1. EXPERIENTIAL TRAVEL WILL BE EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THIS YEAR THAN BEFORE: As the nation settles into the new year, what travel trends are in store for 2020? The biggest expectation is that travelers will work harder than ever to forge connections to places, and destinations likely will amp up their efforts to make their cities and states more memorable and experiential. Additionally, road warriors—and occasional explorers—can expect to see lower airfares, and a greater focus on ways to reduce travel’s carbon footprint. Newsweek: “Perhaps because some tourism markets are flooded with tourists, many travelers are looking to make a real connection with a place—something that can't often be done when it's saturated with visitors. ‘One thing I think we'll see in 2020 is that people are really looking for connections and local interaction when they travel,’ said Andrea Ross, the director of tour operator Wild Frontiers. ‘Experiences have become the new luxury item with taking classes, meeting local people, and just more immersive travel experiences being a huge trend.’" 2. ACADEMY AWARDS SET TO ONCE AGAIN GO HOSTLESS: This year's Oscars will go hostless for the second consecutive year. The show takes place February 9, and will be broadcast on ABC. The Hollywood Reporter: "ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke made the announcement Wednesday during her time before press at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour in Pasadena. ... 'The main goal, which I’m told the Academy promised last year, is to keep the show to three hours,' Burke said at the TCA winter press tour last February when she confirmed that the Oscars ceremony later that month would go on without a host. 'The producers decided to wisely not have a host and have the presenters and the movies be the stars. That’s the best way to keep the show to a brisk three hours.' Last year's kudocast, which saw Green Book win for best picture, averaged nearly 30 million viewers, up a whopping 11.5 percent year-over-year, and a 7.7 rating among the all-important adults 18-49 demographic, up 13 percent from a year ago. That bucked a downward spiral for the awards show, which in 2018 hit an all-time low of 26.54 million viewers and a 6.8 in the 18-49 demo." 3. BAFTA AWARD NOMINEES ANNOUNCED WITH A SIDE OF CONTROVERSY: Just two days after British talent dominated the winners at the Golden Globes, the British Academy has revealed the nominees for its upcoming film awards. Joker came out on top, with 11 nominations, followed by The Irishman and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood with 10 nominations each. Sam Mendes's 1917, a big winner at the Globes, came in next with nine nominations. But the nominee announcement quickly was met with criticism for a lack of diversity among those being honored. The award ceremony will be at the Royal Albert Hall in London on February 2. The Hollywood Reporter: “BAFTA will likely face a headache after it emerged that this year's main acting categories failed to include a single person of color at the same time as no female filmmakers made it onto the directors' shortlist. … In terms of distributors, Netflix led the charge with 23 nominations, including 10 for The Irishman and five each for Marriage Story and The Two Popes, followed by Sony with 16, with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood accounting for 10.” 4. PUERTO RICO LOSES ICONIC NATURAL WONDER IN 5.8 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE: A soaring stone arch along the southern coast of Puerto Rico, known as Punta Ventana or Window Point, collapsed Monday morning following a 5.8 magnitude earthquake that shook the island. An even stronger quake, registering a 6.5 magnitude, reportedly struck Puerto Rico again early Tuesday morning. Miami Herald: “Punta Ventana is just one of several naturally occurring arches on the island—‘windows’ carved out by the sea beating against rocky outcrops over eons. While the site in Guayanilla wasn’t easy to access, the dramatic image of the round eye gouged into the stone frequently graced tourism brochures. … When he realized the icon was gone, Guayanilla municipality spokesman Glidden Lopez, wrote a eulogy of sorts on Facebook: ‘Playa Ventana has collapsed. Today our icon is nothing but a memory.’” 5. THOUSANDS MARCH IN ANTI-HATE PROTEST IN NEW YORK: After several anti-semitic incidents across the New York area, which has shaken the Jewish community, thousands of people attended an anti-hate march Sunday in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. Protesters were joined by a host of politicians, including Governor Andrew Cuomo, Senator Chuck Schumer, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and more. The New York Times: “At the rally, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said New York will increase funding for security at religious institutions and will also increase the presence of the state police force and hate crimes task force in vulnerable communities. He said he also plans to propose a new state law labeling hate crimes as domestic terrorism. ‘While we’re here today in the spirit of solidarity and love, government must do more than just offer thoughts and prayers. Government must act,’ Cuomo said. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York announced a proposal to increase federal funding to protect houses of worship and increase the capacity for local police groups to fight hate crimes.” | 