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Overview - The Rental Car ShortageThe COVID-19 pandemic has severly impacted the rental car industry. Major companies responded to the sudden and signficant drop in travelers have downsized their fleets considerably. As travel resumes, there is now a shortage of vehicles and many travelers who had been used to affordable cars that were easy to source now feel price gouged. In many place people cannot...

What is a vaccine passport? A "vaccine passport" is an electronic record showing verifiable proof of vaccination, likely displaying the information after a bar code or QR code is scanned, that is easily accessible through a smartphone or possibly stored on a device - i.e. this is essentially a mobile app technology that will allow Americans to prove they have been vaccinated for Covid-19. These digital...

Summer of Travel VaxicationsAfter a year of lockdowns due to the pandemic, an increase in relaxed restrictions and vaccinated US citizens is leading to a surge in "vaxications." According to the US Travel Association, more than half of Americans are set to take a trip in the next three months. As more and more get vaccinated, summer travel is feeling more feasible and this means that the time to plan...

There are some interesting indicators of growth in travel now that vaccinations are proliferating nationwide and the CDC is providing encouraging guidance on travel. Transportation Security Administration (TSA)TSA is seeing significant growth in airport traffic with 1.5M+ million travelers going through security checkpoints at airports on April 8th vs. 105K at this time last year. The number of travelers...

Summary - CDCThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its travel guidance for fully vaccinated people recommending that fully vaccinated people can travel at low risk to themselves. Note: A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the last recommended dose of vaccine.Domestic Travel Guidance: - Fully vaccinated people can travel within the United States- Fully...

SummaryI visited Scottsdale for a weeklong getaway during the Spring of 2021 with my family – myself, my wife and our two children (ages 6 and 3) – and our close friends with two small children (also ages 6 and 3). Because of the Coronavirus pandemic, our family was in need of a break from the dasily grind and an escape to somewhere warm. Scottsdale was a reasonable choice for this trip given its warm...

Traveling with Kids - A Tremendous GiftOur family loves to travel and we believe it is important to diversify life's experiences. Our kids love the anticipation, going to the airport/airplane and exploring new destinations to meet people, try foods and enjoy new experiences. We believe family travel elevates happiness because trips are unique, they help us connect more and they live on through stories...

National Plan for Vacation DayThe OverviewNational Plan for Vacation Day is celebrated on the last Tuesday of January to encourage Americans to plan all of their days off for the year at the beginning of the year. Historically, National Plan for Vacation Day has been intended to help address the problem of Americans not using all of their earned time off each year. This trend unfortunately continues...

The Hope for a 2021 Jobs Recovery in travelThe World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) believes that over 100M jobs could be revived in travel and tourism in 2021 as the world begins its hopeful recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic related declines. The WTTC’s latest economic forecast predicts a strong summer of travel is expected from late March onwards (thanks to major travel companies reporting a significant...

Short Weeks (vs. Long Weekends) Trips that might have been two or three nights last year now feel too brief — not worth all the hoops, not quite enough time away.Think about how (much more) stressful travel can sound these days - health declarations, COVID tests, potential quarantine rules in both directions, rising infection rates, hotel/airline policies etc. Layer in the fact that remote work and...

Booking An Entire HotelWhile potentially an expensive option, although relative depending on the hotel itself, buyouts of entire hotels or resorts are becoming a trend - offering both the amenities and services of a hotel with the privacy and control of a vacation rental. In this arrangement, one group pays for having full access to and free reign over an entire hotel or resort. Gathering safelyThis...

Trends in Luxury TravelLuxury Travel Becomes More PersonalGuests want to define their experiences and have choices, both on and off property. Affluent customers are still traveling and have the means to do so in a way that makes them feel safe. Personalized, intimate, unique opportunities and experiences for guests is the luxury story right now. Redirection of Spend to Accomodations- Still Traveling...