Expedia Group 2021 Global Impact Report: Traveler Health and Wellness

We believe travel can restore; when people go on vacation with us, we want them to come home feeling happy, healthy, and well. And as people get back to traveling, we know they want reassurance that the highest cleanliness standards will be upheld.

In 2021, cleanliness standards were the top consideration for travelers when making plans²

The health and safety of guests is always a priority for Expedia Group. Throughout 2020 and 2021, our Vrbo brand partnered with the Vacation Rental Management Association (VRMA), Cristal International Standards, and other relevant U.S. organizations to establish a set of industry-leading cleanliness standards for vacation rentals.

Based on current guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the heightened guidelines equip rental owners with the knowledge to implement enhanced cleaning protocols. Combining this with cleanliness checklists on property descriptions across Vrbo platforms means guests can enjoy their stay in the knowledge that their health is of paramount importance to their hosts.

Similarly, we collaborated with the U.S. Travel Association, industry peers, and health experts to establish new health and safety guidance. Following the latest science-based recommendations, the guidelines are not only a response to COVID-19, but a preemptive resource for potential future health threats too.

EMBEDDING INCLUSIVITY

Guests should feel welcomed and included no matter how they identify. That is why we have actively lobbied in Washington, D.C., and championed for gender designations on passports that go beyond the binary female/male options. And it’s clear these calls for greater inclusivity are being heard. Today, several states include additional gender designations and, in October 2021, the US Department of State issued its very first passport with an “X” – or non-binary – designation.

65% of travelers are more willing to book with travel providers that identify their practices as inclusive.³

INVITING EVERYONE TO ‘TRAVEL AS YOU ARE’

Our commitment to inclusive travel runs through each of our brands; a great example of this is the passion of Orbitz. A longstanding advocate for creating welcoming travel experiences for all, in April 2021, Orbitz launched the “Travel as You Are” campaign – a call to celebrate inclusion and an invitation for everyone to travel on their own terms. It also served to spotlight Orbitz’s dedication to promoting LGBTQIA-welcoming hotels. As part of this campaign, Orbitz donated $110,000 to various LGBTQIA-related organizations.

A search capability on the Orbitz Pride hub allows travelers to identify lodging partners that have signed an Inclusivity Pledge against discrimination based on gender and sexual identity. More than 40,000 hotels opted into the search tool “LGBTQIA travelers,” a resource that is now also live on Expedia and Hotels.com. Travelers can also access the brand’s pledge of inclusion via the hub and learn more about Orbitz’s historical commitment to supporting LGBTQIA travel.

REPRESENTATION MATTERS

Key to unlocking equitable travel are inclusive marketing and advertising. As a globally present business, Expedia Group recognizes the opportunity – and the responsibility – we have to create campaigns where diverse travelers can see themselves represented.

Many of our brands look to our Inclusivity & Diversity team and Inclusion Business Groups to help inform and advance their marketing strategies. For example, Vrbo is consciously dedicated to producing adverts that portray diverse families, with greater representation for Black, Indigenous and other people of color.

We believe true inclusivity can only be achieved with collective progress. It’s why we created our Inclusion & Diversity in Travel Advertising guide. Through it, our partners can explore best practices for diverse imagery and inclusive copy, with accessibility embedded throughout.

View the full Expedia Group 2021 Global Impact Report. 

²What Travelers Want in 2021
³Traveler Value Index 2021