06/26/2020

Weekly Updates for Ohio's Travel Economy, June 26

STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS MAY USE THE CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND (CRF) FOR TRAVEL PROMOTION 

The U.S. Department of Treasury issued new FAQs this week for the CRF, which clarifies that state and local governments may provide CRF funds to destination marketing organizations to re-market convention facilities and the tourism industry. 

• CRF funds are granted to state and local governments, who in turn can allocate these funds to respond to fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, including providing funds to DMOs.
• According to the FAQ, "expenses incurred to publicize the resumption of activities and steps taken to ensure a safe experience may be needed due to the public health emergency."

AAA is forecasting Americans will take 700 million trips this summer. That number is down nearly 15% compared to last July through September and is the first decline in summer travel since 2009. Still, AAA booking trends show travelers are still making cautious and "spur of the moment" plans. Here's what you need to know: 

• Expect more long weekend getaways rather than extended vacations.
• Last year, AAA predicted record Independence Day travel numbers. Were it not for the pandemic, AAA would expect 857 million trips during the third quarter of this year, a 3.6% increase over last summer. By this analysis, the pandemic wiped out nearly 150 million person-trips just during the summer. 
• Road trips will account for 97% of summer travel, and will see the smallest decrease in travel volume of just 3% year-over-year. AAA forecasts a 74% decrease in air travel and an 86% decrease in rail, cruise ship and bus travel compared to last summer.
• Hotel and rental car bookings have been gradually increasing since April.
• U.S. hotel occupancy rates climbed more than 40% during the first week of June.
• The share of travelers making plans 48 hours to 7 days before departure is significantly higher than normal – a sign that people are arranging more last-minute trips. 
• AAA Ohio cruise and tour bookings for 2021 are up more than 80% compared to bookings for 2020 at this time last year.
• 97% of 2020 summer trips are road trips. That’s up from an average of 87% over the last five years.
• Many summer travelers are looking for outdoor activities where they can continue to socially distance. Camping and close-to-home Ohio destinations are popular this year. AAA has seen an increase in RV rentals.

Experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and their government and academic partners will discuss the 2020 Seasonal Forecast of Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) for Lake Erie and Ohio’s response to the problem during a free public webinar hosted by Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Laboratory. A Q&A session will follow the presentations. Registration is required to receive log-in information. Learn more and register here.

TOURISMOHIO ADDS NEW STAY AT HOME LODGING INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT LOCAL OHIO CAMPAIGN

The new lodging-focused section is aimed at capturing an increasing amount of visitors who are planning a trip. The most recent Longwoods consumer sentiment survey shows that nearly half of all Americans are planning a trip in the next six weeks. TourismOhio recently recorded a steady increase in website traffic which went from being down 15% year over year to a 35% increase in year over year website traffic during the first week of June. You can create a listing here.

WEEKLY TRAVELER SENTIMENT STUDY SHOWS STEADY INTEREST IN KEEPING UPCOMING TRAVEL PLANS AND CONTINUED SUPPORT OF BUSINESSES THAT DEMONSTRATE A CLEAR CLEANING PLAN

Longwood's latest Longwoods Weekly Study identifies the following:

• The recent official and media reports of spikes/surges of new cases of COVID-19 in almost half of the states, appear to be having an impact on travel sentiment by flattening some of the positive trends we have been seeing since mid-May.
• Several key indicators, including those changing travel plans, and those saying the pandemic will greatly impact upcoming travel plans remain unchanged from where they were two weeks ago.
• Support for opening up one’s own community to visitors also saw a slight dip from two weeks ago to 41%.
• On the positive side, concern about the economy greatly impacting travel plans is back down to 17%... where it was on March 11^th.
• The data this week also shows that travelers are more likely to support those businesses that demonstrate a clear thorough cleaning and hygiene plan (43%), which test staff and the use of PPE by staff (34%), and those that have controls on social distancing at their place of business (34%).