D/R DOWNLOAD 3.18

What’s Trending

01/ On Google

• “Travel to Ireland” trended +500% this week as tourists flocked to Dublin to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. 

02/ With Media

• Journalists this week expressed story interest in sustainable tourism, baby and pet-friendly accommodations, and flexible travel options.

03/ In The Zeitgeist

• Uber and UberEats will impose a temporary fuel surcharge ranging from 35 to 55 cents to combat rising gas prices, promising the money will go directly to drivers.

• The United States’ Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act, a bill that makes daylight savings time permanent throughout the entire country. The bill must be passed by the House, and would not be enacted until 2023 to allow airlines and other companies to adjust their schedules accordingly.

• Next Vacay’s new study revealed the top bucket-list experiences for 2022 based on TikTok’s most-watched travel attractions and destinations. The list includes the Grand Canyon, Taj Mahal, Eiffel Tower, Burj Khalifa and Disney World.

• Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is returning to the company as interim CEO with plans to reinvent the company amidst unionization and COVID-19 related sales declines. 

Industry Insights

• Airline industry experts are projecting an “insatiable demand” for air travel after TSA reported an approximate 10.6 million screenings over a five day period in early March—the highest since Thanksgiving of 2021. 

• Two cruise lines announced partnerships with celebrity pop stars this week with Virgin Voyages revealing Jennifer Lopez as an investor and Chief Entertainment and Lifestyle Officer; plus Norwegian Cruise Line unveiled Katy Perry as the Godmother of their new ship, Prima. 

• As rail travel continues to grow in popularity, The Ghan, a 100-year-old deluxe train, is welcoming visitors back to Australia with breathtaking routes along the countryside. 

• A tug boat located in Maine has been transformed into a fully restored mini library listed on Airbnb. Inside The Dock House, guests can read, watch movies, play board games and listen to vinyl records.

• Flip Phone Events is launching a ‘Schitt’s Creek’-themed Caribbean cruise aboard the Celebrity Summit this March. Onboard events include show trivia, costume contests, karaoke, panels, bar crawls, dance parties and more– all themed around the CBS hit-show.  

• This April, The White House will resume public tours for the first time in two years. Tours are free to the public and face masks will not be required. 

• British Airways is now serving Ryan Reynolds’ alcohol-brand Aviation Gin on-flight and announced the partnership with a comedic alternative safety video starring the actor.

Best Practices

01/ The Good

• On St. Patrick’s Day, Tourism Ireland transformed digital poster sites into a global music festival celebrating Irish culture while enticing travelers to visit the country. People around the world could scan QR codes on the posters to access digital performances from Irish acts and artists.

• Ahead of World Tattoo Day on March 21, language learning app Duolingo is offering a “public service” to check people’s foreign language tattoos by submitting photos to the hashtag #TattooDuoOver. 

Covid-Related Updates

• France re-classified the United States as a ‘green’ country, allowing for easier entry protocols for vaccinated and unvaccinated Americans. France also suspended its vaccination pass that was previously required to enter public spaces, and lifted its indoor mask mandate.

• London’s Heathrow Airport dropped its mandatory mask mandate for travelers, requiring passengers only to wear a mask during the duration of their flight if the destination requires it. 

• This week, Vietnam reopened borders and lifted all quarantine requirements for United States visitors with a visa; Canada dropped COVID-19 testing requirements for vaccinated visitors; and New Zealand announced plans to welcome back vaccinated Americans with a negative COVID-19 test starting in May.

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