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Public Affairs Update
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The Latest
Federal/Legislative Updates
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Tonight at midnight is the deadline to apply for a loan through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), where more than $130 billion remains unused. Legislators are considering a number of ways to repurpose either the program or the remaining funds.
- U.S. Travel is supporting bills in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate to extend the application deadline and allow destination marketing organizations (DMOs) to access these funds, among other structural changes.
- We are hopeful these provisions will be included in a phase 4 coronavirus relief package, which we expect to come together toward the end of July.
- The Food and Drug Administration released guidance today outlining its conditions for approving a COVID-19 vaccine during a hearing in front of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. The vaccine would need to be at least 50% more effective than a placebo, and the vaccine maker would need to submit proof of the vaccine’s safety and conduct further monitoring of those who receive the vaccine for a year after treatment, among other conditions.
- Yesterday, the Federal Reserve opened its Primary Market Corporate Credit Facility, a program designed to stabilize financial markets by purchasing up to $500 billion in corporate bonds directly from companies. For more information on the program, please reference the Federal Reserve’s fact sheet and U.S. Travel’s updated fact sheet.
- Also yesterday, Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) led 14 of their Senate colleagues in a letter to congressional leadership calling for additional funding for the Economic Development Administration’s future recovery efforts, specifically those that target tourism-dependent communities. View the full text of the letter.
- Last week, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued new FAQs for the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) in response to a letter U.S. Travel sent to Treasury Secretary Mnuchin. U.S. Travel believes that some CRF funds may be used to provide additional assistance to DMOs for certain activities related to COVID-19. For more information on the CRF, please view our note from earlier this week and our updated fact sheet.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added three new symptoms of COVID-19 to their list, for a total of 12 symptoms that can appear between two and 14 days after a person has been exposed to the virus.
Travel Industry Updates
- Today, U.S. Travel’s Marketing and Communications Working Group met to discuss how recent developments around regional reopenings and coronavirus case resurgences may affect phase two of the travel industry recovery campaign. As we closely monitor traveler sentiment and attitudes toward safety, U.S. Travel and the working group are amplifying the #TravelConfidently (A shared responsibility.) messaging to encourage travelers and residents to wear masks, practice physical distancing and regularly wash hands so that we all do our part to make sure the entire travel experience is as safe and healthy as possible.
- The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced their new "Stay Healthy. Stay Secure." campaign today ahead of the upcoming Independence Day holiday weekend. The campaign is intended to share new checkpoint guidance and highlight changes to the security process to improve health and safety for both travelers and TSA workers. Changes include physical distancing among travelers in the checkpoint line and among TSA officers, ID verification without physical contact between the TSA officer and the traveler and more.
- As the European Union prepares to reopen its borders on July 1, the bloc has agreed to a list of countries whose residents will be permitted to travel to EU countries. The U.S. has not been placed on this list. While public health and traveler safety remains the top priority, U.S. Travel released a statement highlighting the negative ramifications of this decision, particularly if it results in retaliation.
- Last week, the governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut signed orders requiring passengers flying in from states that are considered COVID-19 hotspots to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. U.S. Travel released a statement in response to this new policy, calling for all travelers to wear masks so that the country can continue reopening safely.
- Ahead of Fourth of July weekend, AAA released its summer forecast, predicting that Americans would take 15% fewer trips this summer than in 2019—the first decline in summer travel since 2009. The full report also explores trends in car travel, air travel and more.
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THE DOW REPORT
This week, U.S. Travel officially launched our new video series, titled “The Dow Report.” In each episode, U.S. Travel President and CEO Roger Dow will interview a travel industry CEO about steps his or her business is taking to reopen safely amid the pandemic, their approach to leadership and insights on the future of the industry.
The first episode of The Dow Report features Pat Pacious, president and CEO of Choice Hotels International. You may view the full episode by clicking below.
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COVID-19 TRAVEL RESEARCH
Programming Note: Due to the Fourth of July holiday, U.S. Travel will not publish our weekly COVID-19 Travel Data newsletter this Thursday. We will publish our next newsletter on Thursday, July 9. Enjoy the holiday weekend!
Latest Travel Sentiment Survey from Destination Analysts | June 29
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The rise in cases in some parts of the country has had a negative impact on American traveler sentiment, according to the latest wave of survey data from Destination Analysts.
- 60% of American travelers feel the pandemic is going to get worse in the U.S.—up 10 percentage points in one week.
- Trip cancellations for July and August increased, and now a high of 37.4% of American travelers say they have no trip plans for the remainder of 2020.
- Despite the backslide in sentiment, 35% of American travelers say they would have at least some likelihood to take a leisure trip that they have not already considered if a good opportunity presented itself soon.
- The most commonly important trip destination attributes are uncrowded, not-too-expensive, relaxing and fun.
- Over half of American travelers say that seeing a travel ad would make them feel happy.
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ASSESSING RECOVERY WEBINAR SERIES
Investigating the Latest Trends in Outdoor Recreation
Thursday, July 9 | 12:00 p.m. ET
Join us Join us Thursday, July 9 at 12:00 p.m. ET for the next webinar in our Assessing Recovery series, which will focus on the latest trends and insights related to outdoor recreation as reopening continues in several states. The webinar will explore fascinating new insights on U.S. national park visitation trends collected by a new tracker from Rove Marketing that explores where visitors are coming from, how they are getting there and more. The webinar will also feature insights on the reopening process at national parks and what requirements have been put in place to keep the public safe when they travel.
Featured speakers:
- Margaret Everson, principle deputy director, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the Interior
- James Sauter, partner and co-founder, Rove Marketing
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Other Coronavirus News
Domestic Updates
- Governors in many states, including Washington, California, Florida and Texas, are reversing several reopening plans amid a new single-day record for the number of new cases in the U.S. last week. Some states have decided to close beaches ahead of the Fourth of July weekend in an attempt to limit transmission of the virus.
- New York City beaches are set to reopen tomorrow, July 1, though visitors are expected to maintain physical distancing guidelines if they visit. The city is planning to enter phase 3 of their reopening process on Monday, July 6.
- However, major events in the fall continue to be cancelled, including the 2020 New York City Marathon. The annual race routinely attracts more than 50,000 runners, 10,000 volunteers and 1 million fans. Broadway will also remain closed until January 2021.
- Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, CA, has decided to delay the reopening of its parks, which was originally scheduled for July 17. The company will move forward with plans to open Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL, on July 11.
- National parks across the country continue to move toward reopening, but last week, Yosemite National Park announced that it would delay the reopening of some campgrounds through July due to virus concerns.
- American Airlines will resume booking flights to capacity on July 1, though the airline plans to continue notifying customers and allow them to switch to less full flights for the time being.
- Consumer spending rose by a record 8.2% in May, though it remains below pre-coronavirus levels.
International Updates
- Yesterday, the World Health Organization warned that the worst of the pandemic may be still to come, as the worldwide number of confirmed infections topped 10 million and deaths surpassed 500,000.
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U.S. Travel Resources
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Around the Industry:
Resources & Examples
- Airports Council International launched a new “Ready for Every Journey” campaign to show the steps airports are taking to ensure travelers’ health and safety
- Destination DC’s “Guide to Summer” highlights all the ways travelers can explore Washington, D.C., safely this summer
- The Michigan Society of Association Executives released “Safe Meetings in Michigan,” a report compiled with input from DMOs, event planners and other tourism executives from across the state
- TourismOhio’s “Stay Safe While Traveling” encourages travelers to put safety first, and their local PSAs highlight the importance of wearing masks for travel workers and travelers alike
- Travel Nevada’s “Going the (Social) Distance: How to Safely Enjoy Your Nevada Outdoor Adventures” provides guidance for travelers as they return to the state’s outdoor activities
- Visit Mammoth Lakes, California, is promoting several ways to practice “Sustainable Travel” when visiting—whether in the mountains, on the water, at camp or in town
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