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WHAT’S TRENDING
On Google:
The CDC’s ‘Do Not Travel’ list is trending +4,000% after the U.S. State Department updated the list to better reflect the CDC’s Travel Health Notices.
Searches for travel to the UK spiked this week, with ‘Windsor Castle Tour’ trending +200% + ‘Grand Tour Scotland’ +200% + ‘Scottish Highlands Tour’ +100%.
‘Earth Day’ was the #2 search term on Thursday with 2M+ searches + ‘national park week’ trended +450% as brands and people worldwide showed their support for our planet and U.S. National Parks.
On Social:
Instagram introduced two new safety features which include a new filter that hides potentially offensive DM requests and the option to block someone by preemptively blocking any future accounts that person tries to create.
Facebook is partnering with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to provide users with virtual experiences during the 93rd Academy Awards.
Twitter launched its Responsible Machine Learning initiative which will conduct an in-depth investigation of the effects of the platform’s algorithms.
TikTok stars who make up the ‘Hype House’ will be getting a reality show on Netflix.
A UK-based YouTube duo is going viral for successfully trolling Airbnb; listing a dollhouse as an available property on the platform and racking up $3,000 worth of bookings.
With Media:
Ellie Nan Storck, recently of Departures, is now the hotels editor at Tripsavvy.
Travel + Leisure is conducting a poll to see what peoples’ travel plans look like for 2021.
Journalists are starting to focus on Memorial Day travel stories as the unofficial start of summer nears.
Consumer + Industry Insights:
The prime minister of Greece announced plans to reopen to tourists on May 15.
The president of France has announced that the country will begin lifting travel restrictions on international travel with non-EU nations beginning in May.
France is the first European country to test a digital health pass, with its trial run of the TousAntiCovid app.
The border closure between the U.S. and Canada for non-essential travel has been extended to at least May 21.
Puerto Rico is implementing a $300 fine for travelers who do not arrive with a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours.
Starting in June, Alaska is making COVID-19 vaccines available for tourists at its key airports.
The British government and Culture Liverpool are partnering with Festival Republic to test a non-socially distanced, outdoor music festival with over 5,000 people in May.
The introduction of electric vehicles to Kenya’s safari industry is helping preserve the delicate ecosystem by eliminating noise pollution and gas emission.
The Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York unveiled its new program, Auschwitz: Not long ago. Not far away., which is the most in-depth view of Auschwitz that has ever been seen in the U.S.
The Catalina Island Company in California has launched a new limited-edition zip line wedding package that lets couples get married while flying through the air over the island.
Princess Cruises’ new campaign, “Why We Travel,” aims to maintain relationships with guests instead of pushing them to book to keep the company in peoples’ minds while ships remain docked.
Resorts World Las Vegas, opening June 2021, will be the first ground-up development on the Strip in over a decade.
MGM Resorts International launched a new program at its Las Vegas hotels that lets guests order COVID-19 tests during their stay as easily as room service.
As the travel industry rebounds after the COVID-19 pandemic, Airbnb is in need of millions more hosts to keep up with the demand from guests.
As the demand rises for vacation rentals, property managers like Vacasa are in high demand.
According to a chief market technician at MKM Partners, Booking Holdings’ travel stock has potential for gains in the upcoming months.
Google’s new ‘Perspectives’ virtual travel and culture series allows viewers to explore different places through the eyes of celebrities like Lin-Manuel Miranda and Venus Williams.
A new report from Credit Suisse predicts that the global demand for the health and wellness market will increase to almost $7 trillion by 2024.
Best Practices:
The Good:
Hospitality group Accor is partnering with Neil Patrick Harris to bring the world some gentle reminders on “acting human” while traveling in a post-pandemic world.
Free the Ocean launched a new channel that lets people trigger the removal of plastic from the oceans by viewing and participating in the daily trivia.
Dove is partnering with Lizzo for its new campaign, “The Social Talk,” with the goal of making social media a more positive and empowering place for young women.
Chameleon Cold-Brew launched its “ultimate coffee break” contest which encourages people to take more coffee breaks throughout their work day.
Kotex is partnering with Ogilvy for its new campaign, “She Can,” which aims to destigmatize conversations around menstruation.
The Bad:
Peloton is facing scrutiny after the company refuted the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s safety warning about the danger of using the Tread+ exercise machine, claiming it was “inaccurate and misleading.”