PARKEET. WE DOAVE >>VIC MICOLUCCI: 15 AND MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER GLOBAL TOURISM
IS EXPECTED TO PLUNGE BY 70%
THIS YEAR COMPARED
TO LAST. THAT’S ACCORDING TO
THE UNITED NATIONS WORLD
TOURISM ORGANIZATION. THE
ORGANIZATION EXPECTS MORE
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS TO RESUME
STARTING IN SEPTEMBER THOUGH IF
THE VIRUS IS UNDER CONTROL
BY THEN MEANWHILE WITH
JACKSONVILLE BEING A MAJOR
TOURIST DESTINATION THE
PANDEMIC HAS AFFECTED THE HOTEL
INDUSTRY HERE TREMENDOUSLY AND
RESTAURANTS AND SO MANY PEOPLE
THAT RELY
ON TOURISTS SO JOINING US THIS
MORNING TO TALK MORE ABOUT THIS
AND HOW IT AFFECTS THE CITY OF
JACKSONVILLE AS WELL AS OUR
AREA NORTHEAST, FLORIDA AND
SOUTHEAST GEORGIA TRACK SO MANY
PEOPLE FROM ALL ACROSS THE
GLOBE. WE HAVE KATE STRICKLAND,
THE CEO, WANDER
MEDIA COMPANY. GOOD MORNING TO
YOU KATE. GOOD MORNING, THANK
YOU FOR HAVING ME SO OBVIOUSLY
CORONAVIRUS HAS IS MADE SO MANY
NEGATIVE IMPACTS THROUGHOUT OUR AREA AND THAT’S IT ESPECIALLY PREVALENT WHEN IT COMES TO THE
TOURISM INDUSTRY. WHAT HAVE YOU
SEEN PERSONALLY.
>> IT REALLY CAN’T BE
OVERSTATED JUST HOW DEVASTATING
THIS HAS BEEN FOR HOTELS AND
RESORTS INTERNATIONALLY AND
SPECIFICALLY TO THIS
AREA TOO. THE NUMBERS ARE JUST
DOWN IN EVERY CONCEIVABLE
CATEGORY
OCCUPANCIES RATES LENGTH OF
STAYS AND ALL OF THE
PROJECTIONS ARE POINTING
TOWARDS THIS NOT REBOUNDING TO
PRE COVID RATES FOR
AT LEAST 12 TO 18 MONTHS SO THE
NEWS ISN’T
NECESSARILY GOOD.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: AND
SPECIFICALLY HERE IN
JACKSONVILLE. WE HAVE SEEN SOME
HOTELS, ESPECIALLY THE ONES UP
AND DOWN THE BEACHES THAT HAVE
BEEN PRETTY BUSY ON WEEKENDS.
BUT THEN OTHER PLACES NOT
NECESSARILY SEEING THE SAME
CROWDS.
>> THAT’S RIGHT SO YOU GOT TO
HAVE
TO SEGMENT. YOU KNOW WHO WE’RE
TALKING ABOUT HERE A LITTLE BIT
CONVENTION BUSINESS FELL OFF
A CLIFF. IMMEDIATELY, BUT THE
GOOD NEWS THAT WE’RE STARTING
TO SEE SOME OF THE
LEISURE TRAVELERS. CREEP BACK
AND IT’S REBOUNDING SOMEWHAT
DEFINITELY MORE SO ON THE
BEACHES MORE SO ON
WEEKENDS STAYS. I THINK ONE OF
THE CHALLENGES IS THAT NOW THAT
LEAVE TIME FOR THOSE
RESERVATIONS
HAVE GONE DOWN TO 2 OR 3 DAYS
VERSUS WHERE THEY WERE AT 2 OR
3 MONTHS SO WE’RE PUTTING
HOTELS AND RESORTS IN A
POSITION WHERE THEY HAVE TO BE
ABLE TO REALLY ADAPT AND REACT.
QUICKLY IN A MUCH SHORTER
TIME FRAME. WE’VE GOT SOME
GREAT FEEDBACK FROM AREA AREA
RESORT
AREA HOTELS WHO ARE DOING WHAT
THEY CAN TO STAY AFLOAT IN
TIMES LIKE IT 2 OF MY FAVORITE
PROPERTIES UP IN THE GOLDEN
ISLES AND GEORGIA THE KING AND
PRINCE RESORT, AS WELL AS THE WEST IN JEKYLL ISLAND BOTH REPORT THAT SOME OF THAT GROUP
BUSINESS IN LIEU OF CANCELING
ALL TOGETHER IS SIMPLY
POSTPONING WHETHER IT’S
WEDDINGS OR REUNIONS OR SOME
CORPORATE GROUPS. THEY’RE
PUSHING TO LATER IN 2020 OR
2021. WE’VE SEEN SOME
PROPERTIES AT
THE BEACHES. THE HILTON BAY
FRONT SAN AUGUSTINE AS WELL AS
FEATURES LODGE THEY’RE BOTH
KIND OF REVISING THEIR
SANITIZATION OFFERINGS AND THE
WAY THEY ARE DOING BUSINESS IN
TERMS OF HOUSEKEEPING AND
CLEANLINESS AND ALL OF THE
COMMON AREAS. WE’VE GOT SOME
GREAT FEEDBACK FROM THE ALOFT
TAPESTRY THEY’VE REALLY
SORT OF HONED IN ON HOW THEY
CAN BE BETTER AT COMMUNICATING
WITH GIVEN ALL OF THESE
CIRCUMSTANCES YOU’VE GOT A
SITUATION WHERE GUESTS ARE
WEARING FACE MASKS NOW SO
THEY’RE STUDYING BODY
LANGUAGE TRAINING. AND THEY’RE
REALLY RELYING EVEN HEAVIER ON
TEXT MESSAGING BECAUSE IT IS
SORT OF A CONTACTLESS WAY
TO COMMUNICATE.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: AND I’VE GOT
TO ASK YOU AS FAR AS THE
TRAVELERS TO SO MANY FAMILIES
ARE SO MANY COUPLES THAT
ARE SAYING. I’M KIND OF ITCHING
TO GO SOMEWHERE BUT I DON’T
KNOW IF IT’S SAFE OR
RESPONSIBLE JUST YET WHAT
SHOULD
I DO. OBVIOUSLY IT’S THEIR OWN
DECISION BUT WHAT SOME OF YOUR
ADVICE WHEN IT COMES TO PEOPLE
THAT ARE SORT OF ON THE FENCE
ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY
SHOULD. TAKE THAT MANY
VACATION.
>> YEAH, I THINK YOU HAVE TO
KEEP IN MIND THAT THAT WE’RE
OPERATING IN SOME UNCHARTED
TERRITORY TO HEAR AND THE
PROPERTIES WHILE THERE MAY BE
SOME INCONVENIENCES TO
TRAVELING NOW THAT YOU DIDN’T
HAVE TO DEAL
WITH PREVIOUSLY. A LOT OF THESE
HOTELS AND RESORTS ARE DOING
THIS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF
THEIR GUESTS SO THINGS LIKE
MAYBE DAILY HOUSEKEEPING
SERVICE WILL BE AVAILABLE OR
PERHAPS YOU HAVE TO MAKE
ADVANCE DINNER RESERVATIONS.
YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF
SIGNAGE AND TRAFFIC FLOW
SITUATIONS THAT MAYBE YOU’RE
NOT USED TO AT CHECK IN
ONE OF ONE OF MY TIPS WOULD BE
TO SEEK OUT LOCAL RESOURCES.
I KNOW HERE WE HAVE THE NORTH
FLORIDA RESTAURANT AND LODGING
ASSOCIATION WHICH HAS BEEN
ROCK SOLID THROUGHOUT THIS IN
TERMS OF THEIR COMMUNICATION
WITH NOT ONLY THEIR MEMBERS BUT
THE PUBLIC AT LARGE.
THEY THEY ADDRESS ONGOING
SANITIZATION TECHNIQUES THAT
JOB THINGS FOR FURLOUGHED
HOSPITALITY WORKERS. THEY ARE
REALLY HAVING THEIR FINGER ON
THE PULSE OF WHAT’S GOING ON IN
HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM AT
LARGE, SO THAT’S DEFINITELY
RESOURCE I WOULD SEEK OUT IF
YOU’RE LOOKING AT LOOKING AT