOs - including making them eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program - will be sent this week. A copy of the letter can be found here. If you are not already signed onto this letter and wish to do so, please  contact roglesby@ustravel.org no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 15.

ECONOMIC LOSSES IN OHIO TRAVELER SPENDING NOW EXCEED $6.8 BILLION

Based on US Travel's tracking of weekly spending, Ohio has experienced a loss of traveler spending exceeding $6.8 billion since the beginning of March resulting in a loss of state tax revenues of $162 million, $346 million in federal tax revenues, and a loss of local tax revenues exceeding $98 million.

LONGWOODS STUDY SHOWS LESS INTENT TO TRAVEL

According to the most recent Longwoods International tracking study of American travelers, three-fourths are changing their travel plans because of the coronavirus pandemic, the highest level since mid-May.  And the percentage of Americans who have travel plans in the next six months has dropped to 65%, the lowest level since the April 1. This is likely due to the rising cases being experienced through most areas of the country.

Support for opening local communities to visitors has dropped to 34%, the lowest level since mid-May. And the percentage of American travelers who now feel safe traveling outside their community has fallen to 41%, also a low since mid-May. The percentage of Americans comfortable dining in local restaurants and shopping in local stores also declined, from 47% two weeks ago to 40% in the most recent survey.

SURVEY SAYS MANDATING MASKS IS GOOD FOR PUBLIC HEALTH AND BUSINESS

Let’s talk about face coverings for a moment. Starting tonight at 6 p.m., face coverings will be required by all in the seven counties throughout Ohio showing the highest indicators of virus spread. Not complying with this regulation is a misdemeanor. Even if your county is not mandating face coverings for your guests (remember, face coverings are mandatory for employees in Ohio), many attractions, hotels, retailers are requiring masks for entry. We are hearing of more and more every day making this a requirement.

More than 70% of potential visitors say mandatory face coverings will make them feel safer.

Colleen Dillen/Know Your Bone research team has been tracking consumer behavior for months, looking at what will make travelers comfortable to visit museums, botanical gardens, aquariums, nature areas, etc. When asked June 29 what would make them feel safe and comfortable going to a museum, aquarium, theatre, zoo or concert again, most survey respondents said availability of a coronavirus vaccine (74%). This hasn’t changed as the top indicator of safety.  

What’s really interesting is that mandatory face coverings has risen from 54% of respondents to more than 70% in the last two weeks, surpassing “seeing others visit” as the second most popular reason. After reviewing this research, as well as other questions that looked at intensity of mask-wearing as essential from both sides of the issue, the authors declared “research suggests that not requiring masks will have a greater negative impact on attendance than requiring them for a vast majority of organizations.”  Read more here.  

YOUR ACTION NEEDED TO ENCOURAGE CONGRESS TO PROVIDE BUSINESS LIABILITY PROTECTION

Working with US Travel, the Ohio Travel Association and the Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association are asking for your signature on a Congressional letter to support protection of our businesses.

Dear [Member of Congress]

On behalf of the Ohio Travel Association and the Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association, representing thousands of businesses in your state, we commend and appreciate the bipartisan congressional efforts to pass the CARES Act and additional relief bills to protect American livelihoods and businesses. We write to express our belief that further, temporary COVID-19 business liability protections will be necessary to fully restart our economy and put Americans back to work.

Travel industry businesses across Ohio closed in the interest of public health, with small travel businesses bearing the brunt of the economic losses; these businesses are now operating or reopening responsibly following state guidelines. Every day, we hear from businesses regarding the need for COVID-19 business liability protections, as these businesses are following state guidelines (and beyond) to keep their employees and guests safe.  

The travel industry is one of the hardest-hit industries in the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the public health crisis, $1.1 trillion in traveler spending in the U.S. generated a total economic impact of $2.6 trillion and supported a total of 15.8 million American jobs. So far this year, declines in travel have cost our economy 8 million jobs, and we are on track to lose a half trillion dollars in travel spending by the end of this year.

In Ohio, we have experienced a $6.8 billion loss thus far due to reduced traveler spending, and our job losses surpass all other industries in the state, as we have a 44% unemployment rate – 54% unemployment of those working in businesses focused on arts, recreation and entertainment.

We understand the travel industry’s economic recovery is contingent on the implementation of proper health and safety practices. Ohio travel economy businesses have followed the Ohio Responsible Restart Guidelines and are implementing the five protocols – employee health assessment, hand washing, sanitization, physical distancing and facial coverings.

If businesses take the necessary steps to protect the health of guests and employees, there must be protections in place to allow them to operate with confidence. These protections should be temporary to protect responsible businesses from frivolous lawsuits during this pandemic and through a period of the economic recovery. Importantly, these measures must be put in place immediately so businesses can do business with confidence and Ohio’s travel economy can continue its recovery.

We thank you for all that you are doing to support Ohio’s travel economy, its workforce and America’s overall recovery efforts.

Your request matters the most as a constituent of these elected officials. Please follow this link to include your business identified in the Ohio support letter. Thank you!

To Have Your Business Listed in Support

TEMPORARY GUIDANCE FOR SPORTS TOURNAMENTS ISSUED IN ORDER EXPIRING JULY 15

For those of you who manage sports competitions, the short-term public health order issued July 7 by the Ohio Department of Health can provide a head start on what to anticipate when the state extends an order more permanently.  

Public Health Order for Sports, 7/7 

GOVERNOR DEWINE ESTABLISHES NEW COVID-19 WARNING SYSTEM FOR OHIO COUNTIES

The Ohio coronavirus website is having technical difficulties today, so additional information and documentation is not available. Based on what we have heard on the press conference, here are a few updates. We recommend you check the website for details. 

Baseline orders that cover physical distancing and business requirements (such as employee mandatory facial coverings, etc) remain in place, although it wasn’t made clear during the Governor's press conference when that renewed order would be issued. 

Governor Mike DeWine announced a new Public Health Advisory Health Alert System that will identify the level of health risks based on counties. The color-coded system consists of four levels based on seven data indicators to identify the risk level for each county.

The indicators right now include new cases per capita, sustained increases of new cases, proportion of cases that are not congregate cases (such as those occurring in long-term care facilities and prisons), sustained increase in emergency room visits, sustained increase in out-patient settings, sustained increase in new COVID-19 hospital admissions (based on county of residence), and ICU bed occupancy.    

County levels will be announced on Wednesdays or Thursdays. Levels will be coded by colors Level 1 (yellow), Level 2 (orange), Level 3 (red) and Level 4 (purple) with Level 4 registering at least six or seven indicators. Future decisions can be made on a county-by-county basis using this data to inform. Local and state officials can take actions based on this data.  

The Governor also said they will be “cracking down” on restaurants and bars not complying with guidelines. He recommended that bars and restaurants look at ways to increase outside seating. He said more than 300 expansion requests have been granted. He also reminded restaurants and bars that patrons must be seated while eating and drinking.

TRAVEL CONFIDENTLY TOOLKIT AVAILABLE TO REMIND CONSUMERS OF SAFETY 

U.S. Travel has released a toolkit designed to communicate safety to travelers. With safety plans in place, businesses are doing all they can to implement Ohio guidelines - facial coverings, sanitization, employee health screenings, social distancing and hand washing. Consumers also must share the responsibility. Some of the tools found within this toolkit communicate this importance. 

UPDATES ON TRAVELER SENTIMENT AND BEHAVIOR