TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

COVID-19

NYC Wants You to Fall in Love With It Again. But How?

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sign on the street that has an arrow with a heart in the middle the background I blue and the arrow is white. it Is circular

A diverse Coalition for NYC Hospitality & Tourism Recovery Council will spearhead the effort to bring back the city’s energy and tourists.  It’s NYC, though, so it’s not just any council.  Formed with NYC & Company, it’s fully loaded with hospitality heavy hitters (restauranteur Danny Meyer and Lin-Manuel Miranda are two), according to CNN.  

OUR TAKE: Don’t judge a city by its pandemic photos. Yes, some have made NYC look a little post-apocalyptic these past few months., But those who travel there have the city in their DNA. It’s tough to stay away.  What is your city so well known for that it screams COME BACK? It’s a question we should all be asking.. 

New Cleanliness Sessions Added to TravelAbility Summit 2020

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TRavSummit Oct 12-14 omni Orlando resort at Championsgate Kissimmme, FLOrida

COVID-19 is a fast-changing story. Two topics we believe will remain top of mind for a long while are guest experience and social distancing. The TravelAbility Summit 2020 team just added new sessions that address these topics.  Find the full agenda for the Summit, here.

We Will Not Be Out Sanitized! How 13 Hotel Chains are Making Themselves Clean and Safe

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scrubbing with rubber gloves that are blue and spray bottle and paper towel

In an effort to allay traveling consumers’ fear of contracting Covid-19, the leading hotel chains are practically falling over one another in an effort to demonstrate that their safe and clean initiatives are developed in conjunction with top health organizations. Each hotel’s protocol starts with guidance from the Center for Disease Control. On top of that, each hotel group is also collaborating with a panoply of respected health brands for validation. Here are the details:

The Marriott International Global Cleanliness Council is made up of advisory members: a senior corporate scientist, food safety and public health for Ecolab; an infectious disease specialist at Adventist Healthcare; and the professor of food microbiology in the Department of Food Science at Cornell University.

Hilton has incorporated CleanStay with Lysol Protection, a scientific approach to cleaning practices and product offerings. Experts from Mayo Clinic’s Infection Prevention and Control team also advise and assist in enhancing Hilton’s cleaning and disinfection protocols. 

Hyatt’s Global Care Initiative involves an accreditation process by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) at all 900 hotels worldwide. The hospitality brand plans to introduce a GBAC STAR accreditation through a performance-based cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention program.

The IHG Clean Promise team is working closely with medical experts at the  Cleveland Clinic to develop guidance and resources for hotel teams on returning to work and keeping guests safe in this new environment. 

\Four Seasons “Lead with Care” is a collaboration with Johns Hopkins Medicine International, the leading global division of health care and research. Johns Hopkins blesses its new global health and safety program and provides ongoing, real-time guidance on the evolving Covid-19 situation.

Cleanliness Protocols for 13 Hotel Groups Globally

Hotel ChainClean + SafePrimary Brands
Accor GroupAll SafeFairmont, Sofitel 
Best WesternWe Care CleanBest Western, BW Collection, Sure Stay
Choice HotelsCommitment to CleanChoice, Quality Inn, Clarion, Comfort Inn
Extended StayStay ConfidentExtended Stay America
Four SeasonsLead with CareFour Seasons hotel and resort
G6Covid UpdateMotel 6
HiltonClean StayHilton, Embassy Suites, Doubletree. Hampton Inn,  
Hyatt HotelsGlobal Care CommitmentHyatt, Hyatt Regency, Destination Hotels
IHG HotelsFresh TakeHoliday Inn, Intercontinental, Kimpton, Embassy Suites
Loews HotelsSafety and Well BeingLoews Hotels and Resorts
MarriottCommitment to CleanMarriott, JW Marriott, Ritz Carleton
OmniSafe and CleanOmni
Radisson HotelsSocial ResponsibilityRadisson, Radisson Blue
WyndhamCount on UsWyndham, Ramada, Days Inn, Travelodge, Howard Johnson

We’ve also added a cleanliness 101 session to TravelAbility Summit 2020. Find the agenda, here.

Bright New Ideas For TravelAbility Summit October 12-14, 2020

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gorgeous handing lightbulb with bright pink background

It’s clear that our focus should be on offering the industry reliable, simple-to-follow resources in this new COVID-19 market. That’s what we’re doing. Our 2020 Virtual TravelAbility Summit and Launchpad will highlight items that you need to know now, including training staff, gaining trust, and learning lessons from peers. As the industry changes, for better or for worse, we’re proud to make ourselves of service.

Note: To be on top of the news, our program will change to reflect any new realities for the travel industry in this crisis. Stay safe.

Try Game Theory to Secure Your Preferred Airline Seat

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drawing of inside an airplay with three rows of 2 seats
It even comes with a game board!

Ultimate traveler John Morris of the blog wheelchairtravel.org found himself in 4A instead of his favorite, 4F on the last flight he was scheduled to take pre-pandemic. No problem, he masterminded a plan, “I decided to play a classic game of chicken with Mr. 4F, hoping that fear of coronavirus would cause him to surrender the seat.” Find the seat map, or game board, here.

 OUR TAKE: This is pure genius in a six-feet-apart world. John even gave readers the gameboard or seat plan, above.