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COVID-19
Travel Insight Report
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MMGYGlobal.com/COVID-19
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Shifting from Reaction to Action
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In the past three weeks, our industry has been forced on
its heels, reacting to a crisis that continues to evolve by
the day, if not by the hour - something particularly evident
in the North American Industry Barometer we released
last Wednesday. In this first issue of our weekly report,
we believe it is time to turn the corner from reaction to
action. And, we hope the resources included in this and
forthcoming issues, as well as our online resource hub, can
help serve as tools to do just that. As our CEO, Clayton Reid,
indicated in his recent POV piece Looking Past This Crisis
– The FutureState of Travel, it is not too early for us to begin
preparing for a rebound. We see this taking shape across
four key tenants:
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Travel sentiment, activity and spending
will return more quickly than many have
predicted.
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Consumer media and search behavior
are shifting, but these trends are only
short term.
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It is important to stay nimble in
marketing for now, but prepare to return
to normalcy quickly.
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If you follow the data, we can, in some
ways, predict how the industry rebound
will unfold.
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/Click Here
To watch our Leadership Roundtable Discussion
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GLOBAL TRAVELER SENTIMENT
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Using social listening, as a tool, we can gain insight into the mindset of travelers globally. And, indicators suggest that there will
be pent-up demand for travel following this crisis. Online conversations about travel cancellations have decreased 30% in the
last week, while mentions of needing or wanting a vacation are up by 130%.
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| NORTH AMERICAN DMO BAROMETER |
Last week MMGY Travel Intelligence and the Destinations International Foundation released the second of a multiwave study on the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak on North American destination organizations.
The survey, designed to track the shifts in how destinations are reacting to the crisis, has (not surprisingly) revealed a
dramatic swing in the impact in just two week since the first wave was released. The survey indicates that more than
80% of destination organizations have now reduced or postponed sales and marketing spending, up from less than
20% in Wave I, the percentage of destinations reporting coronavirus-related postponements and/or cancellations
of conferences, meetings, or events surged from under 40% to almost 100%; and the percentage of respondents
expecting COVID-19 to have an extreme impact on the tourism economy shifted from just 8% to 79%. The third wave
of this survey is in the field now, and you can download all reports here.
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| Adjusting Your Messaging Strategy
and Preparing for Recovery |
As we build toward recovery, travel brands
should consider a strategy that considers
how messaging strategy adjusts from now
through an eventual travel rebound. MMGY
recommends a four-phased approach based
on key traveler behavior periods beginning
with 'Wait,' which is where our industry is
today. We see the recovery period in two
phases – 'Ready' – where we start to see
travel planning return and start to take shape,
and then 'Set' – where we begin to encourage
travelers to get out and explore again. Finally,
'Go' – where travel consumption picks up to a
regular cadence again.
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| TRAVEL JOURNALISTS REMAIN
INTERESTED IN POSITIVE STORIES |
While the media landscape has transformed in a matter
of weeks, the good news is many writers are receptive to
pitches and client news. Below is some of the feedback we
received from a recent audit of our media contacts:
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Pitches should be extremely thoughtful, relevant, and
“in good taste,” and opt for personalized pitches
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Journalists are doing virtual meetings in lieu of
desksides, especially when it comes to an upcoming
opening/launch.
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Many writers are receptive to potential summer press
trips so long as there is flexibility with cancelations
given the uncertainty of the current situation.
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There is an interest in human interest stories that speak
positive stories emerging from the travel industry
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Travel inspiration for the future is important. The Sun
U.K. launched a column, "Wish We Were Here."
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We are monitoring journalists’ media coverage interests daily
and talking with our close contacts so that we can continue to
provide timely information. Read our full post here.
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| WHAT TRAVEL TRADE NEEDS
FROM THE INDUSTRY RIGHT NOW |
When travelers return to activity, Travel advisors will play
a key role in driving distribution in an environment with
wide availability. With the cruise lines in a holding pattern,
destinations and destination resorts have an opportunity
today to present content to advisors.
This week, we hosted our first virtual roundtable with AFAR
Advisors with the following takeaways:
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| Advisors are working learning opportunities they
didn’t have time for before, including training sessions
and webinars.
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The majority of bookings have been shifted to July and
beyond, rather than cancellations.
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Passengers are being encouraged to take future credits
rather than full refunds, so that they may travel in the
future.
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Virtual tours and interviews with expedition leaders
will be effective content.
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To join the next AFAR Advisors Roundtable sign up here.
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| U.S. TRAVELER PULSE |
MMGY Travel Intelligence and the U.S. Travel Association
announced a partnership to conduct a biweekly study of U.S.
business and leisure travelers, measuring current and future
traveler sentiment amid the COVID-19 pandemic and will
track trends and shifts in travel intentions. The study will
poll respondents for both domestic and international travel
intent by purpose and type. The first wave of results will be
shared later this week.
Get the latest insights at:
MMGYGlobal.com/COVID-19
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