The coronavirus pandemic forced many Americans to cancel their spring travel plans, but according to a new poll from YouGov 13 percent of Americans will be ready to hit the road even before lockdown restrictions are lifted.
Gloria Guevara, World Travel and Tourism Council CEO and president, told Cheddar on Tuesday that travel-related businesses are very eager for people to start taking trips again, however, opening the industry will need to be done in a coordinated way. She said the public and private sectors will need to have a good understanding of when and how businesses will reopen and customers will need to be assured that travel is okay.
Decisions by lawmakers will be at the heart of the recovery, said Guevara.
"Everything is going to be depending on the actions and the decisions made by governments" now and next summer, she noted.
The pandemic isn't the first roadblock the travel industry has faced in recent years. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Guevara said that leaders were not working together, which ultimately made the recovery longer and created uncertainty.
"[After] 9/11 we didn't have a coordinated approach. Every government implemented their own measures. It was not in coordination with the private sector," said Guevara. She noted that even in 2020, different countries still have their own safety protocols.
The World Travel and Tourism Council is working with more than 150 governments around the world, perhaps most importantly with the G-20, Guevara said, to create a list of protocols for businesses to follow to allow travelers to feel safe and to ensure that there is no confusion.
"These protocols are defined by the industry. Today, for instance, we are releasing the hospitality protocols and outdoor shopping [protocols], based on the experience we already have. In a couple of weeks we are working with the airlines," she said. "So, the next time you fly, if they tell you that you need to wear a mask, it's on all the flights."
Wealthfront’s CFO Alan Iberman talks the $2.05B IPO and the major moment for robo banking as the company bets on AI, automation, and “self-driving money."
A rare magnum of Dom Pérignon Vintage 1961 champagne that was specially produced for the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana has failed to sell during an auction. Danish auction house Bruun Rasmussen handled the bidding Thursday. The auction's house website lists the bottle as not sold. It was expected to fetch up to around $93,000. It is one of 12 bottles made to celebrate the royal wedding. Little was revealed about the seller. The auction house says the bids did not receive the desired minimum price.
The New York Times and President Donald Trump are fighting again. The news outlet said Wednesday it won't be deterred by Trump's “false and inflammatory language” from writing about the 79-year-old president's health. The Times has done a handful of stories on that topic recently, including an opinion column that said Trump is “starting to give President Joe Biden vibes.” In a Truth Social post, Trump said it might be treasonous for outlets like the Times to do “FAKE” reports about his health and "we should do something about it.” The Republican president already has a pending lawsuit against the newspaper for its past reports on his finances.
OpenAI has appointed Slack CEO Denise Dresser as its first chief of revenue. Dresser will oversee global revenue strategy and help businesses integrate AI into daily operations. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently emphasized improving ChatGPT, which now has over 800 million weekly users. Despite its success, OpenAI faces competition from companies like Google and concerns about profitability. The company earns money from premium ChatGPT subscriptions but hasn't ventured into advertising. Altman had recently announced delays in developing new products like AI agents and a personal assistant.
President Donald Trump says he will allow Nvidia to sell its H200 computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to “approved customers” in China. Trump said Monday on his social media site that he had informed China’s leader Xi Jinping and “President Xi responded positively!” There had been concerns about allowing advanced computer chips into China as it could help them to compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities. But there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.
