The U.S. Travel Association shifts focus to domestic market, new American Viticulture Areas for Washington and Sonoma, Uber’s rebranding and how millennial consumers are disrupting the wine industry. Read on for these stories and more of the week’s trends and news on today’s Friday Five.

1. The U.S. Travel Association will focus more efforts on domestic travel in the middle of future uncertainty for the international travel market

Image: Family Travel Association

International travel has been on the decline for the past three years, while domestic leisure travel accounts for 60% of travel in the United States. The organization’s restructuring will focus on getting travelers signed up for TSA precheck, as well as increased visitation to the U.S. National Parks system and infrastructure. As a result of the structural changes, the Project: Time Off initiative, which studied U.S. vacation data and encouraged Americans to make use of vacation days, will be shut down.   

Has your destination seen a decline in international travelers? How can you support this initiative to encourage domestic travel in the U.S.?

2. Uber has rebranded, once again

Transportation is travel and Uber continues to be a major player in the mobility industry with its second rebrand in three years. After ushering in a new CEO, Uber is showing off a new logo as well. The new, custom-designed typeface is a move away from the all-caps, somewhat masculine logo, and toward an aesthetic that features soft, round shapes much like the logos of Google or Airbnb.

Does your destination work with Uber or other rideshare services? How does this rebrand affect (or not affect) your decision to partner with the service?

3. Sonoma may be adding another American Viticulture Area

Image: Bloomberg

The Sonoma Coast AVA produces some of the highest-scoring cool climate wines and includes some vineyards that are as far as 30 miles inland. West Sonoma Coast, known to some as ‘True Sonoma Coast’ is looking to make a name for themself and become a separate AVA.  Approval is expected early next year.   

Do you feel that AVA labeling on wine bottles increases sales? How do you think the creation of this new AVA will affect branding for the original Sonoma Coast AVA?

4. And Washington may be adding five new American Viticulture Areas

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has accepted five new petitions for AVAs in the state: Candy Mountain AVA, Goose Gap AVA, Royal Slope AVA, The Burn of the Columbia AVA and White Bluffs AVA. These are only petitions and the approval takes roughly two to three years. If these are approved, Washington will have five new AVAs to help consumers and professionals distinguish between Washington wines.  

Washington wine has been grabbing much of the wine industry’s spotlight lately – how has your brand responded?

5. The Silicon Valley Bank’s Wine Division’s founder predicts that branding and marketing will rule wine sales in the future

Image: Youtube.com

According to the State of The Industry Report published earlier this year, Baby Boomers are buying less wine and millennials are buying more wine. Many wineries sell the majority their wine direct to customer (DTC) and millennials are pushing out of the $9 price range into the $9-14 price range. Wineries will have to focus on smart branding to push sales to the millennial market.

How has your brand engaged millennials to increase wine sales?

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