I’m on a mission.
I’m on a mission to let the American Traveler know it’s safe to plan travel, and safe to travel again.
Frankly, I hit the wall with all of the politics and media misinformation regarding COVID-19.
No, I’m not a denier or conspiracy theorist. I’m a numbers guy, a businessperson and a Travel Enthusiast.
But it’s time already. It’s time to start telling the American Traveler it’s OK. It’s OK to plan and it’s OK to book.
I urge you to read The Atlantic’s Feb 17 article: COVID-19 Cases Are Dropping Fast. Why?
COVID-19 Cases are down nearly 77% since its peak 6 weeks ago. The CDC estimates over 30%, and possibly up to 55%, of the general population has some immunity to COVID-19 by either having it or previous exposure.
Now, add in the amount of people getting vaccinated. As of this week, 15% of Americans have received the vaccine, and that figure is rising fast. Former Food and Drug Commissioner, Scott Gottlieb, estimates 250 million doses will have been delivered to some 150 million people by the end of March.
Be sure to read this: We’ll Have Herd Immunity by April , Wall Streat Journal, February 18th - by Dr. Marty Makary, Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health. His prediction: “… COVID-19 will be mostly gone by April is based on laboratory data, mathematical data, published literature and conversations with experts.”
As I mentioned in my last email, my wife and I just took our first trip in nearly a year to attend to some family estate matters. We flew from Newark, NJ to Savannah GA, rented a car, drove to Hilton Head, SC, stayed in a major brand hotel on the beach, went to restaurants every night, and retuned home.
Never once did we feel remotely uncomfortable. Airport, airline and passengers all doing their part. The rental car had a seal on door saying “SANITIZED,” the Westin Hotel “NAILED IT,” and the restaurants did it right. The only downside was it was not a vacation trip.
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association’s Risk of Covid-19 During Air Travel, the risk of contracting COVID-19 during air travel is lower than from an office building, classroom, supermarket, or commuter train!
My wife and I both said on returning – “let’s plan a trip for April and another vacation in May.”
We’re eying the Caribbean in May, as freezing temperatures and snow continue to pound the Northeast and many other areas of the country. Bottom line: we’re done with being cooped up and we’re traveling again. We trust the travel industry to make it as safe as can be.
Quarantine after returning home? OK, I’ll take a test – it’s easy to get tested now.
It’s important to note that we are not alone. Over four million travelers were screened by TSA this past weekend.
It’s starting – but it’s too slow.
So back to my Mission:
I’m spreading the word – it’s time to start traveling and planning to travel responsibly.
Yes, it is possible and it’s being done by millions now. And YES, you need to take personal precautions. Wear masks, social distance, get your vaccines when possible. And yes - if you are in a high risk category, wait for your doctor's OK. But there is a whole travel industry that has made it all work for you - and it can be done now! And
Will you join me?
So, what are we doing to fulfill this mission?
We are engaging the public – the travel enthusiasts like me who will be the first to start traveling again.
We are producing Virtual Travel & Adventure Shows throughout the year, each attended by thousands of eager travelers.
Our first Live Travel & Adventure Show is in Chicago in June. We have seven this year. Shows are starting again – the surf expo a few weeks ago, some home and pet B2C shows are happening across the U.S.
Heck, if you can go to Home Depot and Costco, you can go to a show safely.
Will we make money on our live events? Probably not – but I made the decision that we are doing them. If the convention center is open, then we are doing the show. We are on a mission!
It’s time.
It’s time to start building Consumer Travel Confidence.
It’s time to band together as an industry and show people we traveled here to meet you and you can travel too.
If collectively we don’t breed confidence in the travel process, neither will our customers.
And no – we really don’t have a choice – it’s time to get back to business.
It’s time to market.
It’s time to greet customers and tell our stories.
Waiting to ramp up in fall will be too late. You will miss the wave of bookings for late 2021 and 2022.
It’s time to TRAVEL! Join me.
We’re doing our part. I just knocked $1,000 off show booths through March.
Don’t have Budget? Talk to us – we will work it out because we, collectively, are on a mission.
Have Budget? Frankly, we could use it. Talk to us. It’s been a long dry year, but we helped connect hundreds of customers with tens of thousands of consumers keeping travel plans moving. And we’ve been comping dozens of travel companies that needed the help.
We are investing literally millions of dollars in marketing, building awareness, getting our message out and putting on live and virtual events to connect YOU with travel consumers across the U.S.
Join us. Join the mission.
If you are with us, please let me know. You don't need to book a booth, but stand with us, join the mission, and let's work together to get the travel industry back on its feet.
It's time.
