VIRUS
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) will require inbound international passengers to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test prior to boarding. Air passengers will be required to get tested within three days of their flight to the U.S. or otherwise providedocumentation of having recovered from Covid-19. The CDC will accept results of molecular PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests as well as the less reliable rapid antigen tests. Source: CDC
And why is that important [Insights Collective] … Instituting measures that mitigate spread of the virus create short-term economic challenges but long-term societal recovery.
RE OPENING
Philadelphia’s restaurants will reopen this weekend, at 25 percent occupancy and with stringent safety measures in place. The city Health Commissioner is recommending that restaurants also work to improve ventilation by installing better filters and increasing outside air exchanges. Other guidelines include a limit of four people, all from the same household, at a table. Source: Philadelphia Enquirer
And why is that important [Insights Collective] … Finding ways to reengage the consumer economy are critical to economic and confidence recovery as the nation turns its attention towards pandemic recovery. But, unlike when we were children, tearing off the bandage is hardly the right solution. Given that capacity and ventilation are some of the few factors we can control, using those controls as a way to dial up or down economic activity in balance with health and safety is an approach with binary benefits.
ECONOMY
President-elect Joe Biden introduced a $1.9 trillion spending package, including $1,400 stimulus checks. The package will be the first of a two-part plan in the road to recovery from the pandemic. Biden’s relief package also lays out his vaccine distribution plan, to include $50 million (about $0.15 per person in the US) to expand testing and $20 million(about $0.06 per person in the US) for additional vaccines. Source: CNBC
And why is that important [Insights Collective] … Half of all American households have experienced an income setback at some point during the pandemic, but just one in six now report income having returned to normal. For many the checks will be true survival payment, for others, a stimulus.
LODGING
Hotels that typically rely on airport passenger demand are feeling the pinch.Airport markets have a concentration of higher-priced hotels and were more adversely impacted by COVID-19 due to a dependence on group and corporate demand. Source: HNN
And why is that important [Insights Collective] … According to STR, airport markets will return to 2019 levels for occupancy, average daily rate, and revenue per available room by 2024. For now, marketing efforts at airport hotels are targeting specific groups of travelers such as remote workers, staycation guests, construction crews and front-line workers.
NEW REALITIES
A destination in Ohio is holding back on marketing and promotion until the pandemic subsides. The Warren County Visitors Bureau has a commercial in the queue ready to go, but efforts and deployment remain tempered. For CY2021, the organization has $50,000 in reserves. Source: Times Observer
And why is that important [Insights Collective] … Many destinations are figuring out the right time to re-enter the market. For smaller towns, resident backlash is real – no one wants virus spreading tourists getting them sick.