ADVERTISEMENT
TOP NEWS
Travel Goods Showcase is Now Digitized and Available Everywhere!
TGA
The new issue of Travel Goods Showcase ushers in a whole new reading experience – the industry’s official news source is now 100% digital. It’s all your favorite stories, columns and departments, in an immersive presentation that’s automatically optimized across all viewing devices: phone, desktop and tablet; with active links to featured companies and products. Post comments and share articles straight to social media, right from the page; and enjoy stronger visuals free from the confines of print. Discover the all-new, interactive, delivered-on-demand Showcase HERE!
TGA Urges Congress to Expand Employee Retention Tax Credit
TGA
TGA joined over 100 other organizations in urging Congress to approve the bipartisan JOBS Credit Act (H.R. 6776). The legislation would expand the employee retention tax credit (ERTC) by expanding the credit percentage from 50% to 80% of qualified wages; increasing the per-employee limitation from $10,000 for all calendar quarters to $15,000 per calendar quarter (and an aggregate of $45,000 for all calendar quarters); and creating a phased-in credit, which will allow employers with more than a 20% decline in gross receipts to be eligible for a portion of the credit.
ADVERTISEMENT
How Trump Tried to Change China’s Trade Policies and Failed
FORBES
A new book by Wall Street Journal journalists Bob Davis and Lingling Wei is a must-read for anyone interested in what happened between China and the United States, likely the world’s most important economic relationship. It details behind-the-scenes negotiations between the two countries and within the Trump administration itself. Donald Trump told his advisers to “bring me tariffs,” report Davis and Wei, and White House staff complied, at enormous cost to U.S. companies and consumers. READ MORE
Clothing Stores, Not Bars and Restaurants, Took the Biggest Sales Hit from the Coronavirus
MARKETWATCH
Places where customers linger will have the hardest time recovering completely. Restaurants and bars, of course, but also destinations such as clothing stores, bookstores, housewares and antique stores. It’s hard to follow social distancing guidelines when you are lingering in the stacks and not paying attention to what other customers are doing. READ MORE
How COVID-19 is Impacting Boomers’ Shopping Behavior
NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION
The coronavirus pandemic has forced consumers to adapt many aspects of their lives, from daily routines to how they safeguard themselves and their families. Even as many communities look to reopen, it is likely that the pandemic will continue to impact how consumers of all ages socialize and shop. This is particularly true for baby boomers, those ages roughly 56 to 74. New data from NRF’s Spring Consumer View study shows key ways the pandemic has shifted this demographic’s priorities and what it means for their interactions with brands and retailers. READ MORE
ADVERTISEMENT
Will a $4,000 Tax Credit for Travel Be in the Next Stimulus Package?
FORBES
The tourism industry loves the idea and so does President Trump, but will Congress get on board? If approved, the “Explore America” Tax Credit would dangle up to $4,000 in front of Americans for vacation expenses spent in the U.S. at hotels, theme parks, restaurants and other tourism-related businesses through the end of 2021. The credit would cover up to 50% of a household’s total vacation expenses, up to a maximum of four grand. READ MORE
Could Airline Fees Be Permanently Eliminated Post COVID-19?
CONDÉ NAST TRAVELER
As summer travel kicks off, airlines are once again extending change fee waivers for new bookings as they try to attract back nervous fliers. In fact, most carriers have made it free to change flights since the coronavirus outbreak began. So, it’s not far-fetched for consumers to wonder: Why can’t airlines nix these fees – which can run as high as $200 – for good? READ MORE
The Travel Deals That Have Fallen Victim to the Pandemic
SKIFT
Don’t count your deals before they’ve hatched. Coronavirus has killed valuations of many companies, and deals along with them. On the other hand, some companies, such as Grubhub, are in the right place at the right time. READ MORE
Good Leaders Can Overcome Institutional Inertia in a Crisis
HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW
Although COVID-19 is clearly a catastrophe, it offers what every social scientist craves: a “natural experiment” that allows us to compare different responses to similar shocks. We have already learned much about what does and doesn’t work in tackling the virus itself. We can also glean profound lessons about the role of leaders. READ MORE
Flying Now: Not So Crowded, Not So Germy, Not So Friendly
LOS ANGELES TIMES
During my 20-plus years as a travel writer, I’ve had plenty of weird flights. But none has been stranger than my first pandemic-era flight. Even though it lasted only 47 minutes. Maybe you thought air travel was already as grim as it could get, the same way you might have thought that 2019 would go down as the worst year ever. Yeah, well. READ MORE
Looking at the Post-Pandemic In-store Experience
NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION
Stores are reopening, slowly but surely. Retailers are absorbing CDC- and state-issued guidelines for keeping staff and shoppers safe from the novel coronavirus. As they enact social distancing and install hand-sanitizer stations and acrylic barriers, how are they considering the in-store experiences many brands are known for? Design and strategy experts agree in-store customer experiences won’t go away completely, but the type and amount offered is up for debate, especially for those retail brands known for remarkable customer service or time-saving conveniences. READ MORE
PayPal: The Pandemic’s Digital Shift and Retail’s ‘Super Bowl’
PYMNTS.COM
The pandemic didn’t create the great shift to digital spending that has been observed over the last 12 weeks, despite the fact that it is often awarded much of the credit. A fairer assessment of the situation, PayPal’s Vice President and General Manager of North America and Australia Marcy Campbell told Karen Webster in a recent conversation, is that the pandemic has tremendously accelerated a shift away from physical purchasing and toward digital transactions that was already underway. READ MORE
How to Get Results on Social Media Without a Million-dollar Budget
SEARCH ENGINE JOURNAL
People are tired of businesses marketing to them on social media only to sell them new products and services that they don’t want or need. It’s turning people away from our businesses and brands because we are not taking the time to meet our consumers where they are. Businesses are trying hard to speed up the selling process that they forget about the customer and what the customer wants and needs. READ MORE
Worried About Social Distancing When Traveling? Join the Crowd and Rent an R.V.
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Recreational vehicles were gaining in popularity before the pandemic. Now, with travel restrictions loosening, a surge of travelers is drawn to the relative solitude that R.V.s offer. READ MORE
TRENDING ARTICLES
Missed last week’s issue? See which articles your colleagues read most.
- 13 Travel Experts on the Luggage Brands They Swear By (CONDÉ NAST TRAVELER)
- This ‘COVID-free’ Italian Town Wants You to Buy a $1 House (TRAVEL + LEISURE)
- 14 Email Marketing Tactics to Test Now (SAILTHRU.COM)
- 25,000 Stores Are Predicted to Close in 2020, As the Coronavirus Pandemic Accelerates Industry Upheaval (CNBC)
- COVID-19 Will Curtail These 10 Coveted Travel Amenities (SF GATE)