- Travel Goods Association

February 11, 2021

TOP NEWS

There’s Traffic in the HUB: Are You on Your Way?

TGA

The HUB – TGA’s brand-new conduit between manufacturers of all sizes and buyers from across the globe – is packed with unique pages with details on the hottest, newest travel products. Showcase your new products on your very own page, and attract eyeballs from all corners of the travel goods universe.

On March 1, over 11,000 verified buyers will be invited to access and peruse the pages of the HUB, free of charge. Don’t miss out on this surge of activity and act now.

Due to requests by new members, TGA has extended our deadline to provide content for your HUB Company Profile to February 16. Contact Cathy Trecartin at cat@travel-goods.org for pricing and details – and check out an example of what your HUB page could look like here.

Coup in Myanmar Should Raise Concerns for Industry

TGA

On Jan. 31, the military in Myanmar launched a coup, overthrowing the democratically elected government in the country, and detaining its leaders, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. The coup has led to massive protests. Feb. 1 statements from President Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell implied strong bi-partisan support for U.S. sanctions if the military does not reverse course quickly. TGA will keep members apprised of the impact of any potential sanctions on the industry and whether the situation on the ground in Myanmar is impacting production. Myanmar is the 4th largest and fastest growing supplier of travel goods to the U.S., growing 66.5% in 2020. Even so, U.S. travel goods imports from Myanmar still account for only 3.8% of total U.S. travel goods imports. Please let us know if your production has been impacted in the country.

U.S.-China Trade War: Phase One Trade Deal Largely a ‘Failure’, As Purchases Fall Well Short of Targets

SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

China and the U.S. signed their phase one trade deal in Jan. 2020, with China committing to buy $200 billion more goods and services over the next two years. According to a report by the Peterson Institute for International Economics, U.S. exports of phase one goods in 2020 fell more than 40% short of the target. READ MORE

Biden Treads Carefully Around Trump’s Combative Trade Policy

ASSOCIATED PRESS

In his first weeks in office, President Joe Biden has wasted no time in dumping a batch of major Trump administration policies. He rejoined the Paris climate agreement. He ended a ban on travelers from mostly Muslim countries. He canceled the Keystone XL oil pipeline. He reversed a ban on transgender people serving in the military. And so on. Biden and his team are tiptoeing, though, around one of Donald Trump’s most divisive signature legacies: His go-it-alone moves to start a trade war with China and bludgeon some of America’s closest allies with a gale of tariffs on their steel, aluminum and other goods. READ MORE

Senate Approves Amendment Pledging Support to Hospitality Industry

TRADE SHOW NEWS NETWORK

A bipartisan proposal geared toward assisting the travel and tourism industries passed a crucial first step with the U.S. Senate’s approval earlier this month. The measure, put forward by U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), prioritizes the devastated hospitality sector, as Congress works through President Biden’s proposed $1.9 trillion stimulus package. READ MORE

Should You Book Travel Now for Later in 2021? What You Need to Know

THE HUFFINGTON POST

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage across the globe, non-essential travel is still off the table. But if you’re thinking ahead to potential travel later this year, should you go ahead and book things now – or wait until you have a better sense of what’s feasible down the road? Read on for advice. READ MORE

COVID-19: 10-Year Jail Term for Travel Lies Defended

BBC NEWS

A maximum 10-year jail term for lying about recent travel history has been defended by the British government. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the British public “would expect pretty strong action” and the maximum sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime. It was criticized by former Supreme Court judge Lord Sumption who said lower tariffs exist for sex offenses. Beginning this week, people arriving in England from “red list” countries must isolate for 10 days in hotels, costing upwards of $2,000. READ MORE

Just Press Buy: Buy Buttons Impact Retail Performance During Q4

PYMNTS.COM

Buy buttons – click-to-purchase payment innovations that have reduced checkout times by as much as 50% – have remained nearly ubiquitous among leading retailers since PYMNTS began tracking them in 2016. However, the past year saw a dramatic shift with a record 76% of all retailers offering them in Q4 2020. READ MORE

How Consumers Are Thinking About Travel in 2021

TRAVEL PULSE

Scott’s Cheap Flights recently published its second annual State of Cheap Flights Report. The email subscription service, which sends cheap flight alerts to its millions of members, surveyed more than 5,800 travelers to shed new light on how consumers are thinking about travel in 2021 and the trips they expect to take this year. Here are some of the key takeaways ahead of what is poised to be a pivotal year for travel. READ MORE

6 Unquestionable Behaviors Separating Top Leaders from Toxic Bosses

INC.

Organizations looking to boost their leadership effectiveness can start with pursuing the practice of these six traits across all levels of management in order to have an impact on the people they employ and the customers they serve. READ MORE

How the Pandemic Changed Restaurant Leadership

NATION’S RESTAURANT NEWS

Three things we’ve learned for certain in the last 11 months since COVID-19 hit: 1) the foodservice customer has changed; 2) the foodservice team member has changed; and 3) the systems and process we deploy to serve each of those constituencies has changed too. And in case you haven’t noticed, that includes leadership. READ MORE

7 New Social Media Marketing Opportunities on Facebook and More

SEARCH ENGINE JOURNAL

Feeling lost with all the social media changes this year? The questions flooding through your head right now might include:

Why does Facebook work differently?
Should I be on Clubhouse?
What Is Twitter Spaces?

With so many social media platforms and features now available, it can be overwhelming to determine which opportunities are optimal for your business growth this year. We’ve got you. READ MORE

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