VIRUS
One-third of Colorado residents surveyed said they would likely not signup to get vaccinated when a vaccine becomes available. Fewer than half of those polled said they are very likely to ever get the vaccine! Source: Colorado Sun
And why is that important [Insights Collective] … The 1/3 headline findings echo similar vaccination rates for kids in Colorado. This sets up a nightmare scenario for health leadersin their desire to avoid becoming a national hot-spot for Covid-19. If you add political affiliation to the mix, both republicans and democrats are losing trust in the nation’s top disease fighters – with substantial majorities in both parties believing vaccine approval is being driven by politics – not science. More importantly for resorts and marketers, will failure to get vaccinated make jurisdictions / destinations less competitive?
REOPENING
Rome has been awarded the first five-star anti-COVID award for its airport. The rating comes from an international body that usually grades airports on more traditional performance metrics but has now developed sanitation scores as well. Fiumicino Airport opened a 7,000-square-foot testing center earlier this month to provide organized, rapid testing for incoming visitors. Source: CNN
And why is that important [Insights Collective] … It is no coincidence that Italy led the way when it came to preparing its airport to handle passengers in the COVID era. The country is highly dependent on tourism and enabling rapid testing on site will allow it to welcome far more visitors in a safe manner. The airport also scored highly for having strict enforcement of mask requirements, easy-to-read signage, and an efficient way of routing passengers through security and health procedures. U.S. airports have fallen behind in many ways, but this is one area in which they need to catch up quickly.
ECONOMY
Florida’s tourism industry will be the slowest sector to emerge from the recession caused by the coronavirus, dragging down the overall economy. Tourism accounts for 13% to 15% of the state’s main revenue fund, Florida chief economist Amy Baker said, and tourists aren’t likely to start flocking back to the Sunshine State in pre-pandemic numbers for at least a year after a COVID-19 vaccine is available to the public, which isn’t expected until next summer. “Our belief is that tourism is going to take two to three years to recover, and it will be the longest-recovering sector that we have,” Baker told the Legislative Budget Commission. Source: Orlando Sentinel
And why is that important [Insights Collective] … While we are optimistic that Florida will have a quicker rebound than forecast, it’s important to listen to what Florida’s chief economist is forecasting. Reports continue to suggest a longer haul towards recovery – and tourism destinations should plan accordingly.
LODGING
Seeking to discourage parties, VRBO has removed 1-night listings from its platform for homes in Arizona. The policy will be in effect through January 2021, and company officials expressed a desire to find a long-term solution to help eliminate large gatherings. Source:USA Today
And why is that important [Insights Collective] … The move comes after an August announcement from Airbnb to ban parties and events, capping occupancy at 16 guests. The real issue, however, is a 2016 law passed by state legislators which prohibited cities and towns from placing bans on short-term rentals. That legislation, and the unintendedconsequences of throwing a house party in the time of a pandemic, widen the gap between supporting property owners’ rights to do as they please with their homes, and others trying to strike a balance that gives neighbors some ability to maintain thesanctity of their neighborhoods.
NEW REALITIES
The Santa Barbara (California) County Vintners Association has started the process to assess a 1 percent fee on wine sales to consumers. The fund would be used for marketing, like the bed tax charged by hotels to fund marketing and tourism efforts. The group has raised money for years for things like marketing with its annual festival. If enacted, about 1 million dollars would be raised in the first year. Source: KCLU
And why is that important [Insights Collective] … Resorts and destinations perfected the dedicated funding stream with BedTax allocations. Other groups have taken notice and will use the playbook to their advantage. While policy implications are nuanced, a proliferation of these types of taxes looks to be the norm. Is that a good thing? If resorts and destinations encourage these types of policy changes, they must also acknowledge their role will shift from sales & marketing to… something else entirely.