Goodwill Goes a Long Way

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<span>Goodwill Goes a Long Way</span>

By Andreas Weissenborn, Senior Director of Research and Advocacy, Destinations International Foundation

While most of the staff at Destinations International are accustomed to airports and our favorite airlines, we’ve got to acknowledge that many of us are mostly domestic tourists and travel, especially by car. Though not solely a US trait, Americans are by and large one nation, under the car.

With stay-at-home orders implemented around the world, we’ve largely seen every mode of transportation come to a halt, and driving is no exception.

With fewer drivers on the road, insurance actuaries can predict just how much safer our streets are during the pandemic. Allstate Insurance has reduced its premiums in acknowledgment of this reduced risk and has decided to pay back $600 million to its customers over the next few months in insurance premiums via its Shelter-in-Place payback.

Tom Wilson, Allstate’s president and CEO said in a statement: “This crisis is pervasive. Given an unprecedented decline in driving, customers will receive a Shelter-in-Place Payback of more than $600 million over the next two months. This is fair because less driving means fewer accidents.”

Taking a page from Mark Cuban, Allstate realized they have a role to play during this pandemic, and this gesture of goodwill will provide loyalty to current customers but open the door to new customers.

Brand loyalty is everything. Just a few weeks prior to the pandemic declaration, parts of our industry we’re showing it in spades. It’s a good reminder for us that even in our darkest times, acts of kindness and generosity go a long way. Our time will come when we’re looking and able to travel again, and customers might not be looking to what’s new, but those that helped along the way.