Corporate policies limiting travel are among the key challenges the U.S. hospitality industry faces in its attempt to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, U.S. Travel Association president and CEO Roger Dow said Friday during a webinar hosted by the Meetings Mean Business coalition.
The issue came up during a recent roundtable call held with CEOs of large supplier companies, including hotel companies, airlines, car rental companies, and attractions and theme parks, such as Disney and Universal, Dow said.
"This was brought up as a problem as to how we are going to get these policies to change, and the corporate travel director is looking at what we are doing as an industry," Dow said. "Right now, no matter what we do, until they change those policies, it's going to be very hard."
Dow suggested corporate lawyers are advising human resources executives to instruct wary employees not to travel if they feel unsafe. As a result, USTA is pushing the federal government for liability protection for facilities on a national level, at least through 2021, Dow said. "It's so important, because you don't want someone walking into a hotel or an airport or a convention center and going home and saying they got Covid and it was your fault, and then the class action lawyers are coming after you."
Another key to getting meetings back on the books is helping people to understand how industry professionals manage meetings and events, said San Diego Tourism Authority COO Kerri Kapich, who added that 40 percent of tourism revenue into San Diego is driven by meetings and conventions.
"Regarding events, there's a fear of people doing backyard parties, going to a concert, drinking and being together," Kapich said. "But meetings and conventions, those are controlled, managed events. We're trying to show people what it looks like from a policy and health perspective. Part of that is showing people what is possible when you have professionals managing those things."
Dow agreed. "We have to separate ourselves from mass gatherings," he said. "There's a big difference of 50 people in a phone booth versus 50 in an airplane hangar or in a convention center. We have to let the government know we can control crowds and seating and have physical distancing, control registration, et cetera."
Panelists also discussed new best practices when it comes to hosting meetings and events. Marriott International VP of global sales Marian McLain mentioned the enhanced cleaning protocols that Marriott and other companies have embraced, as well as signage in hotels to promote social distancing.
McLain this week attended a hybrid meeting with about 700 virtual attendees and nearly 50 in-person in a ballroom at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center. "They were seated theater-style, with everybody six feet apart," she said. Afterward, food and beverage service was handled at individual stations with each chef behind plexiglass wearing masks and gloves, individually putting together each item at their stations, and handing them to individuals.
"It was really well done," she said. "In the near future, it will have to be our best practice until we can get back to larger and more normal meetings."
In terms of how to prepare for meetings to return, Kapich said a coalition of 14 convention centers and destination marketing offices in California have joined to develop a standard set of operating guidelines. "It's gone to the governor's office, and we're trying to standardize how we are doing things so people know what to expect," she said.