Editors: Auto Club B-Roll footage of a Pleasant Holidays Hawaii trip is available for your use.
As COVID-19 travel restrictions fall and vacation planning skyrockets, the Automobile Club of Southern California is hosting a FREE travel show on Sunday, April 3 featuring acclaimed travel writer, actor and director Andrew McCarthy.
The show will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Auto Club’s Administrative Offices in Costa Mesa, 3333 Fairview Road (enter off South Coast Drive). Members and non-members can attend the show to:
- Receive free assistance with making travel plans from experienced AAA travel advisors
- Get free passport photos and assistance with processing passport applications
- Take advantage of exclusive AAA member benefits and savings
- Learn from informative travel presentations given by preferred travel partners
- Enjoy raffle prizes
McCarthy, who will speak at the show, has written several articles for the Auto Club’s award-winning member magazine Westways and is an Editor at Large for National Geographic Traveler. He was named Travel Journalist of the Year in 2010 by the Society of American Travel Writers. He started his career as an actor in several classic 1980s movies and has also directed several television series episodes.
The travel show is timed for consumers to take advantage of the increased availability of destinations without pandemic-related requirements as more COVID-19 travel restrictions are being lifted each day across the country and around the world. Most recently, Hawaii ended its entry requirements to the islands on March 25, Canada will no longer require pre-testing for vaccinated travelers as of April 1, and New Zealand announced reopening to U.S. travelers on May 1. In addition, the CDC has lowered its COVID-19 risk for cruises and cruise lines have more ships sailing to popular destinations in Alaska, Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe.
The pent-up vacation demand after the pandemic is continuing despite unprecedented gas price increases, so the Auto Club is advising trip planners to book as early as possible to lock in the best prices and availability.
“The primary surge in vacation destination interest we are seeing so far this year is to Hawaii, Mexico and the Caribbean, as well as the continued interest in guided tours of our majestic national parks and other domestic vacations including Alaska,” said Filomena Andre, the Auto Club’s vice president of travel products and services. “Italy, England, Spain, Iceland and other Western European countries are also seeing a surge in interest.”
The announcement of Hawaii COVID mandates ending on March 25 has driven up bookings to the Aloha State via Pleasant Holidays even higher than during 2019, which was a record year for travel, said Andre.