It’s hard to believe this all happened in a single calendar year! Here are 8 top stories of 2019 that affected meetings and incentives.
Many meeting planners felt the impact of these 8 top stories of 2019:
Fire Raged Across California
California declared a state of emergency as the Kincade fire continued spreading across Sonoma County, and numerous other fires flared up, driven by windy conditions.
Hurricane Dorian Slammed The Bahamas
Relief teams were deployed to The Abacos and Grand Bahama Island, and the islands not impacted by the hurricane remained open, including, in the Northwest Bahamas, the Bahamas capital of Nassau and neighboring Paradise Island, as well as Eleuthera, Harbour Island and Andros. There are still ways to help.
Protests Shut Down Hong Kong’s Airport
Thousands of protestors flooded Hong Kong International Airport, forcing all flights to be grounded. The airport handles typically around 1,100 flights every day from over 200 locations and is a major hub of international freight.
U.S. Travel Ban to Cuba
With no warning or grace period, the US Government announced the immediate implementation of new regulations prohibiting previously approved cruise line travel to Cuba from the United States.
Grounded! Boeing 737 Max
Airlines felt the impact of Boeing halting deliveries of its 737 Max planes in March after two deadly crashes within five months of one another, one involving an Ethiopian Airlines Max and another a Lion Air Max that went down in Indonesia.
Mysterious Deaths in the D.R.
The Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism released a statement in response to news reports concerning recent deaths of 10 U.S. visitors to the island stating, “The Ministry’s most important responsibilities are to ensure that the highest industry standards are met so that all tourists are safe when visiting…and provide a definitive answer to the afflicted families.”
Overtourism Makes Headlines
After striking images of a line of hikers waiting to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro, a new report from the World Travel & Tourism Council accessed the visitor-readiness of 50 cities and offered insights for the future.
The US Government Shuts Down
Travelers grew jittery about the air traffic control system after the senate blocked two bills that would fund the government and end the government shutdown.
