Marriott International announced its support for a major travel industry campaign designed to encourage Americans to plan for future travel even as they are navigating the day-to-day realities of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The “Let’s Go There” campaign taps into Americans’ pent up desire to travel again, while reminding travelers that simply planning a trip can bring tremendous and unexpected personal benefits.
The coalition behind the effort, which includes Marriott, the U.S. Travel Association, destinations, as well as other leaders in the hospitality, transportation and tourism industries, based the campaign on research about the benefits of travel planning and its correlation to a sense of wellbeing. According to new polling conducted by Michelle Gielan, founder of the Institute for Applied Positive Research and an expert in the science of happiness, 97% of respondents say that having a trip planned makes them happier and 96% agreed that getting to travel and feeling safe while doing it would bring peace of mind.
“People derive so much happiness by just having a trip planned,” said Brian King, Global Officer, Digital, Distribution, Revenue Strategy & Global Sales, Marriott International. “It is emotionally uplifting as we look forward to joyful connections with family and friends or the sense of discovery that unfolds in a new destination, and even the impact travel can have on our professional lives. While we are still grappling with the pandemic across the country, the simple act of researching and planning a trip can bring happiness and positivity to our lives. At Marriott, we are proud to join this industry-wide effort to help Americans think about and plan future travel and to remind them that the industry will be ready and waiting when they are ready to travel again.”
The Let’s Go There campaign includes a 90-second ad conceived by the award-winning creative agency McGarryBowen which can be viewed at http://www.letsgothere.com.
Planning Future Travel with Marriott
To support and promote the campaign, Marriott will be showcasing Let’s Go There creative on Marriott.com’s homepage, its Marriott Bonvoy™ mobile app, Marriott Bonvoy email programs, and various Social Media channels. Current Marriott promotions designed to allow guests to plan today for future travel, while also providing a flexible reservations policy, include:
- Marriott Bonvoy Escapes: Marriott Bonvoy™ Escapes is a five-day sale that launches every Wednesday. Marriott Bonvoy™ members save 25% and non-members save 20% on stays at participating hotels throughout the United States, Canada, Caribbean, and Latin America. Marriott Bonvoy members always earn points, receive the best rates guaranteed, flexible cancellation policy, free Wi-Fi, and mobile check-in. Visit the Marriott Bonvoy™ Escapes website every Wednesday to book stays for the following four weekends (Thursday through Sunday), and seven days of the week at resorts. The minimum stay is one night, and deals can be accessed and booked at http://www.marriottbonvoy.com/escapes. Destinations and participating hotels vary each week.
- Marriott Bonvoy Summer/Fall Promotion: Marriott Bonvoy™ members planning a staycation or a getaway trip who register for the promotion will receive 2,500 bonus points for their first and second upcoming paid stays, at participating brands and hotels, plus a one-time bonus of 5,000 additional points after their third paid stay. There is no limit to the number of bonus points members may earn with this promotion. This means members will continue to receive 2,500 bonus points for every paid stay thereafter throughout the promotional period (now through October 18, 2020). Marriott Bonvoy™ members can register for the program at https://www.marriott.com/loyalty/promotion.mi?promotion=WB20.
Safely Welcoming Guests Back
To welcome back guests and put them at ease, Marriott has put in place a number of new enhanced cleanliness protocols anchored by the creation of the company’s Global Cleanliness Council. The Council consists of in-house and outside experts in food and water safety, hygiene and infection prevention, and hotel operations and has been developing a new generation of global hospitality cleanliness standards, norms and behaviors for Marriott’s more than 7,400 properties around the globe.
Marriott has made additions to the company’s cleaning regimen designed to set an even higher standard of cleanliness for the hotels as well as modifications to associate-guest protocols developed to be consistent with recommended social distancing guidelines. The company has also been rolling out enhanced technologies at its properties, including electrostatic sprayers and the highest classification of disinfectants recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization to sanitize surfaces throughout hotels. In addition to requiring all hotel associates to wear masks indoors, Marriott is requiring guests to wear face coverings in all indoor public spaces at properties in the U.S. and Canada, as well as in any countries or regions where masks are already required indoors.
Lastly, the Marriott Bonvoy app enables guests to check in and checkout, chat with on-property associates to have special requests fulfilled during their stay and at more than 3,400 hotels and increasing, skip the front desk completely using their smartphone as their room key.
