Route 66 Navigation launches “Keep Calm and Travel Route 66 (Later)” campaign

Touch Media on Thursday announced the launch of a “Keep Calm and Travel Route 66 (Later)” campaign in the wake of President Trump’s 30-day ban of travelers from Europe because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Touch Media, which created the Route 66 Navigation app, started the campaign because of some grim data in the wake of the travel ban:

Tourists from countries where flights will be banned for a minimum of 30 days make up 28.31% of all visitors on Route 66. In the case that the United Kingdom and Ireland join the ban, the drop of traffic on Route 66 is estimated at 44.42%.
Based on the statistics published by the National Travel & Tourism Office for the same period in 2019, US tourism will lose approximately 1.13 million tourists from Eastern and Western Europe (excluding the UK) over the next 30 days. In the same period, Los Angeles and Chicago will lose approximately 169,181 visitors from Europe.
Due to the serious situation in Italy with the coronavirus, it is most likely that the total of 66 Route traffic will fall by 8.64% over the coming season. The situation in the UK, Germany and Spain is also important for the upcoming season, as the coronavirus could drop traveling by another 20.07%.

Marian Pavel, CEO of Touch Media, said he’s trying to lessen the toll by advising Route 66 travelers from Europe to reschedule their trips outside that 30-day travel ban. Airlines will allow flight-date changes free of charge.

In terms of coronavirus, he also said Route 66 is one of the safest destinations to explore because much of the trip occurs in the sparsely populated countryside.

Instead of dining in crowded restaurants, travelers also can have many meals delivered to their motel room.

He also wrote on the Facebook page:

June and September are among the most suitable months to travel on Route 66 because the weather at that time is warm and relatively stable. Your health is most important, but there is no need to panic. We believe that the situation with the coronavirus will calm by May 2020.

He said he will continue to update on the situation the app’s Facebook page.

(Image of the “Keep Calm and Travel Route 66 (Later)” banner courtesy of Touch Media)