Companies Join Forces to Provide Guidance on Safe Spring Travel, COVID-19 Testing

NEEDHAM, Mass. and DEERFIELD, Ill., March 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "Before you go there, start here." Get tested and enjoy your travels. That's the message Walgreens wants millions of Spring Breakers to hear before they travel.

Today, Tripadvisor, the world's largest travel guidance platform, announced a partnership with Walgreens to promote and encourage safe and responsible travel during spring break and school vacations here in the United States. By leveraging Tripadvisor's first-party data and massive reach among high-intent travelers, Walgreens will promote travelers' ability to easily access one of thousands of locations across the U.S offering freeⁱ drive-thru COVID-19 testing, vaccination appointments, and travel essentials.

"To help college students and families alike prepare for their trip, Tripadvisor will be showcasing information on Walgreens' COVID-19 testing solutions to its millions of spring travelers as a convenient option to help them feel prepared and comfortable traveling," said Christine Maguire, VP, Global Media Business at Tripadvisor. "As many restrictions are easing around the U.S, 65% of Americans agree that it is safe to travel this spring. Tripadvisor and Walgreens have come together with the aim of guiding all travelers to a worry-free trip."

As Omicron cases are declining and borders are opening globally, more Americans are ready to travel. According to a recent Tripadvisor survey, 45% of Americans report planning to travel this March and April, including 68% of Gen Z travelers.

Of those travelers, 68% are expected to take a rapid COVID-19 antigen test before, during or after their trip. The Gen Z demographic has the highest percentage of travelers planning to take a COVID-19 test with a massive 89%. Notably, 46% of travelers will most commonly take a test before their trip.

"With many regions easing COVID-19 mitigation measures, people will need to evaluate their own comfort level with COVID-19 risk ahead of travel and other activities," said Kevin Ban, chief medical officer, Walgreens. "When planning for upcoming travel, getting a COVID-19 test at Walgreens is especially important if you're symptomatic, unvaccinated, plan to be in mixed company of vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals or concerned about exposing a loved one who is immunocompromised."

The partnership with Walgreens includes a series of short form animated videos, branded content where travelers can learn more and book convenient, free drive-thru COVID-19 testing or vaccine appointments, purchase at-home COVID-19 tests, as well as get tips for stocking up on safety items and travel essentials. Tripadvisor will also promote Walgreens' drive-thru testing locations via dynamic banners on its site, targeting travelers at various stages of their travel journey.

Why COVID-19 travel safety matters:

• 22% of Americans still find it difficult to access or understand where to get COVID-19 testing to support travel decisions.
• 62% of Americans say they feel more comfortable visiting businesses that have COVID-19 related safety measures in place (sanitation practices, contactless technology, social distancing, etc.)
• 86% of Americans reference local safety or COVID-19 entry and exit guidelines before traveling at least sometimes.
• Still crowd-shy: 38% of Americans want to completely avoid crowds while traveling, while 28% will only visit crowded areas if everyone is wearing a mask (rising to 47% of Gen Z).

This is the latest in a series of partnerships Tripadvisor has announced with major non-endemic clients including HBO Max, Lysol, and Cutwater Spirits, as the company aims to better leverage its global audience of high-value, high-intent travelers, data and brand-safe platform to capture a bigger piece of the large and growing digital media advertising market. As travel is beginning to surge once again, now is the perfect time for advertisers to get their message in front of these audiences. 

For more details, visit https://tripadv.sr/Walgreens.

Methodology
The data cited in this release was gathered and analyzed from a Tripadvisor Consumer Sentiment Survey, based on data drawn from an online survey of nearly 500 respondents, in partnership with Qualtrics, conducted between February 22, 2022 through February 28, 2022 across the United States.

About Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor, the world's largest travel guidance platform*, helps hundreds of millions of people each month** become better travelers, from planning to booking to taking a trip. Travelers across the globe use the Tripadvisor site and app to discover where to stay, what to do and where to eat based on guidance from those who have been there before. With more than 1 billion reviews and opinions of nearly 8 million businesses, travelers turn to Tripadvisor to find deals on accommodations, book experiences, reserve tables at delicious restaurants and discover great places nearby. As a travel guidance company available in 43 markets and 22 languages, Tripadvisor makes planning easy no matter the trip type.

The subsidiaries of Tripadvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP), own and operate a portfolio of travel media brands and businesses, operating under various websites and apps, including the following websites:

www.bokun.io, www.cruisecritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.thefork.com, www.helloreco.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.housetrip.com, www.jetsetter.com, www.niumba.com, www.seatguru.com, www.singleplatform.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com, and www.viator.com.

* Source: SimilarWeb, unique users de-duplicated monthly, January 2022
** Source: Tripadvisor internal log files

About Walgreens
Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is included in the United States segment of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA), an integrated healthcare, pharmacy and retail leader serving millions of customers and patients every day, with a 170-year heritage of caring for communities. As America's most loved pharmacy, health and beauty company, Walgreens purpose is to champion the health and well-being of every community in America. Operating nearly 9,000 retail locations across America, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Walgreens is proud to be a neighborhood health destination serving approximately 9 million customers each day. Walgreens pharmacists play a critical role in the U.S. healthcare system by providing a wide range of pharmacy and healthcare services. To best meet the needs of customers and patients, Walgreens offers a true omnichannel experience, with fully integrated physical and digital platforms supported by the latest technology to deliver high-quality products and services in local communities nationwide.

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ⁱ *No-Cost COVID-19 testing is available to patients age 3 and older. Patients will not receive a bill from Walgreens or any lab partner. If you receive a Diagnostic Test and have insurance, you will be asked to show your insurance card at the appointment and the lab may bill your insurer. State and federal programs may also provide no-cost testing in your area.

SOURCE Tripadvisor