TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Travel

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.. 

Feedback from 120MM Users Puts Accessibility on Google Maps

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A #localguide checks out the view and amenities.

With the “Accessible Places” feature enabled, business and points of interest with wheelchair-accessible entrances are marked with a wheelchair icon along with information about whether accessible seating, restrooms, and parking are available, according to a Gizmodo story.

OUR TAKE This change shows the power of crowdsourcing. According to Google, the change came about after  Google put out a call for accessibility information contributors in 2017. Since then, 120 million users posted updates on Google Maps regarding the presence of wheelchair-accessible facilities and now they’re not hiding in the ‘about’ section so they’re super easy to find. Plus, it’s a tiny trivia moment for us. One of the companies at our first summit, Wheel the World, was an early supporter of this initiative, which was part of #localguides. 

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.

Will a Digital Jigsaw Puzzle Leave Your Heart in San Francisco?

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a San Fran view made into a puzzle

Offering six jigsaw puzzles (free) for people sheltering in place, San Francisco Travel just put a lock on people’s focus—at least for a while.  Visitors to their site can ‘see’ PIER 39 sea lions, gaze upon the Painted Ladies at Alamo Square Park or the skyline at Dolores Park, take a ride on a cable car or enjoy views of The Golden Gate Bridge. They are available to try, here. 

OUR TAKE: The organization’s tagline is “by the time you’ve solved all these puzzles, it’ll be time to start planning your next trip to San Francisco.” This follows the common wisdom that positivity, paired with a few free experiences (puzzles!), keeps visitors coming to your site. They may also draw in new travel fans.

Which of These Videos Inspire You to Travel?

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A video camera faced at a subject with the words fb live

DMO’s are creating more and more 30-60 second videos, offering hope and musings to inspire future visitors. Watch a few of our picks, below, to find the one that resonates most with you. Plus, a tutorial on adding captions to videos.

a. Niagara Falls, NY, “A DESTINATION OF HOPE” 

b. Long Island, NY’, “#HOLDFAST”  

Valley Forge, PA: “We’re #MONTCO Strong” 

c. North Dakota: “BE LEGENDARY”  

d. Virginia Beach, VA: The Magic of Virginia Beach

Note: Not all videos have captions. This important addition is pretty easy to learn on YouTube,

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