Memorial Day weekend marked the unofficial start of summer, but with the coronavirus pandemic ongoing and many states still in lockdown, tourism is going to look a lot different, compared to years past. In this episode of Promo Insiders, members of the editorial team – Theresa Hegel, executive editor of digital content; Sara Lavenduski, senior editor of Advantages; and John Corrigan, senior writer – discuss their (lack of) vacation plans, their shared love of ambrosia salad, despite the naysayers, and how distributors can take advantage of the new opportunities that this drastically different leisure landscape has brought.

Podcast Chapters:
3:16 People are sick of social distancing and ready for the shore
5:36 What Vegas will look like when it reopens
6:54 What will the tourism industry as a whole look like
9:50 Restaurants are opening, but don’t expect to self-serve at the buffet
13:30 Unmasking the opportunities for distributors
16:55 The return of road tripping, camping and RV life
18:28 Pens are huge right now
19:55 Staying local will also trend

As the summer season kicks off, vacation destinations are starting to reopen as well, but many venues are likely to look very different than they did in pre-COVID days. Universal Studios, Disney and other theme parks have begun making announcements, with Universal eyeing a June 5 date and Disney beginning a phased reopening of its parks in July.

We're getting ready to re-open!

Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay will welcome guests beginning 6/5. Everyone must follow UOR and CDC guidelines: https://t.co/5IA1TCnsfX pic.twitter.com/2pnrg2Lxkr

— Universal Orlando Resort (@UniversalORL) May 22, 2020

Many theme parks will be requiring guests and employees to wear masks and undergo temperature checks. They’re installing social distancing barriers, new handwashing and sanitizing stations, Plexiglass barriers at food and shopping locations, among other precautions. Such requirements could be a boon for distributors, who can supply a steady stream of branded, disposable masks for parks to give out. They could even go beyond simple logos to match up with a park location or marketing message or to hype up a certain attraction. The possibilities are endless. The need for social-distancing and other signage also presents opportunity.

Restaurants are starting to reopen, but buffets and salad bars could be a thing of the past. And road trips are expected to be big. Surveys have shown that a third of Americans plan to take a road trip this summer. Perhaps there’s opportunity here for distributors to target RV dealerships and car rental companies with clever promotions, like a kit filled with coloring books, car activities, as well as sanitizer, wipes and masks to promote safety and fun on the road. (It’s worth noting here that ASI offers members discounts on things like car rentals and hotel stays, through its business savings program.)

Backyard barbecues (socially distanced, as necessary) and smaller daytrips are likely to be summertime mainstays for ASI’s editorial team and the country as a whole. And no barbecue is truly complete without a marshmallow-filled fruit salad, right?

The topic of ambrosia salad came up during a podcast with @Notready4Radio & @SaraLav_ASI. We're all firmly in favor of this BBQ delicacy, but I know there are some ambrosia haters out there. Where do you fall?

— Theresa Hegel (@TheresaHegel) May 28, 2020