The global travel and tourism industry is fighting for survival. The longer the fight, the more difficult it gets. PATA today released estimated numbers of recovery for 2021/2022/2023 with three scenarios.

In 2023 the North America, the Caribbean and South America could welcome 96.5% of all international visitors back compared to 2019. In 2022 this number could be 61.3% and 27.7% this year. This is a dream scenario released by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) today.

A more realistic picture is the medium scenario with 77.3% of international visitors back in 2023, 47% back in 2002, and only 19.1% this year.

Depending on the development with Coronavirus a more severe number would estimate 54.7 % back in 2023, 47% 32.3% in 2022 and 14.3% this year in 2021.This is according to thefull report of theAsia Pacific Visitor Forecasts 2021-2023released today by thePacific Asia Travel Association(PATA), where three growth prospects for international visitors into and across 39 Asia Pacific destinations are made, covering mild, medium and severe scenarios.

The Americas is in a somewhat similar situation, however, as the 2023 proportion of IVAs relative to that of 2019 is still expected to fall short under the mild scenario although only by a minimal margin.

Asia, known as a powerhouse for international arrivals into and across the Asia Pacific region will experience similar figures to what is expected for the Americas under the mild scenario. However, the medium and severe scenarios could fall back even further. In the latter scenario for example, the report projects that IVAs into and across Asia Pacific could fall back to less than half of the 2019 volume by 2023.

Under the medium scenario, more destination sub-regions are expected to fall into further decline in 2021 relative to 2019, before turning to some tentative recovery in 2022 and 2023.

In addition, this group of the top five destinations becomes more significant in relative terms, in 2021 at least, as the scenarios change from mild to medium and then to severe.

Over the longer period, the top five source region and destination pairs by volume increase between 2020 and 2023, are expected to remain in the same rank order under all three of the scenarios although the increase in the absolute number of foreign arrivals obviously changes.

PATA CEO Dr Mario Hardy stated, Calendar year 2021 is likely to be difficult for most destinations, with almost 40% of the 39 destinations covered in these forecasts falling even further from the low point of arrival numbers in 2020, even under the mild scenario. In the case of the medium scenario, that proportion is likely to increase to 85% while under the severe scenario it could well be the case for all 39 destinations.

Clearly, a further round of belt-tightening will be needed in the international sector, with more innovation being required in developing what is available in the domestic sector, he added.

Dr Hardy concluded by reminding the travel sector that, Vaccines are becoming more freely available and inoculations are proceeding rapidly, but even so, and while first results are very encouraging, their effectiveness over a wider proportion of the population has yet to be fully demonstrated. It is very likely that travellers in the future will have to carry proof of inoculation and being COVID-19 free, something that various agencies and airlines have been developing and is already trialling. Whatever the outcome, travel will never be the same again and we have no choice but to adjust and adapt to that.

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International Tourism back to 48%, 74% or 96% in 2023? - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News

To solidify Nevis position as the definitive Island of Love, the Nevis Tourism Authority (NTA) has introduced a specialty cocktail with aphrodisiac properties for Valentines Day.

Inspired by Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess of love, beauty, and fertility, the NEVISAN KISS was conceived by the award-winning Nevisian mixologist, Mr. Kremour Maloney. Mr. Maloney tells us, Aphrodite was also Cupids mother, the symbol of Valentines love and passion, and she was acclaimed to have given us the gift of pleasure and the power of seduction, all elements that stir those lustful feelings that are captured in her namesake, Aphrodisiac, and we deliver in the Nevisian Kiss.

Aromatic and spiced, the NEVISIAN KISS contains three magical elixirs with aphrodisiac qualities that have been used through the ages: Cinnamon for blood flow and sexual libido; Ginger to increase body heat and a heightened heart rate; and Nutmeg, reputed to be Viagra for Women, also raises body heat, sweetens breath, and acts as an all-round stimulant. The foundation of the Nevisian Kiss is the Nevisian rum, Captain Nils Viking Rum, and combined these ingredients are brewed to make a potent mix.

The recipe for the Nevisian Kiss is a blend of 1.5 oz. Captain Nils Viking Rum, 1.0 oz. fresh lime juice, 1.0 oz. cinnamon infused simple syrup, 0.75 oz. apple juice, 2 slices of ginger root, and finished with a garnish of fresh grated nutmeg. To ensure you have your NEVISIAN KISS blended to perfection, Mr. Maloney will host a demonstration via a live stream on @NevisNaturally, the handle for Instagram on Sunday, February 14, at 1 pm AST (12:00 pm EST).

Nevis, The Island of Love, is renowned as a destination for all things romance: engagements, weddings, and romantic holidays. This Valentines Day, Nevis wants to assist you in declaring your love to your significant other in grand style by illuminating your commitment on the NTAs social media platforms. To be featured, all it requires for your participation is to share your love story, titled Nevis Love Story with their social media handles for the NTA and they will create a personalized image in your honor.

On receipt of your story, the NTA will create a Sandy Love graphic by drawing a heart on a pristine beach, lapped by the warm Caribbean waters, and take photos of the images. The graphic will feature the names of the lovers that submitted a Nevis Love Story with their social media handles tagged, and on Valentines Day, the tagged images will be posted on the NTAs social media platforms and shared to all their followers.

Participants are encouraged to share their love story with the world by reposting this virtual symbol to celebrate their love, sealing their commitment with a NEVISIAN KISS. Wishing a happy Valentines Day from Nevis with love.

For travel and tourism information on Nevis, please visit the Nevis Tourism Authority website at http://www.nevisisland.com and follow us on Instagram (@nevisnaturally), Facebook (@nevisnaturally), YouTube (nevisnaturally), and Twitter (@Nevisnaturally).

Nevis is part of the Federation of St. Kitts & Nevis and is located in the Leeward Islands of the West Indies. Conical in shape with a volcanic peak at its center known as Nevis Peak, the island is the birthplace of the founding father of the United States, Alexander Hamilton. The weather is typical of most of the year with temperatures in the low to mid-80sF / mid 20-30sC, cool breezes and low chances of precipitation. Air transportation is easily available with connections from Puerto Rico, and St. Kitts. For more information about Nevis, travel packages and accommodations, please contact the Nevis Tourism Authority, USA Tel 1.407.287.5204, Canada 1.403.770.6697 or our website http://www.nevisisland.com and on Facebook Nevis Naturally.

More news about Nevis

#rebuildingtravel

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The Nevisian Kiss on the Island of Love - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News

Last week,American Queen Steamboat Company and Victory Cruise Linesannounced that theyd require proof of a COVID-19 vaccine for all overnight guests, starting July 1, 2021. Saga Cruises, a U.K. cruise line, also is requiring guests to have received a vaccination prior to boarding.

So, is this guest vaccine requirement likely to be replicated as a policy for other lines or even industry-wide?

I think vaccines will be required by all cruise lines, if not by the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention itself,believes Steve Hirshan, senior vice president of sales, Avoya Travel Network.Requiring a vaccine is a good thing as it will take the clients guesswork out of who they are traveling with.

Initially at least, a vaccine requirement could be a plus, according to Brad Tolkin, co-chairman/CEO, World Travel Holdings: A lot of people I talk with mention they are flying Delta because of their policy of not selling the middle seat. This tells me something. But, this will not be a long-term possibility for the major airlines, hotels and cruise lines.

Many sources, including Jackie Friedman, president ofNexion, believe that cruise lines policies towards vaccination will vary, depending on the lines specific customer base. Smaller cruise lines catering to an older demographic may be more inclined to require vaccination, as older adults may have the potential to secure a vaccine appointment.

But for many other customers, a vaccine requirement isan impossible hurdle to jump over, as it could be considerable time before children are able to get the vaccine. A family wanting to book a cruise certainly wont leave their un-vaccinated young children at home, emphasizesFriedman.

Countries of embarkation, debarkation and/or ports of call may also have vaccine requirements, shesays and "cruise lines will need to carefully weigh those factors when deciding whether or not to require COVID-19 vaccination."

Rudi Schreiner, president and co-founder AmaWaterways tellsus that while vaccine administration across various countries is encouraging, travel restrictions and testing regulations continue to evolve.E.U. countries, and the airlines serving them, are working together to implement a new digital passengerform to register negative test results or proof of vaccine from a reliable source in order to hopefully ease travel restrictions, he says.

"For river cruising, it wont be us to require proof of vaccine or negative COVID test, as international travelers will have already been required to provide that information in order to enter the country," Schreiner says.

Once his line is back sailing, he says that river cruise lines in Europe will need to remain diligent and ensure all guests respect the regulations in each country visited. "Given how quickly regulations are changing, it is still too soon to finalize our online pre-cruise health questionnaire," says Schreiner.

Some advisors says that while it may be ideal for everyone (all guests and crew)to be vaccinated, much will depends on thesupply chain and distribution logistics that cruise lines and travel advisors simply cant control.

Will any potential vaccine requirement be adopted more frequently by niche/small ship lines or, in contrast, those cruise lines operatinglarger ships. From Tolkin's perspective, that requirement might not be limited solely to niche suppliers. Here's why: I do believe that the larger vendors that require this will use it initially as a way to control occupancy," Tolkinsays, notingthat, as the travel industry emerges from this once-in-a-century tragedy, regardless if a government entity requires it, not many hotels or cruise lines are going to want to promote that they are comfortable operating at 100 percent occupancy.

Most of our experts said that one group on a cruise ship that likely will be required to provide proof of vaccination is the crew. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdingshas publicly said that it desires that for its three brands.

Friedman, whoexpects the crew to be required to vaccinate, tells us:"Thesepeople make the ship run in a variety of ways, and often cant social distance in their interactions with guests and each other, so vaccinating this group can go a long way towards ensuring a healthy sailing."

Travel Agent participated in a press briefing on Friday with Captain Dan Blanchard, founder and CEO, UnCruise Adventures, an American-flagged line that expects to begin cruising in Alaska thisspring. Asked if UnCruise will require the vaccine for guests, Blanchard responded: Not right yet."

He explainedthat right now the small-ship line doesnt have enough confidence yet that it can get its own crew vaccinated (given limitations in vaccine distribution).That said, we are working with the state of Alaska to try to get priority for tourism workers as active essential workers. He said the line believes that will happen, but the timing is uncertain as yet.

How could a guest vaccine requirement impact agency sales? This is mixed, saidGary Smith, franchise owner and vacation specialist, Dream Vacationsin Eugene, OR. For some clients, he believes a vaccine requirement could have a good marketing benefit and would help sales.

Others, it would be the opposite, though, he says. With the larger cruise lines heavily focused on the drive markets in the Southeast and Texas, I believe a vaccine requirement for larger cruise lines would be harmful to them," both in sales and how a large portion of the lines client base feels about the vaccine. Some consumers don't want to take thevaccine.

For example, Smiths agency has three couples traveling together on an upcoming AQSCvoyage that will have the vaccine requirement. Two of the three couples are perfectly fine with it, Smith says, but notes that the other couple is refusing the vaccine and threatening to cancel, although they havent done so yet. I think that is pretty indicative of what youll find overall.

David Locke, owner of Seize the Seas, an independent agency in the Avoya Travel Network in Parkland, FL, pointed out that masks, now required onboard by many lines and the CDC,may be more onerous than getting a vaccine for many consumers.

My clients have not complained about a possible vaccination requirement, Locke notes, adding that I've gotten more pushback on a mask-wearing requirement among my luxury and world cruise guests. Vaccinations are viewed by thosecustomers as a "one-off" inconvenience, while mask wearing is a daily requirement.

I think, however, that even if everyone is vaccinated, masks are a good idea, Lockepoints out, but agrees that "this may put a damper on bookings of longer cruises.

That said, ourtrade sources also talked about the strong pent-up demand for travel and cruises. "Our clients are more focused on when they will be able to travel than on asking about if a vaccination will be required," Tolkin emphasizes.

His view is that"it's very likely that we will continue to see more entities requiring a vaccination. The question is for how long will this policy be in place? It is likely to just be a bridge to the future and not a permanent requirement.

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Will Vaccines Be Required in Cruising and How Will that Impact Sales? - Travel Agent

Emirates Airlines will be pulling its Boeing 777 jets into DFW International Airports Terminal D on March 2 after a nearly one-year absence, hoping travel demand to Dubai and the Middle East is rebounding.

When it does, passengers will have to navigate a maze of travel restrictions both arriving and leaving the United States that could include showing proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test or requirements to quarantine in place for nearly two weeks after arriving here or wherever their final destination is.

Some 11 months into a pandemic that has crippled the travel world, airlines and passengers are showing some eagerness to get back to flying. But cautious governments eager to stamp out the coronavirus are enacting even tighter rules on travelers in hopes of containing more contagious strains of the virus as vaccine distribution ramps up worldwide.

Thats leaving airlines and passengers to sort through rapidly changing rules enacted not just by national governments, but by individual state governments and sometimes even smaller jurisdictions.

Meanwhile, U.S. health officials have said there are discussions with the Biden Administration about requiring tests to travel within the country, a move that some inside the industry said could cripple airlines and lead to bankruptcies.

Certainly its a new world right now, said Emirates Airlines vice president for the U.S. and Canada region Essa Sulaiman Ahmad. We are doing everything we can to abide by the safety regulations of the countries and cities we fly to.

Fort Worth-based American Airlines cited the growing travel restrictions this week as one of the reasons for sending out nearly 13,000 furlough notices Friday to union workers, including pilots, flight attendants and fleet service employees. Its the airlines second round of furloughs since October.

The vaccine is not being distributed as quickly as any of us believed, and new restrictions on international travel that require customers to have a negative COVID-19 test have dampened demand, said a letter to employees from American Airlines CEO Doug Parker and President Robert Isom.

Its not for lack of trying by airlines. American Airlines, United and Delta have all been pushing apps and websites on customers, partnering with COVID-19 testing facilities and working with governments to find out what passengers need to do before they arrive.

American has been using an app called VeriFly to help passengers know exactly what travel requirements they face when landing in their destination. It also stores documents including negative COVID-19 tests.

United has launched a similar app that connects to a customers itinerary.

Theres no one silver bullet during this pandemic at helping people travel, said Preston Peterson, director of customer experience at American. What this does is give another method to help the customer do what they need to do to travel internationally.

Many parts of the world are still essentially off-limits to U.S. travelers, including large sections of the European Union, Asia and places such as New Zealand. In other places, people have to show a negative coronavirus test and quarantine as long as two weeks. Even in Dubai, the hub for Emirates Airlines, passengers may have to isolate for 10 days after arrival and take another COVID-19 test.

We are in a very reactive environment with respect to COVID restrictions, Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly said in a call with reporters and investors last week after the Dallas-based carrier reported a $3.1 billion loss for 2020, its first loss in 48 years.

There are new international requirements with testing and attestation protocols, he said. They are evolving domestic requirements and there are various mask-related challenges that our teams are reacting to every day.

While restrictions grow and evolve, airlines have signaled that the next few months will continue to be a struggle. Chicago-based United Airlines sent furlough warnings to 14,000 workers. Transportation Security Administration data shows that airport screenings are still down about 65% from 2019 levels. The major trade group for airlines says planes are still less than half full on average, despite drastically reduced schedules by carriers.

U.S. airline leaders and others in the industry have lashed out against the possibility of testing requirements for domestic travel, saying its both impractical and would devastate airlines and related businesses.

Lets be clear, the furloughs that we saw in October would be dwarfed by the furloughs that we would see if we have a testing mandate that is not effectively run, said Sara Nelson, president of the largest flight attendant union in the country, the Association of Flight Attendants. And in that situation, we wouldnt just be talking about lost jobs, wed also likely be talking about airline bankruptcies.

Many of the recently enacted restrictions are a step back from the efforts that an airline trade group has been pushing for the last six months. The International Air Transport Association wants global governments to reopen borders for travelers that have shown a negative COVID-19 test.

Those efforts have failed as more virulent strains of the COVID-19 vaccine emerged in December and January and infection rates spiked in many parts of the world.

Brett Snyder, a blogger for Crankyflier.com and a travel consultant, said the testing requirements are insanely confusing.

Its hard to keep track of what the rules are, and they change frequently, he said.

That has put the onus on airlines to figure out how to guide customers through the process, he said.

We are almost a year into this and airlines are just now starting to step up and figure out all these things about testing and getting information to passengers, said Snyder, who is based in California. Even a national policy is useless for something like this. There needs to be something global.

Emirates is one of the first airlines to partner with the International Air Transport Association on a global Travel Pass, a program similar to Verifly and Uniteds app that would hopefully gain the confidence of nations with closed borders.

State and federal governments have yet to open borders and make other concessions to people that have had vaccines, even with more than 25 million vaccinations administered in the U.S.

It seems like everyone is still waiting for studies that show if people with the vaccine are still contagious, Snyder said.

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Disjointed restrictions are tripping up a travel recovery and it may be getting worse - The Dallas Morning News

London, UK -The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is calling for governments to abandon the concept of 'high-risk countries' and instead focus on how individual 'high-risk travellers' are treated at borders.

WTTC, which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, is urging governments around the world to shift their focus from whole countries, towards individual travellers.

Instead, WTTC says governments around the world should redefine their whole approach to risk assessment, to revive international business and leisure travel.

Combined with a common international consensus on the metrics used to assess risk and a laser-like focus on a cost-effective, comprehensive, and rapid departure and arrival testing scheme for all travellers, could pave the way forward for the meaningful return of travel.

It would also ensure only those affected are forced to isolate, while travellers who test negative can continue to enjoy safe travels through observing hygiene protocols and mask wearing.

Gloria Guevara, WTTC President and CEO, said: "Risk based on entire countries is neither effective nor productive. Redefining risk towards individual travellers instead will be key for unlocking the door to the return of safe international travel. We need to learn from past experiences and crises such as 9-11."

"We cannot continue labelling entire countries as 'high-risk' which assumes everyone is infected. While the UK is currently seeing high levels of infections, clearly not all Britons are infected; the same goes for all Americans, Spaniards, or the French."

"The reality is much more complex. Not only does it stigmatise an entire nation, but it also halts travel and mobility when many people who test negative on departure and arrival could safely travel without exporting the virus."

"We have to recognise this reality and redefine the risk to focus on 'high-risk' individuals. We firmly believe implementing a comprehensive testing regime and the use of technology is the only practical way to restore international travel securely. Furthermore, a comprehensive testing programme will be less expensive than the economic cost brought on by blanket quarantines and lockdowns."

"This refocus would avoid exporting the virus and enable the free movement of travellers, while still observing enhanced hygiene protocols such as mask wearing and social distancing."

"We must learn to live with the virus, as it will take time for the global population to be vaccinated. This is why WTTC has long advocated introducing a comprehensive and cost-effective test on departure and arrival for all international travellers, as a way of preventing those carrying the virus from spreading it."

"As always, there is a crucial balance to be struck between the priority on public health with the need to sustain economic activity. As well ensuring people are safe and healthy, we also need to secure the health of the global economy - and revive the 174 million Travel & Tourism jobs affected by this devastating pandemic."

According to WTTC's 2019 Economic Impact Report, Travel & Tourism contributed US$8.9 trillion, or 10.3% towards the world's GDP. It accounted for one in 10 global jobs, giving employment to 330 million people through the Travel & Tourism sector.

WTTC is the body which represents the Travel & Tourism private sector globally. Members consist of CEOs of the world's Travel & Tourism companies, destinations, and industry organisations engaging with Travel & Tourism.

WTTC has a history of 25 years of research to quantify the economic impact of the sector in 185 countries. Travel & Tourism is a key driver for investment and economic growth globally. The sector contributes US$8.8 trillion or 10.4% of global GDP, and accounts for 319 million jobs or one in ten of all jobs on the planet.

For over 25 years, WTTC has been the voice of this industry globally. Members are the Chairs, Presidents and Chief Executives of the world's leading, private sector Travel & Tourism businesses, who bring specialist knowledge to guide government policy and decision-making and raise awareness of the importance of the sector.

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WTTC Says Governments Should Abandon The Concept Of 'High-Risk Countries' And Instead Focus On 'High-Risk Travellers' - Hospitality Net

According to an earlier prediction byGBTA, business travel spend was expected to top $1.7 trillion by 2022. Judging by the performance of the travel industry in the past year, the business travel industry is expected to suffer a revenue loss of about $820.7 billion.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are far-reaching, cutting across every sector. States through her government and agencies are doing their best to curtail the spread of the virus. The pandemic has challenged businesses to redefine their mode of operations, priorities and revenue generation strategies.

In fact, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC, 2020),according to this report, stated that as at the 14th of April 2020, the COVID-19 virus had spread to over 180 countries, infecting an estimated 1.98 million people and accounting for 126,753 deaths worldwide. The spread of this strain of the virus, which was first discovered in Wuhan China, is heavily dependent on human movement and contact. Hence, the initial spread of the virus to parts of the globe can be linked to the travel industry, which was also badly hit as a result of COVID-19.

The travel industry and COVID-19

For businesses in the travel space, this new development represented a significant change in many areas, especially revenue generation. Conservative estimatesby the WTTC projected that the global travel and tourism industry was going to shed at least 75 million jobs along with a tourism GDP deficit of up to US$2.1tn in 2020 alone.

The World Travel and Tourism Council also reported that work travel represented 21% of the $8.9 trillion spent globally on travel and tourism in 2019. But with remote working, the revenue from work and business-related travels have dropped globally. These reports show that most workers have adapted to the concept of working from home, strengthened by the acquisition of sophisticated gadgets that guarantee effectiveness and efficiency.

Many are predicting that the concept of remote working has come to stay beyond the virus. Most businesses have diverted the funds set aside for business travel expenses to the acquisition of gadgets, they are unarguably not going to dispose of these tools when this period is over.

The perfect work-life balance that remote working offers is another reason for this belief. This is further strengthened by the rise of freelance jobs, which has the potential of replacing regular employment.

The tourism segment and COVID-19

This segment of the market is not left out of the adverse effects of COVID-19. With country borders shut down, tourists were forced to cancel their travel plans.

According to the Illinois Office of Tourism Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the tourism industry in the state welcomed 120 million visitors in 2019, representing a ninth consecutive year in Illinois tourism growth. Chicago is the largest city in the State and accounts for a large chunk of this number and the resultant revenue.

While tourists were seen here and there at the Bean, Navy Pier and Museum Campuses located in Chicago. This is a far cry from the figures and the number of visitors projected for the state before the pandemic hit the world.

As of June 2019, a publicationby the Chicago Tribune revealed that major events like Lollapalooza, Chicago Pride Parade or Taste of Chicago would not be held. While Skydeck Chicago, the observation deck on top of Willis Tower and museums are closed.

On the heels of the new reality, tourism brands are forced to innovate and find ways to stay afloat. For instance, Caravan Tours Inc,a Chicago-based tour company, is using their 2022 70th anniversary to offer potential tourists the opportunity to pre-register for 2022 tours. By doing this, these brands are selling hope, excitement and a longing for adventure to their clients and prospects. A pre-registration arrangement gives the impression that these sort of brands are doing something now and also have a plan to make the tours possible.

With the development of the coronavirus vaccine, which has already been shipped to some places, better days are ahead for every aspect of the global economy. This vaccine would help to boost peoples confidence, revive international travels and tourism. However, travel in the post-covid-19 world has a couple of factors to contend with.

Factors to contend with Post-COVID-19

The realities presented and normalized by COVID-19 would not just disappear. For the employee in Illinois who has now become conversant with the convenience of working from home, a return to full office work is unlikely, when freelance work opportunities are available. Here are a few factors the travel industry has to contend with if it is to bounce back:

1. Fear

This is probably the biggest factor that everyone - individuals and businesses alike, have to contend with. It is said that the fear of death has caused more death than death itself. This factor is capable of keeping the travel industry down for longer than necessary or expected.

Areport by the US Travel Association projected that the U.S. economy was to lose $155 billion in 2020 or $425 million per day, owing to a massive decline in foreign visits because of the pandemic or international travel bans. Governments all over the world are afraid of opening their borders for international trips and understandably so.

2. Change in living culture

The reality is that peoples way of living is not the same anymore. The culture in the world has gradually shifted with more dependence on the internet for daily living.Statista holds that as at October 2020, almost 4.66 billion people were active internet users as at October 2020. This number represents about 59% of the global population.

The report also shows that mobile has now become the most important channel for internet access, with mobile internet users accounting for 91% of total internet users globally. People have gotten used to the idea of depending on the internet for their daily needs order for groceries online when out of stock; find your choice piece and brand of fashion online and have then delivered to your doorsteps.

3. Government and emerging health policies

For a second, it felt like we were defeating the enemy. Countries around the world relaxed the lockdown with a plan for the phased return of full economic activities. But with the recent spike in new cases, countries are shutting their borders and enacting policies to protect her people from further harm.

With the recent spike, a new and deadlier strain of the virus has been reported in some places. New policies and guidelines have now been released by health authorities and government agencies to regulate movement and enforce existing safety measures. A case in point is the Travel Order issued for anyone coming into the City of Chicago from designated states in the US.

As the world braces up to the reality of life after COVID-19, travel businesses are empowering themselves with adequate information necessary to ensure the safety of their clients and others. The new norm is here and travel businesses are embracing the reality of it by strengthening the digital aspect of their operations, bracing up to facts and driving innovation.

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Travel in a "Post-Covid-19" World and How Businesses are Preparing for it - ChicagoNow

In 2018, just 3% of VC partners in the US were Black, while 80% were white, according to the NVCA-Deloitte Human Capital Survey, a joint study designed to uncover the state of diversity and inclusion (D&I) across the venture industry.

For years, venture capitalists have faced mounting pressure to diversify their portfolio companies and investment teams with people of color and women. Last year, the conversation reemerged as protests erupted across the US in response to the police killings of several Black Americans. The venture industry, forced to reckon with its own overwhelming lack of diversity, saw an outpouring of support, with some founders vowing to reduce racial disparities in the industry.

This year, our list of Black founders and investors aims to celebrate and highlight leaders who are making a big impact. Thelist features both familiar names and the next generation of innovators who are working to shape their communities and the world at large.

For the people on this list, we considered:

The investorsAlthough mostly comprised of VCs, this list also features leaders who have created communities to empower other Black entrepreneurs through capitaland educational support. We have also included spotlights on several VC firms with a stated mission to fund diverse founders.

Where possible, weve included links to each persons Twitter page. Additionally, some companies are linked to PitchBook profiles, where you can further dive into funding details, other investors and more. Among the wide range of information available in PitchBook, users can search our database to find investors with active investments and a stated preference in minority and women-owned businesses.

These education technology (edtech) companies have developed software that enhances teaching practices and improves learning outcomes.

Dr. Johnetta MacCallaCo-founder and CEO of Zyrobotics, a creator of inclusive, educational technologies for the diverse needs of children with differing abilities.@Zyrobotics

Chris BennettCo-founder and CEO of Wonderschool, a network of modern early education programs to ensure all families have access to high-quality early childhood care.@wonderschools

These financial technology (fintech) companies use internet, blockchain and software technologies, as well as algorithms, to offer or facilitate financial services traditionally offered by banks.

Sheena AllenFounder and CEO of CapWay, a mobile banking and fintech company with the mission to restore trust and provide a fair opportunity to learn and grow wealth for all.@SheenaAllenApps

Joe BeardCo-founder of CollateralEdge, a fintech platform that provides banks with innovative, automated solutions to bolster the credit profile of loans and allow greater underwriting flexibility.@joebeard214

Tavonia EvansFounder of Guapcoin, a blockchain company and cryptocurrency created to amplify the economic voice of the Black community. @cryptodeeva

Jerry NemorinFounder of LendStreet, a lending platform designed to help people get out of debt, rebuild their credit and get a fresh start.@twitterhandle

David PotterCo-founder of CURU, a SaaS lead recovery platform that enables lenders and marketplaces to recover lost and rejected loan opportunities by boosting applicant eligibility in areas such as credit score and debt-to-income ratio.@CuruCredit

These founders are leveraging various mediums to contribute to and innovate entertainment.

Andre JonesCo-founder of The Tenth Magazine, a bi-annual publication that documents the history, culture, ideas and aesthetics of the Black LGBTQ community.@thetenthzine

Morgan DeBaunFounder of Blavity, a media platform focused on serving the multifaceted lives of Black millennials.@MorganDeBaun

Stacy SpikesFounder of PreShow and Movie, a mobile platform where customers can watch branded content in exchange for seeing first run movies in theaters for free.

These health technology (healthtech) companies provide mobility and other information technologies to improve healthcare delivery while decreasing costs.

Ade AdesanyaCo-founder of Moving Analytics, a digital cardiac rehabilitation and prevention program, delivered via mobile platform and health coaching.@AdesStartups

Crystal EvuleochaFounder of Kiira Health, a telehealth platform for collegiate women focused on addressing womens health inequities.@crystola_belle

Derrick MilesFounder and CEO of CourMed, an enterprise software provider that innovates delivery services from healthcare providers to patients.@CourMed

Kevin DednerFounder and CEO of Hurdle, a mental health company that puts culture first in its approachto deliveringtherapy and self-care support.@kdedner

Nathalie WaltonFounder of Expectful, a subscription platform that makes meditation easy for expectant and new mothers, in an effort to tackle the wellbeing crisis facing the 21 million women in the US on their motherhood journeys.@nathaliegwalton

Bea ArthurFounder of The Difference, an on-demand therapy technology that uses AI to connect users with a therapist via Alexa.@BeaArthurLMHC

These food technology (foodtech) companies are developing products and services intended to improve consumers food selection, purchasing and consumption experiences.

Zuleyka StrasnerFounder of Zero Grocery, a plastic-free online store that delivers fresh, high quality groceries and everyday goods at wholesale prices, utilizingreusable glass jars to reduce waste.@zuleykastrasner

Riana LynnFounder of Journey Foods, a SaaS and AI-powered platform intended to help food businesses develop nutritious food products.@rianalynn

Jasmine CroweFounder of GOODR, a platform created to provide a secure ledger that tracks an organizations surplus food from pickup to donation, delivering real-time social and environmental impact reporting analytics.@jasminecrowe

These companies exemplify the future of beauty because they are incorporating digital technologies into their products and services, providing bespoke products that target a niche group or are manufacturing and marketing their products as natural, clean and/or organic.

Darren TenkorangFounder of Trim-it, the first app-powered mobile barbershop, delivering the highest quality haircuts straight to your doorstep in a high-tech barbershop in a van.@Trimit_app

Tracey PickettFounder of Hairbrella, a rainwear company that combines fashion and function to keep hair dry and protected from the elements.@traceypickett__

Courtney CaldwellCo-founder of ShearShare, a B2B app that matches licensed beauty professionals to unused salon space.@ShearShareCOO

The travel industry took a hit in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic caused bookings to plummet. Hope for a 2021 travel season still exists and these founders are using technology to facilitatebetter travel experiences.

Ama MarfoCo-founder of Airfordable, alongside Emmanuel Buah. The duo created Airfordable to democratize travel in a budget-friendly way through a payment plan system with zero interest.@AmaMarfo

Joah SpearmanFounder of Localeur, which provides access to a global community of local insiders and authentic recommendations on where to eat and drink in over 180+ cities, as well as world travel tips, road trip guides and personalized itineraries.@joahspearman

Jonathan HayesFounder and CEO of Rewardstock, a platform that offers information on credit cards for travelers to earn, track and use reward points to book trips. The company was acquired by Experian in November 2020.@RewardStock

From streamlining internal teamwork to facilitating e-commerce sales, these founders are using technology to increase business productivity.

Ablorde AshigbiFounder of 4Degrees, a SaaS platform that provides relationship building recommendations and intelligent guidance on expanding team networks.@Ablordesays

Jordan WalkerFounder of Yac, an app designed to cut down on meetings and calls with voice messages, searchable transcriptions and asynchronous screen sharing.@jordanlwalker

Yaw AningCo-founder and CEO of Malomo, a shipment tracking and customer marketing platform for e-commerce brands that helps its users generate more revenue and increase customer loyalty.@YawA

Diishan ImiraFounder and CEO of Mayvenn, an online platform designed to provide quality hair products to hairstylists, so that they can sell directly to their clients without the burden of upfront costs.@DiishanImira

Karissma YveCo-founder of Gildform, an app that connects every element of the jewelry manufacturing supply chaintransforming the way fashion brand owners run their businesses.@karissmayve

These companies are helping both job seekers and hiring organizations find the best job match through software and mobile applications.

Ruben HarrisCo-founder and CEO of Career Karma, an app created to help job training programs find qualified applicants, as well as match people with coding bootcamps to support them throughout their careers.@rubenharris

Zack SmithFounder of Jobble, a mobile and web marketplace that connects businesses to people looking for gig economy and hourly work.@JobblerZack

Sky KelleyFounder of Avisare, a centralized network for all businesses to discover new contract opportunities, post their own and bid on all opportunities using one universal profile.@SkyKelley1

While not directly in the venture capital ecosystem, these founders started nonprofits and created communities aimed at educating and opening doors for future BIPOC leaders.

Kimberly BryantFounder and executive director of Black Girls CODE, a nonprofit that teaches computer programming and tech skills to girls and young women from underrepresented communities.@6Gems

Makinde AdeagboFounder of /dev/color, a nonprofit community for Black software engineers to help each other grow into industry leaders.@makinde

Laura Weidman PowersCo-founder and CEO of Code2040, a nonprofit aimed at helping underrepresented minorities achieve educational and entrepreneurial success.@laurawp

These investors are champions for minority voices in the private markets and are constantly working toward creating a more equitable future for entrepreneurs and investors alike.

About Harlem Capital PartnersFounded in 2015, Harlem Capital Partners is an early-stage venture firm based in New York. The firm prefers to invest in early-stage companies and reserves capital for investments in minority and women founders in the United States.

The firm has done its own research and compiled a list of 200 Black and Latinx venture capitalists to analyze occurrences and trends to understand minority involvement in the VC space.

See Harlem Capital Partners investment history

Abyah Nycole WynnCo-founder and managing director at Twenty65 Fund, a $10 million fund focused exclusively on supporting female and minority-led founders.@abyahw

Erik MooreFounder and managing director of Base Ventures, a seed-stage VC firm with the idea to fund disruptive ideas and champion nontraditional thinkers.@basevc

Taj Ahmad EldridgeSenior director of investment at Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) and founder of Fund Humanity, a nonprofit impact-relief fund.@Econoahmad

Arian SimoneAngel investor and founding partner of the Fearless Fund, which recently launched a $25 million fund to invest exclusively in early-stage businesses run by women of color.@ArianSimone

About Fearless FundFearless Fund invests in women of color led businesses seeking pre-seed, seed level or Series A financing. Its mission is to bridge the gap in venture capital funding for women of color founders building scalable, growth-aggressive companies. Fearless Fund is built by women of color for women of color.

See the Fearless Funds investment history

Angela BentonFounder of NewME, a technology accelerator created to accelerate, educate and empower underrepresented tech entrepreneurs around the world and founder of Streamlytics, a platform designed to measure what content users are watching and listening to across streaming platforms . @ABenton

Karim WebbEntrepreneurial activist, founder and CEO of 4thMVMT, which focuses on communities impacted by institutional racism and invests in entrepreneurs who lack access to capital, operational resources and networks to start and grow a business.@KarimWebb

AboutBackstage Capital In 2015, Arlan Hamilton founded Backstage Capital from the ground up. Based in Los Angeles, California, the fund is dedicated to minimizing funding disparities in tech by investing in high-potential founders who are people of color, women, and/or LGBTQ.

SeeBackstage Capitals investment history

Sydney SykesLSVP scout investor and co-founder of BLCK VC, a nonprofit that aims to support and expand Black representation in venture. @Syd_Lykes

Female founders and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemicDownload this in-depth report: All In: Female Founders and CEOs in the US VC Ecosystem

LGBTQ+ founders and investorsRead our blog: 25 LGBTQ+ founders, entrepreneurs and VCs you should know

Note: All images were sourced from LinkedIn and Google. PitchBook does not own the rights to any of the images used in this post. If you'd like to have a photo removed, please contact us and we'd be happy to do so.

Original post:

53 Black founders and investors to watch in 2021 - PitchBook News & Analysis

Despite having one of the worlds lowest rates of coronavirus infections, hospitalizations and deaths, the Caribbeans economic survival is in serious jeopardy as tourism-dependent economies struggle with the consequences of the pandemic and travel restrictions being imposed and considered by its most popular countries of origin for travel.

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) in a press announcement said it welcomed the new United Statesadministrations international travel measures, which call for returning travelers and those entering the United States to show proof of receiving a negative antigen or PCR test, while not mandating quarantines but recommending self-isolation upon returning.

The organization, whose membership includes 33 of the regions national hotel and tourism associations, expressed its appreciation and concerns in a letter to President Joe Biden and U.S. government officials last week in response to the administrations call for input on international travel protocols as part of an Executive Order on the matter.

Pivoting Back to Travel | The Destination Weddings & Honeymoons Edition

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In throwing its support behind requiring travelers entering the U.S. to show proof of a negative antigen test within 72 hours of travel, CHTA cautioned against the imposition of mandatory PCR tests for travelers returning to or entering the U.S. from the Caribbean, highlighting the stringent virus containment measures already in place within the region and the regions challenges in administering a much larger number of PCR tests. The organization stated that should this become a new requirement, it would severely strain the current testing capacity of many Caribbean jurisdictions, citing the availability, costs and processing time as essentially rendering much of the region unable to meet local and U.S. traveler testing demand.

With that said, the region has moved aggressively to increase its capacity to administer PCR and antigen tests as it aims to meet local demand and adhere to new testing requirements for travelers and returning residents to its key source markets. This stepped-up effort followed earlier announcements last month by Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union.

(Note that the U.S. testing requirement does not apply to the United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, which are within the U.S. containment area.)

In its communication to the United States, CHTA added its concerns to those of the World Travel & Tourism Council, the U.S. Travel Association and the International Air Transport Association about the possible imposition of a mandatory quarantine period for travelers to the United States. The organization indicated should this be put in place it would be devastating to the regions economic health and also have further ramifications on the U.S. economy. The organization cited the link between the economies of the Caribbean and the United States.

CHTA urged Caribbean residents and businesses to bolster their already strong health safety protocols, stating that this is no time to let our guard down and echoed calls for all residents to wear face coverings, practice physical distancing, wash their hands frequently and adhere to sound hygienic practices advanced by the Caribbean Public Health Agency and local health authorities.

For moreinformation, visit http://www.caribbeanhotelandtourism.com.

Leo Garbutt Named Grenada Hotel & Tourism Association President

Saint Lucia Updates Arrival Protocols

CHTA's Frank Comito Steps Down From Leadership Role

Jamaica Ups Testing Capacity to Accommodate Travel Requirements

Here is the original post:

CHTA: Economic Survival Tied to Health Safety and Responsible Tourism - Travel Agent

Arnie Weissmann

How is travel changing? That question is really two questions, with two completely different answers, one for the traveling public and one for the travel industry.

In the near term, consumers are facing uncertainty: a shape-shifting landscape of border closures and testing mandates; the potential linkage of vaccine requirements to places and products; the specter of spikes and variants.

Their risks, however, are somewhat mitigated by flexible cancellation and rebooking policies.

If you're a travel professional, you must develop, over and above your traditional skill set, an expertise in all of the above. You must keep up with day-to-day changes in destinations, guide consumers through available options and have Plan B alternatives available at a moment's notice should arrangements be disrupted.

But the ability to do that well is connected to what I believe may be one of the biggest changes in -- and challenges for -- the post-pandemic travel industry landscape.

Earlier this week, I watched the Youth Digital Travel Summit, a three-evening program produced by a nonprofit called I Am Cultured. The organization sends under-resourced high school students abroad in their junior and senior years to expose them to the life-changing impact of international travel.

The trips were canceled for 2020, so organizers put together a virtual program that featured tourism officials from Italy, Costa Rica and Singapore; celebrities talking about their experiences traveling; and travel professionals -- suppliers and agents -- talking about what it's like to work in the travel industry.

The common thread among the professionals who spoke was a focus on the importance of relationships within the travel industry. Relationships, they emphasized, are the industry's foundation.

I fear that foundation has cracks that may make recovery more difficult for a period.

The U.S. Travel Association estimates 4.5 million American travel and tourism jobs were lost in 2020, and the World Travel & Tourism Council worries the global toll could reach 174 million. Part of the value that travel professionals, advisors and suppliers alike, bring to consumers is their connections to others in the industry. It's a significant piece of their professional equity. Most travel professionals have spent years, and many have spent decades, getting to know not just the places consumers travel but the people in those places.

Many of those connections have now been severed. There were hotel general managers, now laid off, who reassured us that standards would be high no matter where they were posted. Among the missing are concierges who we trusted to recommend the best restaurants to clients, not just the restaurants that gave them a kickback.

And, speaking of restaurants: among them are ones we've recommended for years but have now closed or lost a gifted chef.

There are business development managers at cruise lines, deep water and river, who advisors knew would act to resolve a client's problem but who have, in the past year, been let go.

And some tour guides -- the ones who clients remember long after other details of a trip have become hazy -- have been forced to find other work during the pandemic and will not be returning to their previous position.

Reliable hotels have closed and won't be reopening. Boutiques that were on the must-shop list are now out of business. Bars, pubs, tavernas that we knew would not disappoint have been shuttered.

There has, of course, always been churn among the people, products and places of travel. In any given year, we're disappointed to hear about changes that have meant the loss of a relationship or enterprise. But the scale of loss that has occurred in the past 10 months is deep and wide.

Nonetheless, there's reason for optimism. Over the next 12 months, our trusted colleagues who have lost their positions will, in many cases, return or resurface somewhere else.

And there's a reason that relationships have become so important to travel: This is an industry of extraverts. Relationships didn't become the foundation of the travel industry because it's the natural foundation of every industry. Travel attracts people who want to be of service to others. It's why all segments of the industry look to hospitality, in particular, for best practices in customer care.

Going forward, the void left behind by the friends and colleagues who have moved on from the industry will be filled by new people who will, soon, become not just industry contacts but part of an ecosystem of trust and support. You'll meet them on post-pandemic reconnaissance trips, at conference receptions and, yes, over Zoom.

Travel Weekly's recent cover story about people who have been laid off from the industry included remarkable optimism and resilience in the face of adversity. It's a tough industry to leave, and I suspect that many who may have lost their positions are going to return. The foundation of the travel industry may have fractures now, but its foundational promise is inherently valuable, powerful and renewable.

Read more:

The biggest post-pandemic challenge in travel - Travel Weekly

Universal Music Group is joining forces with two K-Pop titans Big Hit Entertainment and YG Entertainment toinvest in a new digital live-streaming platform with ambitions on a global scale.

Big Hit has announced that both YG and UMG have acquired an equity stake in KBYK Live, a joint venture that was established between Big Hit and Kiswe last year.

KBYK Live subsequently launched VenewLive in September, a live-streaming content platform.

With the equity investment, YG and UMG say they will help expand VenewLive further in ways which a range of artists, including those signed with UMG and YG can participate.

A press release added that, as a result of the deal, VenewLive is expected to secure globally renowned artist line-up and high-quality performance contents represented by Big Hit, YG, and UMG, while further expanding the platform by utilizing Kiswes technologies including the multi-view live-streaming.

The PR continued: Powered by Kiswes cutting-edge technologies, VenewLive can customize each concert experience to fit the identity and characteristics of each artist while providing innovative and original performance experiences for fans to enjoy their favorite artists content in a uniquely customized, authentic and personalized way.

Big Hit says that the tech behindVenewLive was used for two record-breaking BTS online concerts last year: BANG BANG CON The Live and MAP OF THE SOUL ON:E in June and October respectively.

The former drew in a peak concurrent audience of 756,000 while the latter was viewed by a total of 993,000 audience worldwide.

KBYK Live CEO John Lee said, VenewLive has already live-streamed several large-scale performances last year and provided unique immersive fan concert experiences that can be offered through our cutting-edge technologies, including 6-angle multi-views, 4K resolution, and various interactive features.

He added, Our technology will be the basis for enabling fans to feel closer to artists, and help artists express their energy on a digital stage.

YG Entertainment Chief Operating Officer Sung Jun Choi said, We are excited about this investment as our company with many artists competitive on a global stage has secured a high-quality platform with leading technologies.

He added, We will continue to do our best to provide more interactive experiences and new services to global fans.

UMG Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and President of Operations Boyd Muir said, We are delighted to join Big Hit, YG and Kiswe as partners in KBYK as we look to help further evolve the opportunities and live-streaming experiences for UMG artists and their fans today, and into the future.

This past year has shown that the need for reliable and innovative live-streaming has never been greater. VenewLive offers some of the most creative and memorable opportunities for todays artists to globalize their art and performances, tailored to enhance the community and fan-experience.

Kiswe CEO Mike Schabel said, We have been developing video streaming and fan engagement technology since 2013 and are excited to use that digital technology to extend beyond the boundaries of a stadium to help artists perform to their global fans, and for those fans to feel like they are part of the concert. Having supported truly live pay per view concerts with some of the biggest artists in the world, we strive to deliver incredible experiences for every fan.

Big Hit Global CEO Lenzo Yoon said, Big Hits attempts to maximize fan experience are not limited to entertainment, but also implementing various technologies. KBYK is also part of this effort.

He added, Our dream and goal is to provide the most advanced technology currently available so that fans can experience the artists content in the best way possible under any circumstances. We will continue to study how new technologies and attempts in various fields can have a positive impact on strengthening our fan experience and actively introduce them.Music Business Worldwide

Link:

Universal teams with Big Hit and YG Entertainment to invest in global live-streaming platform - Music Business Worldwide

The pandemic has upended many aspects of urban life but perhaps the most visible upheaval is to citydwellers social lives, with curfews calling time on traditional night life across much of the Western world and social distancing putting a chilly spin on opportunities for getting together with people outside your usual circle. Who knew leaving the house was going to seem like such a mission?

Opportunities to escape the city entirely such as by jetting off somewhere remain severely limited or even impossible right now, depending on where you live. And for many urbanites COVID-19 may feel as if its turned the advantages of city living on its head, despite lockdowns generally not being as hard-line as they were at times last year and vaccines now (slowly) being rolled out.

Sharify is a startup that reckons it can help with the weird flatness of pandemic city living. Its a real-time events app (iOS and Android) that wants to bring back a little of the serendipitous joy of urban living by making it easier to discovery things going on around you maybe even just a few blocks away. To do this its combined real-time event listings with a map view (via the medium of emoji-style icons plus filters) to quickly and cheerfully surround you with stuff thats happening in the vicinity.

Though the business idea predates COVID-19, Sharify isnt blind to the changes wrought by the pandemic. And the app displays a star icon next to events that are deemed COVID-19 safe a subtle promotion meaning the organizer has measures in place to reduce the risk of contagion, such as controlling venue capacity, providing disinfectant hand gel and ensuring tables/seating are safety spaced. (Which may well be legal requirements for a venue to be open for business, of course.)

At the same time, the app lets users share their own meeting plan with other users potentially encouraging a bunch of strangers to meet up to play some music or hang out in the park or whatnot so its appropriateness for the pandemic moment in which we find ourselves does depend on how you use it.

Its open to social swings or roundabouts, you could say. (And limits on when/how clubs and bars can open may well be pushing a socially oriented and app-savvy demographic toward alternative ways (and tools) to mingle with strangers.)

More broadly, Sharify invites users to rethink the concept of travel and trips asking them to refocus their attention and energy on discovering entertaining things to do without having to go far or plan far ahead. Because, well, what else can anyone really do right now? Apart from stay at home ofc.

The app does have two view modes: One for events geared towards locals and/or a dedicated tourist view to cater to those wanting to do more typical sightseeing though content for the latter is obviously thinner on the ground at the moment. (And, well, tourism as a concept is starting to feel rather quaint and old-fashioned vs properly exploring your own backyard.)

Officially Sharify is launched in Barcelona, Madrid and New York City but says its expanding quickly and touts being present in 25+ cities around the world (presumably with a lighter events cadence vs those three).

I tested the app in Barcelona and quickly found a bunch of local events that looked interesting at least compared to another night of thumbing through the Netflix catalogue from a Banksy art exhibition, to a stand up comedy show (in English!), lots of theatre, a bunch of markets, yoga classes and a skateboarding event all going on within, at most, a couple of miles and days from where Ive been spending the vast majority of my time for, like, almost a whole entire year.

Just the act of seeing stuff still going on in a city which, frankly, hasnt felt very familiar or open for much of anything for close to 12 months was a bit of an eye opener.

After so much time locked down indoors maybe we all need a bit of a nudge/visual reminder that life is still going on and socializing is still possible (with appropriate safety measures and distancing) beyond the front door and away from the Zoom screen (or any other screen tbh). Even if Im not about to sign up for everything I spotted in the app. But feeling like I could is almost exciting enough.

As well as providing key details about each event (when, where, any website etc), Sharify lets you signal an intent to go thats visible to other users by joining an event. It also hosts per event chat where those who have joined are invited to talk to people who join the plan which is another neat little nudge to get users excited about going to a local thing, maybe without their usual friend group in tow.

Sharify isnt disclosing how many users it has but it says it has 100,000+ monthly event views (3K+ daily), and 5,000+ events every month. (On Google Play the app has had 10,000+ installs.)

Where users create their own plans to advertise to others it touts an impressively high join rate of 95%. (Albeit saying youre going to something you found via an app isnt the same as actually turning up.)

To encourage users to discover and attend others events, Sharify displays a smilie face on the map in locations where several people are up for sharing plans listing the number of people theoretically up for joining in stuff around there and nudging you to create a plan in this area to tap into that potential guest pool.

It also lets you drill down to check out micro profiles of these (public) socially interested locals displaying a first name, perhaps a photo and any interests if theyve chosen to select some from its curated lists of culture, hobbies, sports and social activities etc. (Happily theres no option to message individual users via their profile so no fear of stupid in-app spam.)

Location-based and social sharing is not new, of course. Indeed, its an idea thats been around the tech block so many times the sound of a real-time events map probably triggers a fuzzy feeling of havent I seen this before somewhere? The deja vu may be real but context is ever shifting, is the point. Or, to put it another way, here and now, in an open-ended pandemic, going about finding something to do probably looks and feels quite a bit different to how you did it, pre-March 2020.

Put simply: Best laid plans are toast. Friends who dont live in the same city are likely reachable only on Zoom or by text. And at very least youre dealing with hard limits on how far you can range for your entertainment in time and space.

Local and/or virtual is the new global, all of a sudden. So Sharify reckons its real-time events map is just the ticket/tonic in this curtailed context by cheerfully surrounding you with nearby stuff to do. The 2017-founded startup says its been growing despite the pandemic.

Were stuck at home, and we saw all the Netflix series. Is there any plan near my home for this afternoon? Event agendas simply dont work in this user case. Thats why we built a real-time map, says co-founder and CEO Gemma Prenafeta. And the problem we will face in some months from now: Im not stuck at home anymore. Where do I find new events easily?

As Sharify is a collaborative platform, we let people share their own events for free, we scrape different event sources such as Google and Tiqets, and we highlight those businesses that want to promote themselves, she adds, giving a succinct explainer on how the app populates the map view with stuff to do.

Social maps arent new, of course and features like Snap Map, which was added to Snaps social network via its acquisition of Zenly, certainly has a bit of overlap (while Sharifys smiley octopus logo on a yellow background has more than a little of Snaps ghost in look and feel), though Snap Map is more obviously focused on friends location and social sharing vs Sharify being about event discovery, first and foremost. (Friends may follow from this real-life socializing, is the suggestion.)

There are also event discovery network startups (like calendar-focused IRL). But, again, with such a glance-friendly map view, Sharify is paying closer attention to immediacy/hyper-local event discovery vs IRL which pivoted to helping people surface virtual events as the pandemic shuttered lots of real world events last year and has since focused on building out its own social network.

The immediacy factor is key at Sharify, as you can see whats happening, in real-time, says Prenafeta. We say going to a local event is a kind of Local Trip. Traveling before was about taking flights, now its about taking a Bird or a eCooltra to an event nearby.

Whether mapping real-time events is a standalone business or a feature/tool that could just be added to a dominant platform/social network is perhaps a more pressing question for this fledgling startup. And its notable that tech (and mapping) giant Google added a Community Feed to Maps late last year.

Facebook has also had an Events Near Me feature on its platform for years. Albeit, anything listed inside its walled garden has to contend with all the baggage Facebook brings with it. So an indie app with a fresh approach should have a chance to attract users who wouldnt be caught dead on Facebook (even in a pandemic).

Sharify has certainly come up with a really effortless way to spark a sense of possibility to feel like you can cut through the monotony of lockdown life just by firing up a super simple overview of stuff going on around you.

It then layers on some more powerful tools that are designed to help you find others to do stuff with, which adds a subtle but maybe deeper hook in these socially distanced times.

Life is still pretty locked down, and thats why its more important than ever to know whats open and what isnt, close to our house, suggests Prenafeta. And, well, its pretty hard to argue with that.

Shes looking beyond the pandemic too back to more normalcy and anticipating helping local businesses announce their reopenings, once thats possible. The team is currently working on a seed investment round to prepare for the post-pandemic momentum, she says.

So far the Barcelona-based startup has raised a pre-seed and an angel round led by IESE Group, per Prenafeta with a total of 501,000 (~$600k) invested to date into what has turned out to be a contextually fresh twist on the old SoMoLo trend.

See the original post:

Sharify makes it super simple to rediscover your citys social side - TechCrunch

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) They are the annual journeys of late winter and early spring: Factory workers in China heading home for the Lunar New Year; American college students going on road trips and hitting the beach over spring break; Germans and Britons fleeing drab skies for some Mediterranean sun over Easter.

All of it canceled, in doubt or under pressure because of the coronavirus.

Amid fears of new variants of the virus, new restrictions on movement have hit just as people start to look ahead to what is usually a busy time of year for travel.

It means more pain for airlines, hotels, restaurants and tourist destinations that were already struggling more than a year into the pandemic, and a slower recovery for countries where tourism is a big chunk of the economy.

Colleges around the U.S. have been canceling spring break to discourage students from traveling. After Indiana University in Bloomington replaced its usual break with three wellness days, student Jacki Sylvester abandoned plans to celebrate her 21st birthday in Las Vegas.

Instead she will mark the milestone closer to home, with a day at the casino in French Lick, Indiana, just 50 miles (80 kilometers) away.

I was really looking forward to getting out of here for a whole week. I wanted to be able to get some drinks and have fun see the casinos and everything and honestly see another city and just travel a little, she said.

At least its letting us have a little fun for a day in a condensed version of our original Vegas plans. Like, Im still going to be able to celebrate. Im just forced to do it closer to home.

Flight cancellations will keep Anthony Hoarty, a teacher from Cranfield in England, from spending Easter with his family at their bungalow on the Greek island of Crete, a trip already postponed from last October. A trip to Mauritius last Easter also fell victim to COVID-19. Its the uncertainty, he said. You cant plan things. Its not knowing if the government is going to change its mind, if the other countries in Europe are changing their mind about travel.

I love going to our house - Id walk if I could, he said.

They could holiday in Britain but with most people grounded, places may be booked up or expensive: The chances of us doing anything are pretty remote, actually.

At bus and train stations in China, there is no sign of the annual Lunar New Year rush. The government has called on the public to avoid travel following new coronavirus outbreaks. Only five of 15 security gates at Beijings cavernous central railway station were open; the crowds of travelers who usually camp on the sprawling plaza outside were absent.

The holiday, which starts Feb. 12, is usually the worlds single biggest movement of humanity as hundreds of millions of Chinese leave cities to visit their hometowns or tourist spots or travel abroad. For millions of migrant workers, it usually is the only chance to visit their hometowns during the year. This year, authorities are promising extra pay if they stay put.

The government says people will make 1.7 billion trips during the holiday, but that is down 40% from 2019.

Each news cycle seems to bring new restrictions. U.S. President Joe Biden reinstituted restrictions on travelers from more than two dozen European countries, South Africa and Brazil, while people leaving the U.S. are now required to show a negative test before returning.

Canada barred flights to the Caribbean. Israel closed its main international airport. Travel into the European Union is severely restricted, with entry bans and quarantine requirements for returning citizens.

For air travel, the short-term outlook has definitely darkened, said Brian Pearce, chief economist for the International Air Transport Association. Governments have poured $200 billion into propping up the industry.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization says international arrivals fell 74% last year, wiping out $1.3 trillion in revenue and putting up to 120 million jobs at risk. A UNWTO expert panel had a mixed outlook for 2021, with 45% expecting a better year, 25% no change and 30% a worse one.

In Europe the outlook is clouded by lagging vaccine rollouts and the spread of the new variants.

That means there is a growing risk of another summer tourist season being lost said Jack Allen-Reynolds at Capital Economics. That would put a huge dent in the Greek economy and substantially delay the recoveries in Spain and Portugal.

Travel company TUI is offering package vacations in the sun in Greece and Spain, but with broad cancellation provisions to attract cautious customers. Places that can be reached by car, such as Germanys North Sea islands and the Alps, are benefiting to some extent because they offer a chance to isolate. The German Vacation Home Association says the popular locations are 60% booked for July and August already.

Thailand, where about a tenth of the population depends on tourism for its livelihood, requires a two-week quarantine for foreigners at designated hotels costing about $1,000 and up. So far, only a few dozen people a day are opting to visit. Tourist arrivals are forecast to reach only 10 million this year from 40 million in 2019.

Gerasimos Bakogiannis, owner of the Portes Palace hotel in Potidaia in Greeces northern Halkidiki region, said he is not even opening for Western Easter on April 4 but will wait a month for Greek Orthodox Easter on May 2 and, he hopes, the start of a better summer.

If this year is like last year, tourism will be destroyed, he said.

___

McDonald contributed from Beijing and Smith from Indianapolis. Elaine Kurtenbach contributed from Bangkok and Costas Kantouris from Thessaloniki, Greece.

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Around the globe, virus cancels spring travel for millions - The Associated Press

U.S. News & World Report, a recognised leader in consumer rankings in all categories, recently announced the results of its 2021 Best Hotels List, including The Langham Huntington, Pasadena; The Langham, Chicago; The Langham, New York, Fifth Avenue and The Langham, London on this prestigious list.

The Langham, Huntington, Pasadena was recognised as the #1 hotel in Pasadena and the #37 hotel in all of California. This historic urban resort located in an idyllic community outside of Los Angeles has been a popular retreat for visitors to Southern California since it first opened its doors as a hotel over 110 years ago.

The Langham, Chicago was named the #2 hotel in Chicago; #2 in Illinois and #5 in the United States one of two Chicago hotels to make the top 5. One of the most celebrated hotels in The Langham Hotels & Resorts portfolio, The Langham, Chicago counts this among the many accolades it has received since it opened in 2013.

The Langham, New York, Fifth Avenue was named #4 in New York City. Located right in the middle of New Yorks most celebrated address, Fifth Avenue, The Langham enjoys a prime location for exploring one of the most exciting cities in the world, just steps away from the Empire State Building.

The Langham, London was named #6 hotel in England. The flagship of The Langham Hotels & Resorts brand, The Langham, London is known for being Europes first grand hotel, having been opened in 1865 by the Prince of Wales and serving as the address to see and be seen in London ever since.

In light of everything the US and the UK have been through in the last year, it is wonderful to be able to kick off 2021 with this exciting announcement on behalf of our three American hotels and our London flagship, said Stefan Leser, Chief Executive Officer of Langham Hospitality Group. This list serves as a reminder of that hotels are an important part of the communities in which they operate. We are honoured to be able to serve our guests in a fashion that is now being celebrated by U.S. News & World Report.

The Langham Hotels & Resorts is the luxury brand of Langham Hospitality Group, with 17 hotels on four continents, in some of the worlds most exciting cultural capitals, including the companys flagship in London. The Langham, Huntington, Pasadena; The Langham, Chicago; and The Langham, New York, Fifth Avenue are three of The Langhams four hotels in the US. The fourth, The Langham, Boston, is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation and will reintroduced to the market in spring 2021. - TradeArabia News Service

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The Langham Hotels in the US and UK get top recognition - Travel & Tourism News Middle East

Cloud computing company Salesforce is joining other Silicon Valley tech giants in announcing a substantial shift in how it allows its employees to work. In a blog post published Tuesday, the company says the 9-to-5 workday is dead and that it will allow employees to choose one of three categories that dictate how often, if ever, they return to the office once its safe to do so.

Salesforce will also give employees more freedom to choose what their daily schedules look like. The company joins other tech firms like Facebook and Microsoft that have announced permanent work-from-home policies in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

As we enter a new year, we must continue to go forward with agility, creativity and a beginners mind and that includes how we cultivate our culture. An immersive workspace is no longer limited to a desk in our Towers; the 9-to-5 workday is dead; and the employee experience is about more than ping-pong tables and snacks, writes Brent Hyder, Salesforces chief people officer.

In our always-on, always-connected world, it no longer makes sense to expect employees to work an eight-hour shift and do their jobs successfully, Hyder adds. Whether you have a global team to manage across time zones, a project-based role that is busier or slower depending on the season, or simply have to balance personal and professional obligations throughout the day, workers need flexibility to be successful.

Hyder cites picking up young kids from school or caring for sick family members as reasons why an employee should not be expected to report to work on a strict eight-hour shift every day. He also points to how the removal of strict in-office requirements will allow Salesforce to expand its recruitment of new employees beyond expensive urban centers like San Francisco and New York.

In the blog post, Hyder defines the three different categories of work as flex, fully remote, and office-based. Flex would mean coming into the office one to three days per week and typically only for team collaboration, customer meetings, and presentations, and Salesforce expects most of its employees to fall into this category.

Fully remote is what it sounds like never coming into the office except perhaps in very rare situations or for work-related events. Office-based employees will be the smallest population of our workforce, Hyder says, and constitute employees whose roles require them be in the office four to five days per week.

Our employees are the architects of this strategy, and flexibility will be key going forward, Hyder writes. Its our responsibility as employers to empower our people to get the job done during the schedule that works best for them and their teams, and provide flexible options to help make them even more productive.

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Salesforce declares the 9-to-5 workday dead, will let some employees work remotely from now on - The Verge

The best hotels are not only sanctuaries for travellers, but also the starting point of their adventure in a new place.

Hotels have been reinvented over the past decade as premier destinations for travellers who want it all: design, art, culture, food and adventure - all experienced within the four walls of an exquisite property.

A nomad at heart, I find travel addictive and irreplaceable. While travel plans remain on pause for now due to the pandemic, we continue to dream about our first flight out, buoyed by good news of the vaccine's mass roll-out and signs that the hotel industry is resilient.

According to hospitality data firm STR, hotel occupancy rates dropped in Europe by 30 per cent in March but with staycations in demand, hoteliers were soon not only holding the fort during the pandemic, but also opening new hotels.

Big chains like Hilton will add 60 new hotels to its growing list of properties while Marriott has continued to rival competitors with more than 163 new properties slated to open.

No longer just a place to lay down weary heads, hotels now curate art collections on their premises or sculptures in adjoining public gardens, for instance.

Guests may have excellent views of Unesco World Heritage Sites and dine at the tables of noteworthy chefs who add culinary authenticity to a trip.

Here, I share the newly opened hotels on my hit-list while you plan overdue vacations.

More than 20 years ago, high-school friends Carlos Couturier and Moises Micha opened their first hotel in Mexico City. In August 2019, in the same city, the design-minded hoteliers opened their 12th hotel, a minimalist property with rooms almost "naked" in appearance, mirroring the Mexican patio-centric house with "honest" furnishings.

Besides a rooftop pool, the hotel also has a community space that doubles as a marketplace selling local fashion and furniture, which adds to its raw charm.

Info: http://www.circulomexicano.com/en

Nearby: Visit Museo del Templo Mayor or the National Palace, though the hotel, itself the birthplace of the nation's most celebrated photographer Manuel Alvarez Bravo (1902-2002), is peppered with his works and worth a stay for that alone.

Bonus tip: Head to the neighbourhood eatery El Balcon del Zocalo for modernised Mexican dishes.

Unlike many luxury hotels in Paris which remained closed during the summer, JK Place Paris opened its doors in August, much to the delight of French travellers.

Guests can have the ultimate Paris pieds-dans-l'eau experience, which translates to "feet in water", as the hotel has an annexe on water and private boats.

Wonderful artworks and collectibles are placed around the hotel, such as Tom Ford reading lamps and mirrored chests by David Hicks.

Info: http://www.jkplace.paris

Nearby: Free exhibitions which encourage social distancing for art and culture lovers, such as La Villette, a park with museums and concert halls. Or head to the Luxembourg Gardens during the warmer months.

Bonus tip: Explore new green initiatives in Paris by jumping on a bike or heading to Nature Urbaine, the world's largest rooftop urban farm which just opened recently.

Imagine sipping Sauvignon Blanc and polishing off your second wheel of goat cheese after a delightfully long French dinner as you watch the sunset in the valley.

Les Sources de Cheverny, nestled in the heart of the Loire Valley and surrounded by vineyards, is housed in an 18th-century castle.

Explore 45ha of woodlands, which makes social distancing very enjoyable, as well as the bygone design, open gardens and Caudalie spa of the hotel which opened its doors in September last year.

Info: http://www.sources-cheverny.com/en

Nearby: Explore the wineries of Loire Valley and pop by the Chateau Royal de Blois, a one-time royal palace with paintings and sculptures dating back to the 16th century.

Bonus tip: Check out La Maison de la Magie Robert-Houdin, the only public museum in Europe to present magic collections, as well as a rotating list of live events.

Americans rekindled their love of road trips during the pandemic, with record numbers visiting national parks like Yosemite on the west coast and the Appalachian Trail in the east.

It is little wonder that boutique hotels are popping up in these outdoorsy places.

The Tuxon in Tucson, Arizona, opened last July at the foot of Sentinel Peak and on the bank of the Santa Cruz River, making it ideal for outdoor adventures despite its close proximity to the bustling downtown.

Info: http://www.thetuxonhotel.com

Nearby: Tucson, the country's first Unesco City of Gastronomy, is best explored by bike. Be sure to stop at Mercado San Agustin restaurant and climb the rocky mountains nearby.

Bonus tip: The hotel hosts live music events and activities such as film festivals, farmers' markets and even gem shows.

Could sipping a negroni by the Italian coast in Puglia be one of your fantasies? When travel resumes, book a stay at the new luxury hotel, Paragon 700 Boutique Hotel & Spa, which opened in June last year in Puglia.

With only 11 rooms in this restored palace, its whitewashed buildings blend into the hilly towns surrounding the village of Ostuni and make it a great starting point for exploring.

The restaurant helmed by chef Giovanni Cerroni offers traditional dishes from Puglia, such as baccala alla salentina, a salted cod dish, which you can also recreate during a cooking class in the hotel.

Info: http://www.paragon700.com

Nearby: Jump into a car and visit Bari for fresh seafood or Lecce for its baroque architecture. Or sail on the hotel's private 15m yacht and sunbathe on the Adriatic Sea.

Bonus tip: Many items in the hotel are for sale, including furnishings and paintings by artists Adrian Boswell and Caio Gracco.

Try and pull yourself away from the new Tokyo Edition Toranomon when you are in Japan's capital. It invites guests to be immersed in both traditional and modern Tokyo within the hotel designed by architect Kengo Kuma. It opened in October, despite the Olympics being postponed.

Choose from three restaurants, including one by London chef Tom Aikins. Enjoy cocktails in the Garden Terrace or modern Japanese tea ceremony activities in The Gold Bar.

Info: http://www.editionhotels.com/tokyo

Nearby: Fukushiro Inari Shrine, with its more than 300 years of history, has a new home a stone's throw from the hotel.

Bonus tip: The lobby has more than 500 exotic and local plants, including sword ferns and alocasia.

Based in Europe, Australia-born Michelle Tchea is the author of Chefs Collective and writes on food, wine and travel.

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Hotel openings around the world, Travel News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

2020 was a bizarre year, to say the least. We rode the waves of a pandemic, a U.S. presidential election, protests, wildfires, social change marches, travel bans, and more. And while it's easy to remember all the hardships that came with 2020 (and the noticeable lack of travel), the past year was also full of truly good news.

The travel industry gave back to first responders, animal shelter pets went on excursions to local zoos, and we had the chance to visit some of the great wonders of the world from our couches. As we prepare to say goodbye to 2020 and hello to 2021, here is some of the good travel news that kept us smiling throughout the year.

When New York City became the epicenter of the virus, and the once-buzzing city fell quiet, New Yorkers found ways to connect with their neighbors and find unity. People exercised together from their balconies, clapped for frontline workers, and got married in the streets.

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16 Really Good Things That Happened in the Travel World in 2020 - Hospitality Net

Travel may have been largely on pause in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, but that didnt stop Conde Nast Traveler readers from dreaming of epic beach destinations worldwide including one in Massachusetts.

The travel publication released a list of 25 best island beaches in the world on Thursday as part of its 2020 Readers Choice Awards, and Nantuckets Siasconset Beach ranked No. 23. The best island beach, according to the list, is Gouverneur on St. Barts.

For the 33rd Annual Readers Choice Awards readers leaned in heavily into nostalgia, the publication noted, and the lauded beaches are sandy spots readers thought about this year and cant wait to return to.

Heres what Conde Nast Traveler wrote about Sconset, which is an island destination to watch a sunrise:

At the eastern most flank of the island, Siasconset can be reached from town via a six-mile bike ride on the Milestone Road path (or, in the summer, on a NRTA shuttle bus). Food and restrooms can be found nearby in the adjacent historic village of Sconset. Built in 1850, the Sankaty Head Light is well worth a wander to the northern tip of the beach (its rarely open to climb, except on specific days). Best of all, though, is the Sconset Bluff Walkwith the strong Atlantic on one side and a row of multi-million-dollar homes on the other. Waves here are rough, even in summer, so bundle up for a long winter walk if youre on the island during the off season.

View the entire list of 25 best island beaches in the world.

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A Mass. beach just ranked among the top 25 island beaches in the world - Boston.com

Themes, I always fall back on themes. That's the best way to approach selloffs. That, of course, and having some cash stored up after a remarkable year-long run, one where the S&P was up 16 and some Nasdaq stocks had insane moves higher.

Look, it's easy to see what's up on a day like Monday and say, wow, these stocks are that strong, we have to buy them. There were plenty like that: CVS (CVS) , which rallied on how JPMorgan Chase (JPM) , Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) (BRK.B) and Alphabet (GOOGL) quit their attempt to change the healthcare system. CVS, with its Aetna ownership and hammerlock on the vaccine process. I see PVH (PVH) , an old favorite, climbing on a brokerage push. Same with Lululemon (LULU) . I admire the financials for their modest rallies led by former underperformer Goldman Sachs (GS) , on an understanding that financial help, including picking stocks and doing transactions, matter again.

You can never go wrong buying up stocks on a down day. You catch an up day Tuesday and those stocks will be the first to rally because they were stone walls when everything else was crumbling except the redoubtable Tesla (TSLA) with a stock that might go down in the event of nuclear war.

However, I am talking about themes that can stand the test not of today, or tomorrow, but for all of 2021 and beyond. That's what you have to be thinking about. You need to do that because there are real reasons why stocks are going down and you need to have ideas that get better when they go lower not worse.

What's driving stocks down?

First, I think there is a fear that President Trump may be hurting his own cause, that the people of Georgia may be so upset with him from recent arm-twisting with Republican election officials that they stay away and Democrats take both Senate spots in Tuesday's voting. Second, stocks are up so much there are plenty of people who may have waited until the new year to take some profits. Third, I think the President, at this very moment, seems to believe he doesn't need to leave the White House and, in what should be a losing cause by headcount, many Republicans believe he's right. And finally, while Operation Warp Speed was swell, the administration of the vaccinescan only be considered abominable as the states have no idea what they are doing and vaccine stockpiles continue to grow. At least I am willing to call 'em as I see them. Others must fear presidential tweets. Get over yourself.

So what are the themes that I like and will return to many times this year:

First, e-commerce is growing not shrinking. While I like Amazon (AMZN) and Shopify (SHOP) , I think that this is the year for Walmart (WMT) and Costco (COST) to move to the fore. Walmart's already well on the way. Costco's been behind but in 2021 it catches up to everyone as it is now very serious about it and when Costco is very serious about anything it wins. By the way, I don't care that we may have vaccines soon. Americans have trialed e-commerce and they like it, trust it and believes it represents both convenience and a bargain. Any freight forwarding company will do well, too.

Second theme, a new one: you want to buy travel and leisure stocks on down days because the vaccine, as idiotic as it is being administered right now, won't always be so. I like Boeing (BA) for world travel, and two new ones, Uber (UBER) for local transit and food delivery and Airbnb (ABNB) , another company that has been sampled by many Americans and now represents a definitive bargain versus hotels post vaccine.

Third: Digitization. Hard to believe that everything hasn't been digitized but don't fool yourself, so many companies still think the cloud is like the rain or the sunshine. Others don't want to take the hit from moving on premise. Nevertheless, they have to. The bargain is too terrific. Again, the bargain is what will drive the enterprise. AMD (AMD) and Nvidia (NVDA) are primary digitization names engaged in takeovers -- Xilinx (XLNX) and ARM Holdings -- that will make them stronger in 2022. Yes, be that long-term please.

Ah hah, fourth is security. What a terrific thing to buy when stocks are down. I have had them all on Mad Money. CrowdStrike (CRWD) , Okta (OKTA) , Zscaler (ZS) and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) will all protect your cloud information,. NortonLifeLock (NLOK) , a very cheap stock with a good dividend ripe for a takeover, will protect your personal data.

Fifth, 5G remains a hugely important theme because it has barely begun. I think the premier 5G play is Marvell Technology (MRVL) , which had its numbers bumped Monday. Almost all semis are doing something 5G. I think that either Qualcomm (QCOM) and Skyworks (SWKS) can be your placeholder, too. Throw in some internet of things -- Texas Instruments (TXN) and NXPI (NXP) -- and you will be doing just fine.

Six: stimulus will produce what it did last time, lots of money to Walmart, which as I have noted is still down a lot from its high, Target (TGT) , Home Depot (HD) , Lowe's (LOW) and the dollar stores, Dollar General (DG) and Dollar Tree (DLTR) . Don't overthink it; it happened last time, it will happen again as the wealthier will go to the former and the less well off will steer to the latter.

Seven: China. No matter what you hear about how the PRC plays it -- where in the world is Jack Ma? -- President-Elect Biden will not be as tough on China as the current resident of the White House even if he stays in the White House, which seems to be his hell-or-high water intention. That means the Chinese will extend a thorn branch of buying Boeing planes -- there we go again -- as well as Caterpillar (CAT) and 3M (MMM) equipment. Nothing's a no brainer but I think that even President Xi, a modern day Mao, wants some 737 MAX's and 787s to show he prefers Biden to Trump. Boeing employs directly and indirectly two million people. Lotta voters. Mastercard (MA) , Visa (V) and American Express (AXP) can work, too, all of which dovetail with the travel and leisure theme just mentioned.

Eight: new theme: individual stock selection and wealthy management. That means Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley (MS) and, yes, Robinhood will all be viewed as places to run to in this new, non-index world.

Nine: Work from anywhere is going to be the new norm. It's just too inexpensive and healthy to do so. That's not changing. I think that the companies that help do that, Zoom (ZM) , Salesforce (CRM) once it closes on the Slack (WORK) deal, Microsoft (MSFT) , as well as Dell (DELL) , HP (HPQ) and Apple (AAPL) are all winners. You know me, I stand by Apple as always: own it, don't trade it.

Finally, ten, healthcare. You may not believe it but healthcare will be great under the Dems. The Affordable Care Act is here to stay. Again I like CVS as well as Humana (HUM) , UnitedHealth (UNH) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) , the latter being the best positioned for both earnings-weak dollar-new products and the vaccine when they finally get it done.

There are plenty of other one-off ideas I continue to like. I think Facebook's (FB) cheap versus the growth numbers. I like AbbVie (ABBV) and Dow (DOW) for their dividends. Penn National (PENN) for gambling.

But it's the themes that work the best. You can buy them today, buy them tomorrow if they are down and I swear all of these are cheaper when they go lower.

(CVS, JPM, GOOGL, GS, AMZN, WMT, COST, BA, AMD, NVDA, NLOK, MRVL, MA, CRM, AAPL, FB, MSFT and ABBV are holdings in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS member club. Want to be alerted before Jim Cramer buys or sells these stocks? Learn more now.)

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Jim Cramer: 10 Investment Themes I Like in 2021 - RealMoney

Newfound appreciation for doorstep delights will endure alongside an abiding love of the far-flung, and travellers will find new ways to blur the lines between work and travel.

When the world opens up, which hopefully might happen in the coming months, the one thing people would like to make up for the most is travel. However, travel may not be carefree and without caution at least this year. And, both consumers and the travel and hospitality industry are geared up for that.

As per a Booking.com global report predicting the future of travel in 2021, about 65% people are excited about traveling again after lockdowns and 38% will plan a trip to make up for a celebration missed due to coronavirus. The report says travellers will look for a heightened level of travel safety and more sustainable travel offerings, as well as evolve their preferences for where and with whom they travel. Newfound appreciation for doorstep delights will endure alongside an abiding love of the far-flung, and travellers will find new ways to blur the lines between work and travel. All of which will catapult a demand for deeper value from the trips booked in the future.

Gloria Guevara, president and CEO, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), says travelling in the new normal age requires coordinated actions, including new standards and protocols for a safe and responsible road to recovery for the global travel and tourism sector as consumers start planning trips again.

That special trip

The first trip should be a special one after the lockdown. Travel agencies like Thomas Cook India suggest local and long family stays, road trips to unknown destinations, luxury travel and increased use of non-hotel accommodations will be in huge demand. A stay in a planters villa in Kerala, ocean suites or water bungalows in the Maldives, a luxurious experience at Dubais Atlantis, and experiences like a jeep safari amidst the lush plantations of Munnar, a unique bush-dining experience in Bandhavgarh, mangrove walks in the Sundarbans or the heady adrenalin rush of bungee jumping in Rishikesh could be exciting options.

Ease of travel restrictions and resurgence in domestic tourism has made consumers keen to explore unknown places. Hence, we created the hidden gems portfolio with unique experiences. Customer behaviour and booking trends reveal that as Indians were unable to holiday in 2020, a combination of pent-up travel demand and health/safety concerns are resulting in a new found interest in affordable luxury packages with bookings for global brands given their focus on hygiene protocols. In the face of travel and health protocols, Indians are opting for the ease of mono-destination vacations with extended stays, says Rajeev Kale, president & country head, holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook India.

Destinations like Maldives, Dubai, Goa, Andaman, Himachal, Rajasthan and Kerala will be in good demand, feels Daniel Dsouza, president and country head, leisure, SOTC Travel, who conducted the SOTC Travel Holiday Readiness Report recently based on customer perceptions for holiday travel post-pandemic. We expect a surge in demand for private homes and boutique properties with local guides in 2021, eclectic accommodation such as colonial bungalow, heritage properties, palaces and travel insurance, adds Dsouza who feels Drivcations (driving vacations) and multi-generational staycations will see an uptick in the post-Covid-19 travel landscape.

Touchless travel

Technology has played a key role in driving demand and innovation. Touchless travel will accelerate for some time. The notion of touching grubby menus or interacting with airport kiosks will undergo massive changes.

From pre-packed and sealed meals, immunity passports, global airline strategy firm SimpliFlying predicted more than 70 ways in which air travel will be different in future. Expect, for instance, the use of personal devices to grow as passengers would avoid touching seat-back screens. There will be no cash transactions, or passengers wiping their own seats. A social-distancing-friendly class, touchless cabin, in-flight janitor and a document to prove immunity will play a critical role, besides, self-service technologies at every step will facilitate passenger flow, cutting queues while ensuring a social distancing-friendly passenger experience.

Hotels and restaurants will opt for contactless arrivals and dining experiences. Some brands like Club Mahindra of Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India even offer Covid insurance, travel insurance, testing, and car sanitation services.

Digital menus, QR codes and mobile orders will redefine dining out. Like My Menu, a specialised digital tablet menu service provider, has launched a QR ordering solution to enable better display information of the menu. Eating out platform EazyDiners Safe+Dining is a safety programme for restaurants and diners for real-time feedback on hygiene standards. With a demand for technology solutions like inventory and wastage management, dining out tech platform Dineout has launched technology for hotels to reserve time slots at gym, spa and laundry services, besides in-room dining technology while maintaining the least contact possible.

Healthy halts

Given the challenges faced in 2020, Indians look towards travel as a transformative experience. They want to spend time interacting with their surrounds and locals to enjoy a more immersive experience. This year has been challenging for working professionals who seek wellness and spiritual breaks to Goa, Coorg, Himachal and Kerala, says Kale.

Brands continue to offer enriching experiences of a destinations local community. Like Hyatt Loves Local initiative, a global effort by Hyatt hotels to collaborate with small businesses that have been impacted by the pandemic, has more than 60 Hyatt hotels and resorts in destinations across the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East to provide complimentary resources and exposure to select local businesses. Examples are Andaz Delhi sourcing local produce from certified organic and sustainable producers, Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty collaborating with representatives from Kerala government-run female-empowerment mission Kudumbashree to offer indigenous products made by women across the district.

Farm-to-table concept is here to stay as most people will turn to healthy and immunity boosting eating. Kandima Maldives, a lifestyle resort, has The Fresh Lab, which sources fresh produce from island farms. The Residence by Cenizaro, independent luxury resorts in Maldives, Indonesia, Mauritius, Zanzibar and Tunis, has pioneered an initiative called the Earth Basket an on-site kitchen farm to develop their unique needs, compost food waste in-house and provide rich varieties of zero-kilometre produce.

Responsible, green travel policies and active measures will be a priority for a healthy world. Ankita Sheth, co-founder of Vista Rooms, a chain of luxury holiday homes across India, has properties with farm kitchens, solar power and waste management system, pet-friendly and wheelchair friendly. She feels, Especially after the pandemic, there is an increasing concern for living in the natural environment. More people value the importance of health, opt for rural and wildlife exploration and open to support green travel policies and experiential stays with nature. This will be an important decision driver in travel planning in the near future.

The new travel pass

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is in the final stages of developing a digital vaccine passport for travellers. Governments and airlines may begin requiring travellers to get the immunisation and prove it with a new form of digital documentation called a vaccine passport. Thus, proof of the vaccine will be a new travel document. Tests and masks will stick around-even after a vaccine approval.

While announcements on the vaccine have already seen positive consumer sentiment, a digital health passport would be of value to ensure ease and convenience in facilitating travel across borders, while ensuring strong checks are in place, feels Kale of Thomas Cook India.

With the revival of the sector, mass vaccination drives in nations like the UK, US and Russia can give rise to vaccine tourism packages that may include a small tour to the destination, a visit to the health centre for the vaccination, the cost of which will be included in the package.

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Travel 2021: What will be on the itinerary once vaccination opens up the world? - The Financial Express

Editor's Note CNN Travel updates this article periodically. It was last updated in its entirety on December 28.

(CNN) If you're planning a trip to New Zealand, here's what you'll need to know and expect if you want to visit during the global coronavirus pandemic.

The basics

New Zealand has become the poster child for how to deal with Covid-19. Its early lockdown and strict border measures mean it has suppressed the virus to an astonishing degree.

What's on offer

New Zealand's landscape is the stuff of legend. Arthur's Pass National Park, with its soaring peaks and deep valleys is ripe for "tramping", the locals' term for a good, long hike. Cape Reinga and Ninety Mile beach offer vast sea views from the tip of North Island. Meanwhile, indigenous Maori culture permeates every aspect of the country. Pick up an RV and it's easy to find an empty corner of this magical country to explore.

Who can go

The rules are simple. Other than a few exceptions for partners, dependents and critical workers, only New Zealand residents and citizens are allowed into the country.

What are the restrictions?

New Zealand has maintained some of the toughest travel guidelines in the world since March. All arrivals, including New Zealand citizens, must undertake 14 days of mandatory quarantine and test negative for Covid-19 at the end of this period before entering the community.

All arrivals must book their place in a managed isolation and quarantine facility prior to travel, and a voucher confirming that a space has been booked must be presented before boarding. Currently there is no availability until late February 2021.

What's the Covid situation?

New Zealand has successfully eliminated Covid-19 in the community, with all recent positives coming inside managed isolation facilities. After a handful of cases were found in Auckland in August after 102 days without a positive test, the city went back into a strict lockdown until October. The country's Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, has won plaudits for her handling of the crisis, in which only 25 people have died, with 2,144 cases overall.

What can visitors expect?

Those able to enter New Zealand will find life lived much as it was pre-pandemic. The country is currently at Alert Level 1, which means that the virus is contained. Mass gatherings are limited to 500, but while physical distancing is encouraged, it isn't mandatory. Bars and restaurants are open, but contact tracing measures are in place.

The country's Alert Levels go up to 4, at which point a stay-at-home order would be in place and education facilities would be closed.

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Joe Minihane and Julia Buckley contributed to this report

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Travel to New Zealand during Covid-19: What you need to know before you go - CNN