14 beachLIFE FEATURE TRAVEL IN THE TIME OF COVID
360 BLUE : travel in the time of covid
How a leading Florida travel company weathered one of the deadliest pandemics of the past century …
2020 marked the beginning of a worldwide tragedy that would take the lives of millions and threaten entire industries — especially those within the sphere of travel . It was a year of isolation , of protecting ourselves and one another from an invisible menace . It was also a year of coming together for a common purpose among loved ones and workmates . Nowhere was this more evident than within the 360 Blue family .
THE CALM The company was in a happy place . After a year of massive investment in its processes , infrastructure — and especially its employees — 360 Blue had yielded solid , steady and sustainable growth . And now , in early January of 2020 , the buoyant vibe running throughout the company was clear evidence that the larger strategy was paying off . The late-autumn and early-winter season had provided some much-needed rest . The Christmas party had been one for the ages . Website traffic and bookings for Spring Break and the summer season were pacing well ahead of 2019 .
– by Dwight Williams
“ We had a robust start to the new year ,” recalls Tanner Armstrong , the Marketing Director for 360 Blue . “ By mid-February , we were feeling confident about the entirety of 2020 .”
Beyond the bubble of good news , however , were the stories coming out of China .
Accounts of a mysterious virus first appeared in newsfeeds in December of 2019 , and it was now making China and all of Asia anxious . By early January , epidemiologists around the world were warning that a highly transmissible coronavirus could spread before symptoms appeared among the infected . A hug , a handshake , a conversation in close quarters , and the transmission was unwittingly made . Borders may eventually have to be closed and travel restricted .
The first case of COVID-19 was reported in the U . S . on January 24 , and experts believed it was only a matter of time before it reached Florida . On March 1 , it finally arrived .