# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Policy Brief provides an overview of the socio-economic impacts from the pandemic on tourism, including on the millions of livelihoods it sustains. It highlights the role tourism plays in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, including its relationship with environmental goals and culture. The Brief calls on the urgency of mitigating the impacts on livelihoods, especially for women, youth and informal workers.

The crisis is an opportunity to rethink how tourism interacts with our societies, other economic sectors and our natural resources and ecosystems; to measure and manage it better; to ensure a fair distribution of its benefits and to advance the transition towards a carbon neutral and resilient tourism economy.

The brief provides recommendations in five priority areas to cushion the massive impacts on lives and economies and to rebuild a tourism with people at the center. It features examples of governments support to the sector, calls for a reopening that gives priority to the health and safety of the workers, travelers and host communities and provides a roadmap to transform tourism.

Tourism and COVID-19 - unprecedented economic impacts

Tourism is one of the world's major economic sectors. It is the third-largest export category (after fuels and chemicals) and in 2019 accounted for 7% of global trade.

For some countries, it can represent over 20% of their GDP and, overall, it is the third largest export sector of the global economy.

Tourism is one of the sectors most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, impacting economies, livelihoods, public services and opportunities on all continents. All parts of its vast value-chain have been affected.

Export revenues from tourism could fall by $910 billion to $1.2 trillion in 2020. This will have a wider impact and could reduce global GDP by 1.5% to 2.8%.

Tourism supports one in 10 jobs and provides livelihoods for many millions more in both developing and developed economies.

In some Small Island Developing States (SIDS), tourism has accounted for as much as 80% of exports, while it also represents important shares of national economies in both developed and developing countries.

Massive Impact on Livelihoods

As many as 100 million direct tourism jobs are at risk, in addition to sectors associated with tourism such as labour-intensive accommodation and food services industries that provide employment for 144 million workers worldwide. Small businesses (which shoulder 80% of global tourism) are particularly vulnerable.

Women, who make up 54% of the tourism workforce, youth and workers in the informal economy are among the most at-risk categories.

No nation will be unaffected. Destinations most reliant on tourism for jobs and economic growth are likely to be hit hardest: SIDS, Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and African countries. In Africa, the sector represented 10% of all exports in 2019.

Preserving the Planet -- Mitigating Impacts on Nature and Culture

The sudden fall in tourism cuts off funding for biodiversity conservation. Some 7% of world tourism relates to wildlife, a segment growing by 3% annually.

This places jobs at risk and has already led to a rise in poaching, looting and in consumption of bushmeat, partly due to the decreased presence of tourists and staff.

The impact on biodiversity and ecosystems is particularly critical in SIDS and LDCs. In many African destinations, wildlife accounts for up to 80% of visits, and in many SIDS, tourism revenues enable marine conservation efforts.

Several examples of community involvement in nature tourism show how communities, including indigenous peoples, have been able to protect their cultural and natural heritage while creating wealth and improve their wellbeing. The impact of COVID-19 on tourism places further pressure on heritage conservation as well as on the cultural and social fabric of communities, particularly for indigenous people and ethnic groups.

For instance, many intangible cultural heritage practices such as traditional festivals and gatherings have been halted or postponed, and with the closure of markets for handicrafts, products and other goods, indigenous women's revenues have been particularly impacted.

90% of countries have closed World Heritage Sites, with immense socio-economic consequences for communities reliant on tourism. Further, 90% of museums closed and 13% may never reopen.

Five Priorities for Tourism's Restart
The COVID-19 crisis is a watershed moment to align the effort of sustaining livelihoods dependent on tourism to the SDGs and ensuring a more resilient, inclusive, carbon neutral, and resource efficient future.
A roadmap to transform tourism needs to address five priority areas:

Mitigate socio-economic impacts on livelihoods, particularly women's employment and economic security.

Boost competitiveness and build resilience, including through economic diversification, with promotion of domestic and regional tourism where possible, and facilitation of conducive business environment for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

Advance innovation and digital transformation of tourism, including promotion of innovation and investment in digital skills, particularly for workers temporarily without jobs and for job seekers.

Foster sustainability and green growth to shift towards a resilient, competitive, resource efficient and carbon-neutral tourism sector. Green investments for recovery could target protected areas, renewable energy, smart buildings and the circular economy, among other opportunities.

Coordination and partnerships to restart and transform sector towards achieving SDGs, ensuring tourism's restart and recovery puts people first and work together to ease and lift travel restrictions in a responsible and coordinated manner.

Moving Ahead Together

As countries gradually lift travel restrictions and tourism slowly restarts in many parts of the world, health must continue to be a priority and coordinated heath protocols that protect workers, communities and travellers, while supporting companies and workers, must be firmly in place.

Only through collective action and international cooperation will we be able to transform tourism, advance its contribution to the 2030 Agenda and its shift towards an inclusive and carbon neutral sector that harnesses innovation and digitalization, embraces local values and communities and creates decent job opportunities for all, leaving no one behind. We are stronger together.

Related links

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Tourism and COVID-19 - unprecedented economic impacts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Policy Brief provides an overview of the socio-economic impacts from the pandemic on tourism, including on the millions of livelihoods it sustains. It highlights the role tourism plays in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, including its relationship with environmental goals and culture.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Immune life history, vaccination, and the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 over the next 5 years

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Humans are infected by several seasonal and cross-reacting coronaviruses. None provokes fully protective immunity, and repeat infections are the norm. Vaccines tend to be less efficient than natural infections at provoking immunity, and there are risks of adverse cross-reactions. Saad-Roy et al.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Main

COVID-19, a previously unknown respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-21,2, was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020, less than 3 months after cases were first detected. With now over 9.8 million confirmed cases and more than 495,000 deaths3 recorded worldwide, there are grave concerns about the global health, societal and economic effects of this virus, particularly on vulnerable and disadvantaged populations, and in low- and middle-income countries with fragile health systems4,5. At the time of this writing, 7.1 billion people live in countries that have had substantial travel and social restrictions6.

As with the control of outbreaks and pandemics before it, controlling the COVID-19 pandemic rests on the detection and containment of clusters of infection and the interruption of community transmission to mitigate the impact on human health. During the plague outbreak that affected 14th-century Europe, isolation of affected communities and restriction of population movement were used to avoid further spread7. These public-health measures for outbreak response remain relevant today, including surveillance, rapid case identification, interruption of community transmission and strong public communication. Monitoring how these measures are implemented and their impact on incidence and mortality is essential.

All countries are required by the International Health Regulations (2005)8 to have core capacity to ensure national preparedness for infectious hazards that have the potential to spread internationally. Research and development of new methods and technologies to strengthen these core capacities often occurs during outbreaks, when innovation is an absolute necessity9. During the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in 2003, Hong Kong identified clusters of disease through the use of electronic data systems10. During the Ebola outbreaks in West Africa in 2014-2016, mobile phone data were used to model travel patterns11, and hand-held sequencing devices permitted more-effective contact tracing and a better understanding of the dynamics of the outbreaks12. Similarly, digital technologies also have been deployed in the COVID-19 pandemic13,14 (Table 1) to strengthen each of the four public-health measures noted above.

Table 1 Digital technologies used in the COVID-19 pandemic

The digital revolution has transformed many aspects of life. As of 2019, 67% of the global population had subscribed to mobile devices, of which 65% were smartphones-with the fastest growth in Sub-Saharan Africa15. In 2019, 204 billion apps were downloaded16, and as of January 2020, 3.8 billion people actively used social media17.

Here we critically review how digital technologies are being harnessed for the public-health response to COVID-19 worldwide (Fig. 1). We discuss the breadth of innovations and their respective limitations. This systems-level approach is needed to inform how digital strategies can be incorporated into COVID-19-control strategies, and to help prepare for future epidemics.

Many approaches use a combination of digital technologies and may rely on telecommunications infrastructure and internet availability. Machine learning is shown as a separate branch for clarity, although it also underpins many of the other technologies. Much of the data generated from these technologies feeds into data dashboards. SMS, short message service.

Digital epidemiological surveillance

A core public-health function of outbreak management is understanding infection transmission in time, place and person, and identifying risk factors for the disease to guide effective interventions. A range of digital data sources are being used to enhance and interpret key epidemiological data gathered by public-health authorities for COVID-19.

Online data sources for early disease detection

In the past two decades, data from online news sites, news-aggregation services, social networks, web searches and participatory longitudinal community cohorts have aimed to fill this gap. Data-aggregation systems, including ProMED-mail20, GPHIN21, HealthMap22 and EIOS23, which use natural language processing and machine learning to process and filter online data, have been developed to provide epidemiological insight. These data sources are increasingly being integrated into the formal surveillance landscape24 and have a role in COVID-19 surveillance. The WHO's platform EPI-BRAIN brings together diverse datasets for infectious-disease emergency preparedness and response, including environmental and meteorological data25. Several systems have claimed detection of early disease reports for COVID-19, through the use of crowdsourced data and news reports, before the WHO released a statement about the outbreak. The UK's automatic syndromic surveillance system scans National Health Service digital records27 to pick up clusters of a respiratory syndrome that could signal COVID-19. There is also interest in using online data to estimate the true community spread of infectious diseases28,29. Preliminary work on the epidemiological analysis of COVID-19-related social-media content has been reported. Models for COVID-19 (ref. 33), building on previously established internet search algorithms for influenza34, are included in Public Health England's weekly reports35.

Crowdsourcing systems used to elucidate the true burden of disease are also supporting syndromic surveillance. InfluenzaNet gathers information about symptoms and compliance with social distancing from volunteers in several European countries through a weekly survey36. Similar efforts exist in other countries, such as COVID Near You37 in the USA, Canada and Mexico. The COVID-19 symptom-tracker app has been downloaded by 3.9 million people in the UK and USA38 and is feeding into national surveillance. While rapid and informative, these systems can suffer from selection bias, over-interpretation of findings and lack of integration with official national surveillance that report established surveillance metrics. A fragmented approach has meant that there are 39 initiatives in the UK alone that are collecting symptoms from people in the community, with no centralized data collection (M. Edelstein, personal communication).

Data-visualization tools for decision support

Data dashboards are being used extensively in the pandemic, collating real-time public-health data, including confirmed cases, deaths and testing figures, to keep the public informed and support policymakers in refining interventions. COVID-19 dashboards typically focus on time-series charts and geographic maps, ranging from region-level statistics to case-level coordinate data40,42. Several dashboards show wider responses to the pandemic, such as clinical trials43, policy and economic interventions44 and responses to social-distancing directives45. Few dashboards include data on contact tracing or community surveillance from apps or their effectiveness. Challenges with the quality and consistency of data collection remain a concern. Lack of official standards and inconsistencies in government reporting of statistics across countries make global comparisons difficult. Up-to-date and accurate offline statistics from governments are also not always accessible. Novel visualization approaches are emerging, such as the NextStrain open repository, which presents viral sequence data to create a global map of the spread of infection41. This is enabled by open sharing of data and is based on open-source code. Such speed of the sharing of such data has not been witnessed in previous global outbreaks46.

Rapid case identification

Early and rapid case identification is crucial during a pandemic47 for the isolation of cases and appropriate contacts in order to reduce onward spread and understand key risks and modes of transmission. Digital technologies can supplement clinical and laboratory notification, through the use of symptom-based case identification and widespread access to community testing and self testing, and with automation and acceleration of reporting to public-health databases.

Case identification by online symptom reporting, as seen in Singapore48 and the UK49, is traditionally used for surveillance, but it now offers advice on isolation and referrals to further healthcare services, such as video assessments50 and testing. These services can be rapidly implemented but must be linked to ongoing public-health surveillance and to action, such as isolation of cases and quarantining of contacts. Although this approach is suitable for symptomatic people, widespread testing of people and populations, as well as contact tracing, has a crucial role in case identification, as an estimated 80% of COVID-19 cases are mild or asymptomatic19. Sensors, including thermal imaging cameras and infrared sensors, are being deployed to identify potential cases on the basis of febrile symptoms (for example, at airports). The large numbers of false-positive and false-negative results mean that this is unlikely to have a substantial effect beyond increasing awareness51,52. Wearable technologies are also being explored for monitoring COVID-19 in populations53.

There has been increasing interest in decentralized, digitally connected rapid diagnostic tests to widen access to testing, increase capacity and ease the strain on healthcare systems and diagnostic laboratories. Several point-of-care COVID-19 PCR tests are in development57,58; however, their use is still limited to healthcare settings. Drive-through testing facilities and self-swab kits have widened access to testing. There are inherent delays between sampling, sending samples to centralized labs, waiting for results and follow-up. By contrast, point-of-care rapid diagnostic antibody tests could be implemented in home or community or social-care settings and would give results within minutes. Linking to smartphones with automatic readout through the use of image processing and machine-learning methods59,60 could allow mass testing to be linked with geospatial and patient information rapidly reported to both clinical systems and public-health systems and could speed up results. For this to work effectively, standardization of data and integration of data into electronic patient records are required.

Identifying past infections by antibody testing is also central to population-level surveillance and evaluating the efficacy of interventions such as social distancing. So far, point-of-care serology tests in particular have variable performance, and in light of the possibility that antibody responses may be short-lived, how such testing can assist in patient management remains unclear. Some have argued that seropositive workers who must remain active in the economy could receive a digital 'immunity passport' to demonstrate protection from infection, although such a strategy is fraught with operational and clinical uncertainty63,64. Machine-learning algorithms are also being developed for case identification by automated differentiation of COVID-19 from community-acquired pneumonia through the use of hospital chest scans by computerized tomography. Further evaluation of their utility is recommended68,69.

Interrupting community transmission

Digital contact tracing

Digital contact tracing automates tracing on a scale and speed not easily replicable without digital tools71. It reduces reliance on human recall, particularly in densely populated areas with mobile populations. In the COVID-19 pandemic, digital contact-tracing apps have been developed for use in several countries; these apps rely on approaches and technologies not previously tried on this scale and are controversial in terms of privacy. Evaluating their accuracy and effectiveness is essential.

Early digital tracing initiatives raised concerns about privacy72. In South Korea, contacts of confirmed cases were traced through the use of linked location, surveillance and transaction data73. In China, the AliPay HealthCode app automatically detected contacts by concurrent location and automated the enforcement of strict quarantine measures by limiting the transactions permitted for users deemed to be high risk74,75. More-recent voluntary contact-tracing apps have been launched in collaboration with governments; these collect location data by global positioning system (GPS) or cellular networks76, proximity data collected by Bluetooth72,77 or a combination of those78,79. Concerns have been raised about centralized systems (Fig. 2) and GPS tracking. Norway halted the use of and data collection from its Smittestopp app after the country's data-protection watchdog objected to the app's collection of location data as 'disproportionate to the task', and they recommended a Bluetooth-only approach80. Several international frameworks with varying levels of privacy preservation are emerging, including Decentralized Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing81, the Pan-European Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing initiative82 and the joint Google-Apple framework83.

Proximity-detecting contact-tracing apps use Bluetooth signals emitting from nearby devices to record contact events. Centralized apps share information about contacts and contact events with a central server. The centralized TraceTogether app72 uploads information when a user reports testing positive for COVID-19. Some centralized Bluetooth-enabled contact-tracing apps upload the contact graph for all users148. Decentralized apps, such as SwissCovid149, upload only an anonymous identifier of the user who reports testing positive for COVID-19. This identifier is then broadcast to all users of the app, which compares the identifier with on-phone contact-event records.

Evaluating interventions through the use of mobility data

Mobility data with privacy-preserving aggregation steps have recently been made available by several technology and telecom companies for the purposes of COVID-19 control; however, the datasets are limited and there is no long-term commitment in place for data sharing. Daily aggregated origin-destination data from Baidu86 are being used to evaluate the effect of travel restrictions87 and quarantine measures88 on COVID-19 transmission in China. Analysis of the location data of Italian smartphone users estimated a reduction of 50% in the total trips between Italian provinces in the week after the announcement of lockdown on 12 March 2020 (ref. 89). Google has released weekly mobility reports with sub-national granularity, including breakdown by journey type and destination (such as workplaces and parks), and has made their dataset publicly downloadable90. Apple has similarly released a dataset with daily figures for mobility and assumed method of transport91. There is no standardization of these datasets between providers, however, and not all countries or regions are included in these datasets.

Assessing local differences in mobility and contact patterns may be critical for predicting the heterogeneity of transmission rates between different communities and in different regions in which household size and age-stratified contact patterns may differ. This contextual information can provide insight into the effect of interventions to slow transmission, including the impact of handwashing92, social distancing and school closures93. The monitoring of social-distancing measures could also be used to forecast health-system demands94 and will be important in assessing the easing of restrictions when appropriate. Concerns have been raised over breaches of civil liberties and privacy when people are tracked to monitor adherence to quarantine and social distancing, including the use of wearable devices95 and drones96.

Public communication: informing populations

Effective implementation of interventions during a pandemic relies on public education and cooperation, supported by an appropriate communications strategy that includes active community participation to ensure public trust. With 4.1 billion people accessing the internet97 and 5.2 billion unique mobile subscribers15, targeted communication through digital platforms has the potential to rapidly reach billions and encourage community mobilization (Fig. 3). Key challenges persist, including the rise of potentially harmful misinformation98,99 and digital inequalities100 (discussed below).

Mobile subscriptions per 100 people (blue; International Telecoms Union150, 2018) and reported COVID-19 cases by country (red; WHO151, 8 June 2020). COVID-19 is a global pandemic, yet some countries may be better resourced than others to respond with digital health interventions. There may be intra-country inequalities in mobile subscription rates. Case detection and reporting practices differ among countries, with variable under-reporting of true cumulative case counts.

Online data and social media have had an ongoing, important role in public communication101 since the first reports of an unusual influenza-like illness resistant to conventional treatment methods emerged in China102. Public-health organizations and technology companies are stepping up efforts to mitigate the spread of misinformation103,104 and to prioritize trusted news sites; for example, Google's SOS alert intervention105 prioritizes the WHO and other trusted sources at the top of search results. There are few reports about the impact of these interventions106,107 and difficulties in defining misinformation108. A United Nations study found that 86% of member states had placed COVID-19 information on national websites by early April 2020 (ref. 109), and many are using text messaging to reach populations who do not have access to the internet. Chat-bots are also providing information to reduce the burden on non-emergency health-advice call centers110, and clinical practice is being transformed by the rapid adoption of remote health-service delivery, including telemedicine, especially in primary care50

Digital communication platforms are also supporting adherence to social-distancing measures. Video conferencing is allowing people to work and attend classes from home111, online services are supporting mental health112 and digital platforms are enabling community-mobilization efforts by providing ways to assist those in need113. Nevertheless, the security and privacy of freely available communication platforms remains a concern, particularly for the flow of confidential healthcare information.

Future directions

Digital technologies join a long line of public-health innovations that have been at the heart of disease-prevention-and-containment strategies for centuries. Public health has been slower to take up digital innovations than have other sectors, with the first WHO guidelines on digital health interventions for health-system strengthening published in 2019 (refs. 114,115). The unprecedented humanitarian and economic needs presented by COVID-19 are driving the development and adoption of new digital technologies at scale and speed. We have highlighted the potential of digital technologies to support epidemiological intelligence with online datasets, identify cases and clusters of infections, rapidly trace contacts, monitor travel patterns during lockdown and enable public-health messaging at scale. Barriers to the widespread use of digital solutions remain.

Implementation

Digital data sources, like any data source, need to be integrated and interoperable, such as with electronic patient records. Analysis and use of these data will depend on the digital infrastructure and readiness of public-health systems, spanning secondary, primary and social-care systems. The logistics of delivery to ensure population impact are often given too little attention and can lead to over-focus on the individual technology and not its effective operation in a system. The coordination of interventions is also a challenge, with multiple symptom-reporting sites in a single country, which risks fragmentation.

Looking ahead, there is a need for a systems-level approach for the vision of the ideal fit-for-purpose digital public-health system117 that links symptom-tracking apps, rapid testing and case isolation, contact tracing and monitoring of aggregated population-mobility levels, access to care and long-term follow-up and monitoring, with public communication (Fig. 4). These types of integrated online care pathways are not new concepts, having been shown to be highly acceptable and feasible for other infectious diseases, such as chlamydia118.

Digital data are created by the public, both at the population level and at the individual level, for epidemiological intelligence and public-health interventions, and for the support of clinical case management. They are also informed by conventional surveillance via laboratory and clinical notification. This feeds into public-health decision-making and communication with the public through digital channels. Other relevant sources of information include population, demographic, economic, social, transport, weather and environmental data.

Data sharing and data quality

Big-data and artificial-intelligence approaches are only as good as the empirical datasets that are put into them, yet detailed public-health and private datasets are often inaccessible, due to privacy and security concerns, and often lack standardized formats or are incomplete. Researchers are calling for technology and telecom companies to share their data in a 'proportionate, ethical and privacy-preserving manner', often citing a moral imperative for these companies to contribute where there is justification for data use. Some companies are making subsets of aggregated data available86,90,91,121,122. These data are not consistent and are not provided within the same timeframe, and there is no standard format or long-term commitment. Researcher-led international collaborations have aimed to aggregate multiple international data sources of voluntarily reported information41,123.

Equally, governments should provide much greater transparency in their datasets, including epidemiological data and risk factors for acquisition, with downloadable formats for researchers. Several governments have made available de-personalized individual-level datasets for research purposes124,125, although this raises potential privacy concerns. Open-source data, code and scientific methods are being rapidly and widely shared online, including increased use of preprints, which speed up data availability but lack peer review126.

Evidence of effectiveness and regulation

Evidence of the effectiveness of any new technology is needed for wider adoption, but as the current pandemic is ongoing, many digital technologies have not yet been peer-reviewed, been integrated into public-health systems, undergone rigorous testing127 or been evaluated by digital health-evidence frameworks, such as the evidence standards framework for digital health technologies of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence128. Contact-tracing apps have been launched in at least 40 countries129, but there is currently no evidence of the effectiveness of these apps130, such as the yield of identified cases and contacts, costs, compliance with advice, empirical estimates of a reduction in the R value or a comparison with traditional methods. Although it is challenging, due to the urgency of the pandemic, evaluation of the effectiveness of interventions is essential. Researchers, companies and governments should publish the effectiveness of their technologies in peer-reviewed journals and through appropriate clinical evaluation.

There is an urgent need for coordinated international digital public-health strategies, but these have been slow to emerge. On 22 March 2020, the WHO release a draft of its global strategy on digital health for 2020-2024 (ref. 131). On 8 April, the European Union called for a pan-European approach on the use of apps and mobile data for COVID-1982,132.

Legal, ethical and privacy concerns

Highly granular or personal data for public-health surveillance raises legal concerns133, ethical concerns134,135 and security and privacy concerns136. Not all digital interventions have allowed consensual adoption or have made the option of consent for specific purposes explicit75, and some have been used to enforce measures as well as to monitor them. In many cases, widespread adoption is related to effectiveness, which highlights the need for public trust and engagement. There is concern that emergency measures set precedent and may remain in place beyond the emergency, which will lead to the ongoing collection of information about private citizens with no emergency-related purpose137,138. All systems will need to be 'proofed' against invasions of privacy and will need to comply with appropriate legal, ethical and clinical governance75. Data can be shared under a legal contract for a well-defined purpose and time, with requirements for independent audit139 to ensure data are not used for purposes outside of the pandemic. Dynamic consent processes could also allow users to share their data, and privacy-preserving technologies, such as differential privacy and homomorphic encryption, could ensure that access is possible only for specific purposes and is available in a tamper-proof manner13,140 to allow auditing.

Inequalities and the digital divide

In 2018, the World Health Assembly Resolution on Digital Health recognized the value of digital technologies in advancing universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals. Although trends are narrowing, today there remains a digital divide, and 51% of the world's population does not subscribe to the mobile internet15. The lack of access to mobile communications is seen in low- and middle-income countries, although people with lower socio-economic status in high-income countries are also affected141. The Pew Research Center reported large disparities between people 18-29 years of age and those over 50 years of age in their mobile-communication access142. There are also reports of restricted mobile internet access, such as in areas of Myanmar, which have left some populations unware of the pandemic143. This outbreak has also disproportionately affected some communities, such as Black and minority ethnic groups, more than others144. It is therefore essential to develop tools and messaging that are accessible100 and can be tailored to specific risks, languages and cultural contexts.

Workforce and organizational barriers

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing, and it is too early to fully quantify the added value of digital technologies to the pandemic response. While digital technologies offer tools for supporting a pandemic response, they are not a silver bullet. The emerging consensus is that they have an important role in a comprehensive response to outbreaks and pandemics, complementing conventional public-health measures, and thereby contribute to reducing the human and economic impact of COVID-19. Cost-effectiveness and sustainability will require systems-level approaches to building digital online care pathways that link rapid and widespread testing with digital symptom checkers, contact tracing, epidemiological intelligence and long-term clinical follow up. The COVID-19 pandemic has confirmed not only the need for data sharing but also the need for rigorous evaluation and ethical frameworks with community participation to evolve alongside the emerging field of mobile and digital healthcare. Building public trust through strong communication strategies across all digital channels and demonstrating a commitment to proportionate privacy are imperative147.

The future of public health is likely to be increasingly digital, and recognizing the importance of digital technology in this field and in pandemic preparedness planning has become urgent. Key stakeholders in the digital field, such as technology companies, should be long-term partners in preparedness rather than being partners only when emergencies are ongoing. Viruses know no borders and, increasingly, neither do digital technologies and data. There is an urgent need for alignment of international strategies for the regulation, evaluation and use of digital technologies to strengthen pandemic management and future preparedness for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

Author information

Affiliations

1. London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London, London, UK

Jobie Budd, Benjamin S. Miller, Erin M. Manning & Rachel A. McKendry

2. Division of Medicine, University College London, London, UK

Jobie Budd & Rachel A. McKendry

3. Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UK

Vasileios Lampos & Ingemar J. Cox

4. The Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, University College London, London, UK

Mengdie Zhuang

5. Centre on Global Security, Chatham House, London, UK

Michael Edelstein

6. Faculty of Life Sciences, University College London, London, UK

Geraint Rees

7. Department of Microbial Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK

Vincent C. Emery

8. Department of Materials and Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK

Molly M. Stevens

9. Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK

Neil Keegan

10. Department for International Trade, University College London, London, UK

Michael J. Short

11. Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK

Deenan Pillay

12. School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK

Ed Manley

13. Department of Computer Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

Ingemar J. Cox

14. London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK

David Heymann

15. Institute of Global Health, University College London, London, UK

Anne M. Johnson

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rachel A. McKendry.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

A.M.J., I.J.C., V.C.E., B.S.M., E.M.M., D.P., M.M.S., N.K. and R.A.M. received funding from the EPSRC for i-sense IRC in Agile Early Warning Sensing Systems for Infectious Diseases and AMR (EP/R00529X/1), and collaborate with Google, Microsoft and Telefonica, as well as diagnostic companies. N.K., R.A.M. and M.M.S. received funding from IRC Next Steps Plus: Ultra-Sensitive Enhanced NanoSensing of Anti-Microbial Resistance (u-sense, EP/R018391/1). A.M.J. received funding from NIHR. G.R. undertakes paid consultancy work for Google Health, and undertakes research on predictive analytics in brain imaging funded by the Wellcome Trust. M.M.S. is a consultant for 30T/Edixomed, Simmons and Simmons and Origin Sciences, and receives research grant funding from CRUK, The Wellcome Trust, EPSRC/MRC/UKRI, H2020 and ERC, as well as other grants.

Additional information

Publisher's note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

About this article

Cite this article

Budd, J., Miller, B.S., Manning, E.M. et al. Digital technologies in the public-health response to COVID-19. Nat Med 26, 1183-1192 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-020-1011-4
Download citation

Further reading

BMC Public Health (2021)

Scientific Reports (2021)

Nature Biotechnology (2021)

Scientific Reports (2021)

Nature Human Behaviour (2021)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Digital technologies in the public-health response to COVID-19 - Nature Medicine

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Digital technologies are being harnessed to support the public-health response to COVID-19 worldwide, including population surveillance, case identification, contact tracing and evaluation of interventions on the basis of mobility data and communication with the public. These rapid responses leverage billions of mobile phones, large online datasets, connected devices, relatively low-cost computing resources and advances in machine learning and natural language processing.

# data[].attributes.body
* Export revenues from tourism could fall by $910 billion to $1.2 trillion in 2020. This will have a wider impact and could reduce global GDP by 1.5% to 2.8%.

* Women, who make up 54% of the tourism workforce, youth and workers in the informal economy are among the most at-risk categories.
* As many as 100 million direct tourism jobs are at risk, in addition to sectors associated with tourism such as labour-intensive accommodation and food services industries that provide employment for 144 million workers worldwide. Small businesses (which shoulder 80% of global tourism) are particularly vulnerable.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"This crisis is an opportunity to rethink the tourism sector and its contribution to the people and planet; an opportunity to build back better towards a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient tourism sector that ensure the benefits of tourism are enjoyed widely and fairly."

Zurab Pololikashvili,
UNWTO Secretary-General

The most comprehensive tourism dashboard to date, the Tracker is the result of a partnership between international organizations and the private sector. Available for free.

The UNWTO Tourism Data Dashboard - provides statistics and insights on key indicators for inbound and outbound tourism at the global, regional and national levels.

The UNWTO World Tourism Barometer monitors short-term tourism trends on a regular basis to provide global tourism stakeholders with up-to-date analysis.
COVID-19 and Tourism · 2020: a year in Review
With the support of the United Nations Statistics Division, UNWTO has launched the initiative Towards a Statistical Framework for MST.

We are facing an unprecedented global health crisis, the repercussions of which are being felt in all sectors of society and the economy. Health institutions and governments worldwide are doing their utmost to combat COVID-19

The UNWTO Global Tourism Crisis Committee endorsed UNWTO's Global Guidelines to Restart Tourism, an action plan focused on the Priorities for Tourism Recovery.

Work together to build a tourism sector that works for everyone, where sustainability and innovation are part of everything we do.

Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO Secretary-General
Executive Council - 112th session

For people, planet and prosperity

Boost tourism's recovery with

In collaboration with WHO

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Tourism and COVID-19: Leading Tourism Recovery | UNWTO

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"This crisis is an opportunity to rethink the tourism sector and its contribution to the people and planet; an opportunity to build back better towards a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient tourism sector that ensure the benefits of tourism are enjoyed widely and fairly."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
For many people, a trip to Germany's fairytale-like Neuschwanstein castle, the Republic of Ireland's stunning Cliffs of Moher, or the pristine waters of the Maldives are a bucket list ambition.

Plans for these and other international trips in 2020 were brought to an abrupt halt by the Covid-19 pandemic. Around the world, once-crowded sights lay dormant, with hotels empty and not a tourist in sight.

The statistics speak for themselves. On 13 October, the International Air Transport Association (Iata) said that international traffic "has all but disappeared", with airlines carrying only about 10% of normal levels.

By Iata's estimate, Covid-caused disruptions put more than 41 million jobs at risk across the travel and tourism sector.

In the absence of travellers, tourism boards, hotels and destinations have turned to virtual reality (VR) - a technology still in its relative infancy - to keep would-be visitors interested and prepare for the long road to recovery.

What began for many as a temporary stop-gap measure may now be a long-term tool. Iata predicts that travel will not resume to pre-pandemic levels until 2024.

Faced with a new reality of diminished tourism, many believe that Covid-19 might be the watershed moment for VR that changes perceptions from a clever and occasional marketing trick to a permanent fixture of tourism marketing.

'Alternative travel'

"The impact of Covid-19 may have allowed VR to somewhat shake off its image of being a gimmick in tourism," says Ralph Hollister, a tourism analyst at Global Data and author of a report on VR's applications in tourism.

"The further this pandemic goes on for, the higher the chance that VR may become a valid form of alternative travel as consumers get more used to this technology."

Steve Perillo is boss of Travel World VR, a US-based VR and 360-degree video marketing and production company that works with tour operators, destinations, cruise lines and hotels.

He says the pandemic has been a "shot of adrenaline" for a technology that to date had "not yet really arrived".

Now he says VR can whet a potential audience's appetite. "The momentum has really picked up. It's really launched the concept of travelling remotely."

'Essential elements'

In this environment, a number of countries have stepped up VR marketing efforts to prepare for the gradual recovery of their tourism industries.

Among the most prominent is Germany, which has unveiled a number of immersive projects to highlight the country's potential as a travel destination.

In 360-degree videos designed to be seen on Oculus Rift headsets, for example, the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) has taken viewers on trips across the country, as well as to parts of its Baltic and North Sea coasts.

Another set of videos - for the Microsoft Hololens - includes views of six of the country's most famous castles and palaces.

"Digital applications cannot, and are not intended to, replace the experience of real-world travel," GNTB chief executive Petra Hedorfer told the BBC.

"But VR and AR (augmented reality) applications are essential elements in keeping interest in Destination Germany alive during travel restrictions, getting potential customers excited about our product and providing inspiration for real-world travel."

VR acceleration

Some 1,200km (745 miles) to Germany's west, VR was being explored by Irish tourism officials even before the pandemic began.

In November 2019, Tourism Ireland launched a two-part VR experience designed to promote sights in Northern Ireland.

The Embrace a Giant Spirit campaign - which involved collaboration with Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon and Oscar-nominated cinematographer Seamus McGarvey - included the famed Giant's Causeway and highlighted the country's role as the setting for HBO's Game of Thrones.

"We know technology is already changing how we travel, and it's only going to accelerate with VR in a post-pandemic environment," says Siobhan McManamy, Tourism Ireland's director of markets.

With travel still largely at a standstill, it remains too early for Ireland and Germany to gauge their return on investment: that is, the number of people who, having seen a destination virtually, actually book tickets and visit.

'Return value'

Thoyyib Mohamed, managing director of the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation, says while VR will indeed help boost tourism, the direct correlation may be hard to measure.

In the case of the Maldives, VR has been used to showcase various experiences on island properties, such as morning yoga by the beach, snorkelling, or cooking lessons.

"An increase in investment in VR does not directly translate to an increase in visitors in the future," he says.

"However, the amount of times... VR is utilised, either on websites, in print or even during [travel] fairs, can translate to potential conversion.

"Each medium provides a different return value, but is assisted by the investment done on VR marketing."

Boosting traveller confidence?

Some, however, believe the benefits of VR in travel might be felt much sooner.

They include Miguel Flecha, a Madrid-based travel and hospitality expert for the multinational consulting firm Accenture.

He thinks that as restrictions ease in the next few months, VR will be a vital tool in helping familiarise travellers with a new environment and help slowly rebuild consumer confidence.

"As we start to recover, there will be segments of the population that will be willing to travel like crazy. Younger people will be booking flights as soon as possible, but other segments of the population won't be very comfortable," says Mr Flecha.

VR technologies, he adds, can be a cost-effective and potent way to help clients feel more comfortable - and more willing to travel.

New Tech Economy is a series exploring how technological innovation is set to shape the new emerging economic landscape.

"They [travellers] could be shown health and safety measures, or the check-in process at a hotel in the new reality so that they feel safer, or the boarding process on a flight or cruise.

"If you're able to increase the comfortability of a client to travel, in the end they'll book. They'll stay in a hotel, or they'll fly with you. That's the return on investment - you're incentivising the client to travel."

An airline using VR to replace travel isn't without precedent. Since 2017, Japan-based First Air - which bills itself as the "first virtual aviation facility"- has been offering VR "flights" from Tokyo, complete with boarding passes, in-flight meals and programmed destination countries from Italy to New Zealand.

With the onset of the pandemic, the company's bookings spiked 50%, it told reporters this summer.

'Great accelerator'

There are, however, a number of limitations that experts say are currently holding the technology back, including large, unwieldy headsets and high costs.

The most important limitation, according to Mr Flecha, is that there has yet to be a trusted global brand to place its bets on VR. "The industry needs to believe in the technology [for it to succeed]," he says.

That may have begun to change with the September launch in the US of Amazon Explore, a platform that gives access to one-on-one virtual experiences with tour guides and local residents in countries around the world.

Experiences offered on the high-tech giant's public beta version range from tours of Kyoto neighbourhoods in Japan to artisan shopping in Costa Rica and fish taco cooking lessons in Mexico.

As Mr Flecha sees it, Amazon Explore may foretell the success or failure of VR in the travel industry.

Serious investment by a high-tech giant and a trusted brand - Apple and Samsung are also looking into virtual reality - could, he believes, be the "great accelerator" needed.

More on this story

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Coronavirus: Is virtual reality tourism about to take off?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For many people, a trip to Germany's fairytale-like Neuschwanstein castle, the Republic of Ireland's stunning Cliffs of Moher, or the pristine waters of the Maldives are a bucket list ambition. Plans for these and other international trips in 2020 were brought to an abrupt halt by the Covid-19 pandemic.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Many approaches use a combination of digital technologies and may rely on telecommunications infrastructure and internet availability. Machine learning is shown as a separate branch for clarity, although it also underpins many of the other technologies. Much of the data generated from these technologies feeds into data dashboards. SMS, short message service.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Fig. 1: The interconnected digital technologies used in the public-health response to COVID-19.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Many approaches use a combination of digital technologies and may rely on telecommunications infrastructure and internet availability. Machine learning is shown as a separate branch for clarity, although it also underpins many of the other technologies. Much of the data generated from these technologies feeds into data dashboards. SMS, short message service.

# data[].attributes.body
-GDP
-Unemployment rate
-Global/domestic economic recovery

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Street vendors provide essential services in cities across the globe, particularly in Africa, Asia and South America, where residents rely on them for basic needs. They are part of a vast informal food system that keeps much of the world from going hungry. But the pandemic has devastated the livelihoods of street vendors, disrupting their ability to do their jobs and leaving many in a fight for survival.

In this installment of WIEGO's global analysis of news related to street vendors, we dive into the impacts of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on vendors but also look at how street vendors are innovating in the current situation.

Lockdown: A fight for survival

Lockdowns being enforced across the globe have thrown the world's two-billion informal workers into turmoil - and street vendors, whose livelihoods rely on being in public spaces - have been particularly hard hit.

Some cities and countries have allowed trading to go on, but vendors have had to make serious adjustments to their work and home life. In Uganda, vendors resorted to sleeping in markets so they could continue to earn a living while avoiding contact with their families. Even in cities where they are allowed to vend, street vendors reported a 90-percent drop in their income due to reduced foot traffic in places such as México City, Accra, Los Angeles, and New York City.

Other countries have implemented bans on vending altogether, making the situation dire. With cities deserted or closed, street vendors say that if they are not able to work, their families will simply die of hunger. From Latin America to South Africa to Nigeria to India, the ban on street vending has left street vendors out of work or unable to trade. Many street vendors expressed fears over their inability to feed their families during the lockdown, which could leave many fighting starvation next.

Hunger Issues

Street vendors themselves will not be alone in the fight for food. L ow-income households that rely on street vendors for food supply now have to pay more to access food. That could have widespread impacts. A UN report warns that this pandemic could double the number of people suffering acute hunger, create a global recession that could disrupt food supply chains, and add to the struggles and particular concerns of people working in the informal economy.

Unfortunately, some media coverage accuses informal food vendors of being vectors of infections, which only adds to the burdens of an already vulnerable group of workers who are putting themselves at risk to earn a living. These kinds of reports overlook the role of city governments in ensuring they manage and reduce these workers' occupational health and safety risk as they keep food supply chains running.

Migrant Workers

The economic crisis brought on by the pandemic has exposed the extreme vulnerabilities of urban migrants. In India, lockdown measures were put in place without accounting for the country's vast informal economy - 90% of workers, with many being migrant workers who found themselves without work or shelter in the matter of hours.

Migrant workers in the United States were also left vulnerable. The economic support measures put in place left out migrant workers, many of whom are street vendors working in major cities. Some US cities are pushing for the creation of an excluded workers fund to get relief to undocumented workers.

In Colombia, more than 1,000 street vendors demanded help from Bogota's government, with a large majority of them Venezuelans facing evictions amid the quarantine measures. Bogota's mayor, whose liberal policies have supported migrants during the migration crisis, released a statement on migrants (informal workers) that was seen as discriminatory during the COVID-19 crisis, adding new challenges for these workers.

When on the streets, a brutal situation

Even where vendors are allowed to sell on the streets, the situation is extremely challenging. Municipalities in Peru, Honduras, and the U.S. have resorted to punitive measures against street vendors during the lockdowns, such as relocations, evictions, vending bans, and police fines.

In India, the first day of the shutdown witnessed blind police brutality against street vendors, while in Oman authorities cracked down on street vendors. In Uganda, where police have hit vendors who refused to clear the streets, human rights advocates pointed out that basic human rights should be at the center of any governmen t response to the pandemic.

The clearing of streets, violence and harassment could carry on past the lockdown, fears Melody Ndawana from the Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Association (ZCIEA). She said, "We thought after the lockdown we could return to our workplaces, but now local authorities are destroying them."

Demands for assistance

With many street vendors facing near total loss of customers, they expressed the only way to survive was to get economic help from their municipalities. This need has led to street vendors protests in México, Guatemala, Paraguay, and Colombia, as they demand financial support from their governments or safety protection in their workplace.

Street vendors are among those who may slip through the cracks of other labor protection measures. Because of this, Pope Francis said it might be "time to consider a universal basic wage" in his Easter letter. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has accounted for more than 200 economic measures throughout the region to protect informal workers, including street vendors. In addition, South Africa, Pakistan, Brazil, Perú, Ecuador, El Salvador, and India have all given out cash grants or financial support.

Victories and innovations

Street vendors and informal workers have been raising their voices for their immediate needs and have achieved a few wins. A significant victory for the sector was recorded in South Africa, where informal food traders got the green light to trade during lockdown measures. This led to work with public health experts to develop safety guidelines for informal traders to minimize the risk of both contracting and spreading COVID-19.

Stories of solidarity and innovation have also emerged. In Spain, street vendors worked to help to deliver food and medical supplies. And in Barcelona, street vendors joined forces with a local clothing company to sew masks and aprons for health workers. In Malaysia, street vendors came up with ways to work during lockdown with a drive-through, pack and pick, and e-hailing service. In Washington D.C., in the U.S., street vendors worked with the city by becoming public health ambassadors to help with the work of curbing the spread of coronavirus. In Piura, Perú, street vendors and the municipality came up with a creative idea to demarcate vending spaces to allow them to trade while keeping physical distance.

Long-term economic impact and opportunity

Even when governments begin to lift the lockdowns, the economic impacts will have lasting consequences for many. With the UNDP warning of economic devastation for developing countries, African leaders issued a warning that if the virus spreads across Africa and the lockdown restrictions stretch to weeks or even months, an economic collapse may be inevitable.

Economic impacts on the informal sector will be felt strongly, pointing to examples like Uganda, where the informal sector contributes to 50% of the country's GDP. The ILO chief said that the COVID-19 impact could cause the equivalent of 195 million job losses and that informal workers, such as waste recyclers, street vendors, and domestic workers, "not only carry a high risk of virus infection but are also directly impacted by lockdown measures".

The crisis has amplified existing inequalities but is also an opportunity to "reset". As António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, said during the launch of the Report on Socio-Economic Impacts of Covid-19, "The recovery from the COVID-19 crisis must lead to a different economy."

At the city level there is an opportunity to address long-called for infrastructural disparities - in housing, water and sanitation - and to provide vendors shelters, water points, and storage. For informal workers in general there is an opportunity to address the long-needed incorporation into social security systems. Informal workers are fleet footed and have many solutions of their own, so it is critical to work alongside them in building people-centred alternatives for a new economic vision.
Read more about street vendors and COVID-19 here. Read a Q&A with WIEGO's Focal City Lima team about the situation of street vendors in Peru's capital city. Feature Photo Credit: Jonathan Torgovnik/Getty Images Reportage

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
For World's Street Vendors, Life May Never be the Same after COVID-19

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Street vendors provide essential services in cities across the globe, particularly in Africa, Asia and South America, where residents rely on them for basic needs. They are part of a vast informal food system that keeps much of the world from going hungry.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The majority of population in almost all developing countries is from middle and lower middle class.Even in developed countries the segment of this population hasa very important role in all spheres of life. The most influential role is as a voter for winners and losers in all types of government formation systems. In the economic perspective, most of them have small businessessuch as manufacturing, supplying of goods, handicrafts, selling fruits, vegetables, refreshments, and foods and beverage, thus contribute in the economic growth.

These small vendors have a very important role in providing many basic goods and services to domestic consumers. In tourism-friendly countries a majority of tourists prefer to purchase goods and services from small vendors who also promote local handicrafts and souvenirs of theircountries.They generate foreign exchange from tourists, which directly benefitstheir families.

Local and international tourists can find similar branded goods all over the world in upscale shopping malls,but locally made goods and handicrafts are usually different from area to area. Local goods are a main attraction for tourists. Governments in tourist countries provide different types of facilities including subsidies in terms of free electricity or some other relevant facilities.

Middlemen or contractors do not support them; local area law enforcement agencies create problems for them; and street criminals are also a risk for them

In some tourism-friendly countries, government provides specially dedicated places to street vendors, especially for night shopping markets at public places. In the Gulf countries these markets are known as night souq, and in the Far Eastern countries as pasar malam.

Buyers, mainly tourists, utilise their evening time and purchase different types of locally made products. In this way local products and handicrafts are promoted. Local communities generate business that also contributes to the GDP. Street vendors run their businesses without any negative intervention from government departments and agencies.

Unfortunately, in Pakistan, the situation is quite different. Business of poor street vendors is very difficultcompared to other countries. Poor vendors totally dependon their small street businesses; in some cases, they do not even earn or save enough to enable them to purchasebasic food items for their dependents.They have different types of threats. Middlemen or contractors do not support them; local area law enforcement agencies create problems for them;and street criminals are also a risk for them. Relevant authorities do not allow them to stay,display and do businessin one place, so they always feel insecure and keep moving to find customers. These are some major problems that discourage poor Pakistanis to earn and live their lives without much trouble.

Street vendors, even in tourist destination points, have similar problems.Poor street vendors cannot concentrate on their business because of these issues. Touristsare also unable to find good quality products on economical rates, and in some areas, they cannot even find drinking water and food items. Mostly, street business communities provide basic food and drinks to touristsin hilly and hard areas.

To encourage and organise street vendors in all major cities of Pakistan, government should arrange to provide them dedicated spacesin public places where they can display and sell their products. All tourist destination sites should have street vendors. For this purpose, government can introduce an incentive package with some basic facilities, including electricity, drinking water, sitting arrangements. Such a plan can help poor street vendors and also generate income at individual and national level as well.

To organise the street business community government can also offer one-window easy registration with a nominal fee or with some subsidies at district level to attract street vendors. Pakistan has a very high ratio of smartphone users; relevant departments can develop and promote a mobile app to get them registered with a few easy steps. Government can introduce attractive packages for their registration with offers of free space, a single light anddrinking water on sites, and some more exemptions for female street vendors. This can also bring more housewives into business activities. The ratio of working-class population can be increased in this way.

As government is focusedon attracting more tourists and is expecting a high turnover in the coming seasons, it needs to provide basic facilities at all tourist destinations. Public sector has very limited resources, and it is not possible to provide all basic facilities. If that is done, street vendors and small business community can play a vital role in the economic growth of the country. Government just needs to arrange free awareness and capacity building sessions to documented and registered street vendors. This step will enable street vendors to speak and deal with foreign tourists.
The writer is associated with Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Street vendors are vital for tourism-friendly countries

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The majority of population in almost all developing countries is from middle and lower middle class.Even in developed countries the segment of this population hasa very important role in all spheres of life. The most influential role is as a voter for winners and losers in all types of government formation systems. In the economic [...]

# data[].attributes.body
-Will the use of technology completely wipe out in person tourism and the arts?
-Will technology be the answer for climate friendly tourism?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We've always hoped that our digital tools would create connections, not conflict. We have a chance to make it happen.

Credit... Rebekka Dunlap

For someone who has barely left his house, I've had a shockingly busy few days.

First, there were the hyperactive group texts, which started up last week with dozens of messages a day from friends about the latest coronavirus news, along with photos of our overstuffed pantries. Then came the FaceTime calls from friends and relatives who were also stuck indoors and trying to stave off loneliness.

Last weekend, in between trips to the grocery store, I checked up on some friends using Twitter D.M.s, traded home-cooking recipes on Instagram, and used WhatsApp to join a blockwide support group with my neighbors. I even put on my Oculus virtual reality headset, and spent a few hours playing poker in a V.R. casino with friendly strangers.

I expected my first week of social distancing to feel, well, distant. But I've been more connected than ever. My inboxes are full of invitations to digital events - Zoom art classes, Skype book clubs, Periscope jam sessions. Strangers and subject-matter experts are sharing relevant and timely information about the virus on social media, and organizing ways to help struggling people and small businesses. On my feeds, trolls are few and far between, and misinformation is quickly being fact-checked.

There is no use sugarcoating the virus, which has already had devastating consequences for people all over the world, and may get much worse in the months ahead. There will be more lives lost, businesses closed and communities thrown into financial hardship. Nobody is arguing that what is coming will be fun, easy or anything remotely approaching normal for a very long time.

But if there is a silver lining in this crisis, it may be that the virus is forcing us to use the internet as it was always meant to be used - to connect with one another, share information and resources, and come up with collective solutions to urgent problems. It's the healthy, humane version of digital culture we usually see only in schmaltzy TV commercials, where everyone is constantly using a smartphone to visit far-flung grandparents and read bedtime stories to kids.

Already, social media seems to have improved, with more reliable information than might have been expected from a global pandemic. And while the ways we're substituting for in-person interaction aren't perfect - over the next few months in America, there may be no phrase uttered more than "Can someone mute?" - we are seeing an explosion of creativity as people try to use technology as a bridge across physical distances.

Just look at what's happening in Italy, where homebound adults are posting mini-manifestos on Facebook, while restless kids flock to multiplayer online games like Fortnite. Or see what's happening in China, where would-be partyers have invented " cloud clubbing," a new kind of virtual party in which D.J.s perform live sets on apps like TikTok and Douyin while audience members react in real time on their phones. Or observe how we're coping in the United States, where groups are experimenting with new kinds of socially distanced gatherings: virtual yoga classes, virtual church services, virtual dinner parties.

These are the kinds of creative digital experiments we need, and they are coming at a time when we need them more than ever.

We are on the brink of what Vox's Ezra Klein calls a "social recession" - an epidemic of loneliness and isolation brought on by the virus. The social recession will hit certain groups especially hard - older people, people with disabilities, people who live alone. But we will all feel isolated to some degree. And as long as it remains unwise to gather in physical spaces, we will need to create virtual spaces that can sustain us.

Building a virtual world to replace a broken physical one is not a new idea. It has been a staple in sci-fi narratives for decades, including classics like "Snow Crash" and "Ready Player One." Many of these stories are dystopian in nature - in them, virtual reality is simply an escape from a real world that is falling apart.

But digital tools can also help strengthen our real-world ties if we use them the right way.

One thing we know for certain is that actively participating in online culture is far better than passively consuming it. Research shows that people who use social media actively - by sending messages, leaving comments or talking in group chats, for example - report being happier than those who simply scroll through their feeds, absorbing news stories and viral videos. Netflix binges and YouTube rabbit holes are fine for escapism, but if you're looking to find solace on the internet, lurking alone won't cut it - you need to contribute.

We also know that not all platforms are created equal. With so much alarming information flying around, private group messages and videoconferences are likely to produce calmer, more nourishing interactions than public platforms like Twitter and Facebook, both of which are designed to amplify content that is outrageous, divisive or otherwise highly engaging.

All over the country, citizen technologists are using digital tools to strengthen their offline communities. In San Bernardino, Calif., David Perez created a Facebook group called California Coronavirus Alerts to share localized information with his neighbors. A group of public-school teachers in Mason, Ohio, created a Google Doc to share ideas about how to keep teaching students during a state-ordered school closure. In the Bay Area, where I live, people are building databases to keep track of which seniors need help having groceries and prescriptions delivered.

It's possible that this boom in prosocial internet behavior is temporary, and that the grifters and trolls who tend to glom onto major news events will swarm in to ruin it.

But it's also possible that after spending years using technologies that mostly seemed to push us apart, the coronavirus crisis is showing us that the internet is still capable of pulling us together.

That's why it's so important that everyone - especially older people, students and people in low-income communities - has access to these tools. The digital divide is real, and in the coming months, those without internet access or devices that can run newer software will be shut out of many of the digital communities we're building to support one another.

In addition to other economic rescue measures, it may be time for a kind of global Geek Squad, an army of tech-savvy people who can deliver free or deeply discounted devices to people who don't have them, and teach them (from a safe distance) how to join Zoom conferences, send and receive text messages, and make FaceTime calls.

Recently, I called Jaron Lanier, the author and technologist who coined the term "virtual reality." Mr. Lanier, who has been experimenting with building virtual communities for years, said he understood why the idea of moving our offline institutions onto the internet made some people uncomfortable.

"We saw the internet turn into this weird, dark manipulation machine," he said. "Naturally, we worry that this could be another way to become lost or crazy."

But he also said there was reason for cautious optimism, given the creative ways people are already finding to move their real-world support systems online.

"The obvious thing to say" about the coronavirus, Mr. Lanier said, "is that people will suffer from a sense of isolation. But there might be some good things. It could reintroduce people to their families. It might make people a little more grounded. It helps you reappreciate the wealth we have in a place like a home. It's kind of a revelation that we have the good fortune to even be able to do this."

Mr. Lanier is right. As the virus forces us indoors, we should be thinking of ways to invest in our digital spaces, and build robust virtual connections that can replace some of the physical proximity we're losing, as well as mobilizing to support our real-world communities in a time of enormous need.

We can use technology to meet this crisis, rather than just distracting ourselves from it.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Coronavirus Crisis Is Showing Us How to Live Online

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We've always hoped that our digital tools would create connections, not conflict. We have a chance to make it happen. For someone who has barely left his house, I've had a shockingly busy few days.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
UPDATE: This roundup is now weekly - check out all of the livestreams to watch for the week of Jan 25.

As the nation adjusts to the new reality of life under self-quarantine in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, a number of artists and musical institutions are taking the show online to share some musical joy during these trying times.

With venues and bars on lock down across the country, there are plenty of things you can watch from the safety of your couch, thanks to everyone from Miley Cyrus to the New York Metropolitan Opera and the fine folks at Disney.

While sites like Stageit have been offering up livestream shows for less-known artists for years, the loss of road time has inspired some acts to look for a new, temporary way to bond with fans until a return to normal.

Check out our ever-expanding list of shows and musical events to stream from the comfort of your home.

June 6: Adam Lambert, on behalf of his Feel Something Foundation, is hosting Pride Live's fourth annual Stonewall Day, this year a virtual event.

April 24: The Kid LAROI, Jimmy Barnes, Dean Lewis, Amy Shark, Tina Arena, Vance Joy, Lime Cordiale, Tash Sultana and more will perform for the second Music From The Home Front, live from Melbourne's Sidney Myer Music Bowl. The live stream will be hosted on YouTube from 5.30am ET (7.30pm local time) and aired in Australia on Channel 9 and its digital channel 9Now.

April 22: Adam Lambert is hosting a 20-minute livestream to discuss up-and-coming LGBTQ artists, Stonewall Day, the Stonewall legacy and more with special guests. This is the second lead-up event to Pride Live's fourth annual Stonewall Day in June.

April 21: Tame Impala perform InnerSpeaker Live From Wave House, a streaming concert celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Aussie psychedelic-rock outfit's debut album. Kevin Parker and co. will perform the album in full from Wave House, the remote studio where the LP was recorded. Tickets are through momenthouse.com. For global timings visit momenthouse.com/tameimpala.

Feb. 18: Adam Lambert is hosting a 20-minute livestream to discuss up-and-coming LGBTQ artists, Stonewall Day, the Stonewall legacy and more with special guests. The event is the first lead-up to Pride Live's fourth annual Stonewall Day in June.

Feb. 17: Eddie Vedder, Phoebe Bridgers, and more are set to perform for the 34th annual Tibet House US Benefit concert, which is virtual this year. All proceeds benefit Tibet House US. Tickets start at $25.

Feb. 10: Chelsea Cutler and Jeremy Zucker are celebrating the release of their EP brent ii with a livestream show. The event begins at 9 p.m. ET; tickets start at $16.50.

Feb. 5: Flux Pavilion is performing a show for fans in North and South America. The event begins at 10 p.m.; tickets start at $10.

Jan. 12, 2021: Morgan Wallen is celebrating the release of his sophomore album, Dangerous: The Double Album, with a livestream from Nashville's The Ryman. The free show begins at 9 p.m. ET and streams on his Facebook and and YouTube channel.

O.A.R.'s Marc Roberge will be performing with special guests. The show begins at 8 p.m. ET.

Dec. 31: Justin Bieber is livestreaming a New Year's Eve concert in collaboration with T-Mobile. The carrier's customers can watch for free, while the event will be $25 for all others. The show begins at 10:15 p.m. ET; sign up for access to the concert at JustinBieberNYE.com.

Pink Martini are livestreaming a show aptly titled "Good Riddance 2020." The set was filmed in Portland in front of a Christmas tree. Though the set was pretaped, members of the band will be participating in a live chat and offering commentary. The show begins at 9 p.m. ET; tickets start at $15.

Dec. 26: Dave Matthews, Diplo and many other are participating in HeadCount's Georgia Comes Alive virtual music festival to get out the vote in the state's upcoming Senate run-off election. The event kicks off at 3 p.m. ET. Donate at GeorgiaComesAlive.com to receive a link to watch the streaming festival.

Dec. 22: Dua Lipa is performing for the final Pandora Live series, which will also feature an in-depth conversation with the artist. There will also be an opportunity for fans to participate in a virtual pre-show meet-and-greet and trivia. The show begins at 9 p.m.; RSVP here.

Dec. 21: Fleet Foxes are hosting their first official livestream, titled "A Very Lonely Solstice Livestream." The show will feature a solo acoustic performance by frontman and songwriter Robin Pecknold, with a one song guest appearance from the Resistance Revival Chorus. The show begins at 9 p.m. ET; tickets are $20 plus service charges.

Dec. 17: Melanie Martinez is streaming a live show titled "Can't Wait Till I'm Out of K-12" on Headliner. Tickets start at $18.50; the show begins at 8 p.m. ET and PT.

Dec. 15: Marc Roberge of O.A.R. is performing live from The Barn at Gold Ring. He'll be doing songs from each of the band's albums. The show begins at 8 p.m. ET.

Dec. 12-13: Gorillaz are performing three live shows across different time zones for their first live set since 2018. The North America show takes place on the 12th at 7 p.m. ET; tickets start at $15.

Dec. 12: Andrea Bocelli is performing live from Italy's Teatro Regio di Parma opera house, with appearances by special guests for the event titled "Believe in Christmas." Tickets go on sale Nov. 20.

Sam Smith, Wyclef Jean and many others will be performing for the Lang Lang International Music Foundation's first virtual concert. The show begins at 3 p.m. ET on Lang Lang's YouTube channel.

Dec. 10-20: Straight No Chaser are performing 10 shows live from Maryland's MGM National Harbor. Each show will have a unique setlist featuring holiday hits and pop staples, as well as some of the group's most beloved tunes, as well as songs that they have yet to perform live. Tickets start at $20.

Dec. 5: Liam Gallagher is performing live for a global event he's calling "Down by the River Thames." For the show, he'll be performing Oasis classics as well as songs from his solo career - while floating down the river on a barge. There will be two streams for U.S. viewers: one at 8 p.m. ET and another at 8 p.m. PT. Tickets are $22.50.

Evanescence will be performing songs from their upcoming album The Bitter Truth as well as fan-favorite tunes live for a streamed concert. The show begins at 4 p.m. ET; early bird tickets are $9.99.

Lindsey Buckingham is livestreaming a performance titled "At Home With Lindsey Buckingham." The Q&A begins at 7 p.m. ET, and the music at 8:30 p.m. ET. Tickets start at $15 plus tax.

Darlene Love is continuing her tradition of performing Christmas shows, this year with virtual concert "Love for the Holidays" streamed from New York's Sony Hall. The show starts at 8 p.m. ET; tickets are $35.

Dec. 3-5: The Hold Steady are streaming their Massive Nights event, a multi-night celebration of music and community, from New York's Brooklyn Bowl. Tickets start at $15.

Nov. 27: Dua Lipa is offering fans a multidimensional live experience she's calling "Studio 2054." The event will feature special guests, and the singer will be performing music from her latest album Future Nostalgia, as well as debut album Studio 2054. Tickets are on sale now.

Eric Bellinger is streaming a performance of music from his latest release, Eric B. For President: Term 3, for a livestream show. The show begins at 9 p.m. ET; tickets are $19.99.

Nov. 18: Major Lazer will revive their world tour with a virtual reality performance in Facebook's Oculus Venues platform, put on with the help of virtual events production company Supersphere using its newest technology, ArcRunner. The trio made up of Diplo, Walshy Fire and Ape Drums recently released their fourth studio album, Music Is the Weapon. The performance begins at 9 p.m. ET. Tickets are free.

Burna Boy is performing an immersive global livestream show and will play hits including "Wonderful" and "Real Life." The show begins at 3 p.m. ET; tickets are on sale now.

Riley Green, Matt Stell and more are performing for Friendsgiving: Live at the Ryman, which will have limited in-person tickets as well as a livestream. The show begins at 8:30 p.m. ET. Tickets are $24.99.

Nov. 14: Metallica is playing a live acoustic show from San Rafael, Calif. The "Helping Hands Concert and Auction" will benefit the band's charity, All Within My Hands, with 100 percent of the money going to help someone in need. The show starts at 5 p.m. ET on Nugs.tv; tickets are $14.99.

Brendan Benson is celebrating his 50th birthday with a livestream concert from Nashville. He'll be backed by members of The Shins, Eagles of Death Metal, and Neon Castles. The event begins at 5:20 p.m. ET; tickets start at $15.

Nov. 12: H.E.R. and Khalid are performing for the HBCU Homecoming Celebration on iHeartRadio. H.E.R.'s performance will occur between 3-4 p.m. ET on iHeartRadio's YouTube channel, and Khalid's between 5-6:30 p.m. ET.

Lil Yachty is performing some of his favorite songs for fans. His livestream event will also feature special guests and an exclusive merch drop. The event begins at 9:30 p.m. ET; tickets start at $15.

Wiz Khalifa, Anti-Flag and more are set to appear for virtual concert Yinz Citizen. The event benefits 412 Food Rescue. The stream begins at 8 p.m. ET; register to attend here.

And You Will Know Us by the Trail of the Dead, Riders Against the Storm and many more are performing in "Music for the Mind," a fundraising event for mental health awareness. The show begins at 7 p.m. ET; tickets are $10.

Nov. 11: 311 is performing three shows - also on Dec. 11 and Jan. 11 - with each set to feature one of their classic albums. The November show will focus on Music, the December show on Grassroots, and the January show on 311. The band will be playing live from their Hive studio in L.A. Tickets start at $20. A portion of the proceeds will go toward Crew Nation to help those impacted by the coronavirus lockdowns.

Kellie Pickler, Justin Moore and others are joining Robert Irvine for his Salute to Our Heroes virtual fundraising concert. The event will celebrate not only Veterans Day, but also first responders and veterans. The show begins at 9 p.m. ET; watch and donate on the Robert Irvine Foundation's website.

Nov. 7: Niall Horan is playing London's prestigious Royal Albert Hall for a livestream concert benefitting his touring crew. He'll perform hits from his Billboard 200 No. 1 album Flicker and his sophomore set Heartbreak Weather, which will be filmed by a multi-camera crew. Tickets go on sale Oct. 16.

Kylie Minogue is doing a global livestream show titled "Kylie: Infinite Disco." The 50-minute performance will include tracks from upcoming album Disco, as well as some of her classic tunes. There are two streams for the U.S., with both beginning at 8 p.m. ET and PT. Tickets are $20.

Patty Griffin is streaming a residency from Austin's The Continental Club. She'll also be streaming shows Nov. 21 and Dec. 5. A portion of the proceeds will benefit 18 independent venues around the country. All three shows begin at 7 p.m. ET; tickets start at $25.

Oct. 30-31: Rolling Loud's second "Loud Stream" will feature live performances from Trippie Redd, Gunna and more, as well as interviews and commentary. The virtual festival will begin at 6 p.m. ET both days, and will stream on Twitch.

Sam Smith will be streaming live from Abbey Road Studio's to celebrate the release of their upcoming album, Love Goes. Smith will be performing old hits as well as new tunes, and doing a Q&A with fans. There will also be special guest performances. The ticketed livestream event begins at 4 p.m. ET; find out how to get access to early bird tickets on Smith's website.

GWAR are playing a livestream concert dubbed Scumdog XXX Live, during which they'll play the entirety of Scumdogs of the Universe from beginning to end. The show begins at 8 p.m. ET; t ickets start at $15, and ticket-merch bundles are available.

Oct. 24: Billie Eilish had to cancel her tour when the coronavirus pandemic hit, but the 18-year-old is set to do a livestream show for fans who couldn't see her in person. Her "Where Do We Go?" global livestream will be hosted on her website, and begins at 6 p.m. ET. Tickets are $30.

Avril Lavigne is playing a livestream concert to raise awareness of Lyme disease. Her career-spanning set will include hits, fan favorite songs, as well as tunes from 2019's Head Above Water. "I'm so excited for fans and friends from all over the world to join me and my very special guests for #FightLyme, which will benefit the Lyme community," Lavigne, who has shared her battle against Lyme disease, said in a statement. The show begins at 8 p.m. ET; tickets start at $25 on her website, and benefit The Avril Lavigne Foundation and Global Lyme Alliance.

The Goo Goo Dolls an immersive livestream concert featuring songs from across their catalogue, with the show beginning at 9 p.m. ET. Members of the band's fan club will have early access to tickets on Oct. 15; general sales begin Oct. 16.

HAIM, Katherine McPhee and David Foster, Ewan McGregor and more are performing for the GO campaign's 14th annual gala, which is going virtual this year. The event, co-hosted by Robert Pattinson, will benefit COVID-19 relief causes as well as organizations fighting for racial justice. The gala begins at 9 p.m. ET and is free to stream; reserve a ticket and donate at GoGala2020.org.

Jack Black, Aloe Blacc, DJ Khaled, Fat Joe and more are joining The MDA Kevin Hart Kids Telethon to support the Muscular Distrophy Association. The event begins at 8 p.m. ET, streaming on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For more information or to donate, visit TheTelethon.org.

Japanese band Esprit D'Air are playing a livestream show in celebration of their 10th anniversary. The rockers will be debuting new songs from their upcoming album Oceans, which is coming next year. Tickets are about $14 (£10.99); the show begins at 5 p.m. ET on EspritDair.com.

Grammy winner Thelma Houston is launching her online concert, Virtually Yours, which runs through Jan. 31. Tickets are $10, with a portion of the proceeds going to Project Angel Food.

Oct. 23: Dierks Bentley, Kane Brown, Lady A and many more are performing for the 2020 iHeartCountry festival, which is going virtual this year. The event, which was recorded on one stage in Nashville, begins at 8 p.m. ET and streams on LiveXLive.

Chief Keef and Polo G are doing a virtual concert together. "Coming from Chicago and getting to perform with Chief Keef is already amazing, but getting to do it on Dreamstage is going to take it to the next level," Polo G said in a statement. "Our fans have never seen anything like what they are about to experience. It's going to be crazy!" The show starts at 7 p.m. ET on Dreamstage; tickets are $14.99.

Scarypoolparty is livestreaming a nearly all acoustic full band set from Hotel Cafe. Tickets begin at $10.

Oct. 21: James Bay is livestreaming from Shakespeare's Globe. There will be four sets for four different regions of the world, with the U.S. shows beginning at 8 p.m. ET and PT. Tickets go on sale Oct. 2.

Oct. 17: Sammy Hagar is holding a virtual birthday bash live from Catalina Island, Calif. He'll be joined by Rick Springfield, REO Speedwagon's Kevin Cronin, and more. The celebration begins at 9 p.m. ET on Nugs.tv; tickets start at $25.

Oct. 15: Glass Animals will reimagine their live show as a broadcast dubbed "Live In The Internet." The show will feature a full band performance, special guests and creative fan interaction - all in a striking virtual space. Tickets for "Live In The Internet" go on general sale at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 25 here.

Oct. 10: The Verve Pipe are playing a ticketed livestream show featuring some of their hits, including "The Freshmen," as well as debut new music. "This will be a live stream like no other; an inside look at the band's creative process," frontman Brian Vander Ark said in a statement. "In addition to playing the favorites and telling some of the stories behind them, I'll be introducing two new songs to the band for the first time, and we'll work them out live in front of the virtual audience." The set begins at 8 p.m. ET; tickets can be purchased here.

Industrial supergroup Pigface is helping support local concert venues with its "Everywhere All At Once" livestream. The set to be featured was filmed Nov. 30, 2019, at Thalia Hall in Louisville, Ky. Before the show begins streaming, there will be a Q&A session with the band, special guest performances, and an auction featuring rare Pigface merch. The event begins at 7 p.m. ET; tickets start at $15. Half of the proceeds will benefit venues; there are currently 65 venues participating.

Rufus Wainwright is doing a virtual livestream tour of his nine studio albums in chronological order. The first show will feature the artist performing from his self-titled debut, and begins at 5 p.m. ET. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 on the day of the show. Check out Veeps.com for tickets and the rest of the show dates.

Dave Koz is celebrating the release of his new album, A New Day, with a livestream event. He'll be performing new songs as well as hits from his Southern California studio, premiere a new video, and answer fan questions. The event begins at 7 p.m. ET on LoopedLive.com. Tickets are $15; a portion of the proceeds will benefit MusiCare's COVID-19 relief efforts.

Scarypoolparty is livestreaming a set from L.A.'s The Roxy. He'll be playing the entirety of Exit Form and Doom Hologram for the first time. Tickets begin at $10.

Jason Isbell, Smith & Myers, American Authors and more are performing as part of Sound Mind Live's "Come Together virtual music festival. The benefit concert is celebrating World Mental Health Day. It begins at 8 p.m. ET on Relix's YouTube channel. The show benefits affiliates of National Alliance on Mental Illness; donations can be made here.

Oct. 1 & 8: Machine Gun Kelly is livestreaming two sets from L.A.'s Roxy. On Oct. 1, he'll be playing his new album, Tickets to My Downfall; on the 8th, he'll perform Hotel Diablo in full. Both shows begin at 9 p.m. ET. Tickets go on sale Sept. 24 at 9 p.m. PT here.

September 25-27: The Monterey Jazz Festival goes virtual for its 63rd annual event. Artists will be announced beginning July 21. The festival will stream on YouTube beginning at 8 p.m. ET each day.

September 24-26: Bonnaroo, which was canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, will be holding its first Virtual Roo-Ality festival. The event will feature new performances and panels, as well as iconic sets from the festival's archives. The free, three-day event begins streaming at 5:30 p.m. ET each day on Bonnaroo's YouTube channel.

September 21: The Hip-Hop 4 Peace livestream is commemorating the U.N.'s International Day of Peace. Chuck D, KRS One, Rakim and more hip-hop artists from around the world will participate. The event begins at 7 p.m. ET, and streams on the Universal Hip Hop Museum's YouTube channel.

September 18-20: Industrial music festival Cold Waves is going virtual this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The event will feature live presentations from Meat Beat Manifesto, Cyanotic and more; rare footage of performances from Front Line Assembly, OHGR, 16 Volt and others; classic industrial music videos; and much more. The event streams free on Twitch, and begins at 8 p.m. ET each night.

August 27-30: Country Sway's Summer Sway Streamathon features more than 40 artist performances, and benefits the Music Health Alliance. Artists set to perform include Brandon Alan, Tim Atwood, David Adam Byrnes, Cadie Calhoun, Brian Callihan, Simon Casey, Lauren Davidson, Hayden Haddock and many others, with more to come. The event begins at 3 p.m. ET, and can be streamed on Facebook.

August 26: Ellie Goulding presents "The Brightest Blue Experience," a one-off exclusive pay-per-view presented by LIVEnow, recorded and livestreamed from London's iconic V&A (Victoria & Albert Museum). The showcase will see Ellie perform tracks from her new album for the first time, and Diplo and blackbear will also drop in. Tickets available here: www.elliegouldinglivenow.com

August 14: Waxahatchee, Daniel Rossen and Christopher Bear of Grizzly Bear, The War on Drugs and more are performing for HeadCount's Vote Ready virtual concert to encourage voter registration. People who check their voter registration status at HeadCount.org ahead of the event will receive a free e-ticket for the livestream, which begins at 7 p.m. ET.

Nona Hendryx in conjunction with New York-based collective Nubian Q.U.E.E.N.X. have partnered with feminist group JASS (Just Associates) to present a Musical Meditation and Celebration of Radical Healing on Aug. 14. The virtual event will feature an appearance by political activist Angela Davis, along a collaborative performance by Hendryx and Nubian Q.U.E.E.N.X. Other performers include Lebo Mashile, Sara Curruchich, Hope Masike and Monique Wilson. Radical Healing will be livestreamed on the StreamYard platform beginning at 4 p.m. ET.

August 9-13: Drew Vision, who is releasing a new song on Aug. 7, is participating in the My Friend's Place Summer Festival, along with JoJo, Kenzie Ziegler, Mario and more. The artists will perform during the kickoff concert, which begins at 5 p.m. on the 9th. The week-long virtual event benefits youth who are experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles. Click here to donate and get more information.

August 8: Monsta X's global livestream concert Live From Seoul With Luv, originally scheduled for July 25, will feature the K-pop group performing songs from their 2020 album, All About Luv, as well as behind-the-scenes footage, and meet and greets. Tickets begin at $20, with merch bundles available at higher price points. The streaming concert begins at 11 p.m. ET.

July 31: Stone Temple Pilots perform their iconic debut album Core in its entirety for a livestreamed show. The event begins at 8 p.m. ET on nugs.tv; tickets are $9.99.

July 28: Pandora kicks off its new virtual concert series with Kane Brown's performance and an animated short film he narrated at 8 p.m. ET. His record label signee and Nashville-based trio Restless Road will also make an appearance. The multi-genre live-streamed Pandora shows will feature interactive tools so select fans can connect with their favorite artists through virtual meet-and-greets, Q&As with the artist, exclusive merchandise, live chat functions and more.

July 25: Nelly is marking the 20th Anniversary of his diamond-certified debut album, Country Grammar, with a special live performance of the album in its entirety for the first time ever. The show will be broadcast in 360 degree virtual reality across the globe via MelodyVR as part of its ongoing Live from LA series at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET. It is free to view via the MelodyVR app on smartphones and VR headsets and will be available on-demand on the app immediately following the live broadcast.

July 18: Bush is livestreaming a show from Los Angeles to promote their new album, The Kingdom. Fifty cents from every album sold during the livestream will be donated to voting registration nonprofit When We All Vote. The concert will stream on the band's website, and begins at 9 pm. ET.

Crooked Colours, Shockone with Reija Lee, production duo Slumberjack and rising Perth artist Tina Says are locked in for the third edition of United We Stream Australia. This Saturday's broadcast is Western Australia's first full live concert event since the pandemic restrictions came into effect in March. Watch at UnitedWeStream.org from 9:15pm AEST/5:15 AM ET.

July 4: PBS' A Capitol Fourth will be livestreaming here on July 4 at 8 p.m. EST. This year, the show is hosted by John Stamos and Vanessa Williams featuring performances by by Patti LaBelle, John Fogerty, Renée Fleming, The Temptations, Trace Adkins, Andy Grammer, Yolanda Adams, Brantley Gilbert, Lauren Alaina, Chrissy Metz, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Kelli O'Hara, Mandy Gonzalez and the National Symphony Orchestra, With Live Fireworks from Washington, D.C.

July 1: Eric Benet is doing a 90-minute set called "Eric After Dark" that will include fan-favorite songs and a Q&A. Jon B. will also be performing. The livestream begins at 11 p.m. ET on EricAfterDark.com.

The Roots Picnic 2020 is partnering with Michelle Obama to try to reach eligible voters and urge them to go to cast their ballots this year. Performers include The Roots, H.E.R., Roddy Ricch, Lil Baby, G Herbo and many others. The event - in its 13th year - will also feature appearances by the former first lady, Janelle Monae, Kerry Washington, Tom Hanks, and more. The Picnic will be streamed on The Roots' YouTube channel.

2 Chainz, Brandi Carlile, T-Pain and more are joining virtual music event Small Business Live to help minority-owned small businesses. The musicians will perform on locations at various small businesses close to their hearts, with proceeds benefiting Accion Opportunity Fund. The streaming event begins at 4 p.m. EST; visit SmallBiz.Live to find out where you can watch.

June 6: Lady Gaga, BTS and Barack Obama are set to give a commencement speech during YouTube's "Dear Class of 2020" virtual commencement. The event will also feature appearances by Alicia Keys, Kelly Rowland, and more. The schedule will be announced May 17; the event can be streamed on YouTube.

June 1: Brandi Carlile will perform the entirety of her album By the Way, I Forgive You to benefit her band and crew members. It will be the first in an ongoing series of album performances. The set begins at 9:00 p.m. EST, and can be streamed via Veeps.com.

Katie Crutchfield is launching a new livestream series during which she will play Waxahatchee's entire discography. "This idea was born as a way to help support my band & crew through this time where we've had to cancel & move shows thus causing a huge financial burden," she shared in an Instagram post. The first show will feature the music of debut studio album American Weekend. The livestream will benefit indie promoters around the country; tickets are available here. The shows kick off at 9:00 p.m. EST Mondays at noonchorus.com, where the sets will also stream from.

May 30: David Guetta will do a livestream performance in New York benefiting the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City, Feeding America, the World Health Organization, and Fondation Hôpitaux de Paris - Hôpitaux de France. It will begin after the 7:00 p.m. EST clap front the city's front-line workers, and can be streamed via his Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Twitch, TikTok, Instagram and VK channels.

The Avett Brothers, Brandi Carlile, The Lumineers, Dave Matthews and many more will be performing for the Banding Together: A Concert for the Colorado Music Relief Fund. Proceeds will help Colorado music industry workers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The livestream begins at 8:00 p.m. EST and will be broadcast locally on CBS.

May 29: The Dropkick Murphys are performing from an empty Fenway Park, with pal Bruce Springsteen joining them remotely. The band and The Boss will be doing a double play - two songs - one from each musical act. The livestream will be available on the Dropkick Murphy's Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Twitch pages, and begins at 6:00 p.m. EST.

ARIA Award-winning rock band The Badloves will perform at Melbourne's Festival Hall, marking the first time the iconic venue has hosted a full production live stream event. Lounge Room Live will present the virtual gig from 7:30 p.m. AEST (5:30 a.m. ET).

May 28: Questlove will host a virtual dinner party called "Questlove's Potluck" for his famous friends on Food Network. Patti LaBelle, Olivia Wilde, Kenan Thompson and more will be cooking and making some of their favorite dishes and drinks from their home kitchens. The virtual dinner will benefit America's Food Fund. It airs at 10 p.m. ET on Food Network.

May 27: Adam Lambert, Jordin Sparks, Kelly Osbourne, Laurie Hernandez and more are set to participate in Stronger Than You Think, a three-day livestream event which will address teen mental wellness. It kicks off each day at 5:00 p.m. EST, ending at 10:00 p.m. EST, and will be available on YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitch.

May 26: The seventh annual Gretsch Presents Georgia On My Mind concert benefitting the Georgia Music Foundation will air at 8 p.m., hosted by the Indigo Girls' Amy Ray and singer/songwriter Brett Cobb. Among the artists performing are Amy Grant, Chuck LEavell, Katie Pruitt, John Berry, The War & Treaty, Jontavious Willis, Tony Arata, Kalen & Aslyn, Adam Wright, Channing Wilson, John Driskell Hopkins, Caroline Aiken, Rutha Harris, Kim Michael Polote and Dark Water. Fans can watch at Facebook/georgiamusic.

A Q&A featuring Terrence Blanchard discussing the documentary film Up From the Streets: New Orleans: The City of Music will begin at 9:00 p.m. EST on Eventive. Michael Murphy, the film's producer, and Ben Jaffe, creative director of Preservation Hall, will also be on hand to answer questions.

The inaugural Virtual APRA Music Awards will feature performances from the likes of John Butler and Mama Kin, Kira Puru and Mo'Ju, Nikka Costa and Justin Stanley, The Dawn of MAY, and William Crighton. Hip-hop star Briggs will host. The Virtual Red Carpet kicks off 6:30 pm AEST (4.30 a.m. ET) and the #VAPRAs broadcast commences at 7:00 p.m. AEST (5 a.m. ET). Stream at hyvio.com/apraawards.

May 24: The annual National Memory Day Concert that traditionally airs from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol will switch to a virtual event. Hosted by Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise, the PBS concert will feature new performances and tributes filmed around the country to honor the military as well as heroes on the frontline of the pandemic crisis. Among those appearing will be Gen. Colin Powell, Cynthia Erivo, Renee Fleming, Trace Adkins, CeCe Winans, Kelli O'Hara, Mary McCormack, the National Symphony Orchestra, Christopher Jackson, Sam Elliott, Laurence Fishburne and Esai Morales. Starting at 8 p.m. ET, the concert will stream on Facebook, YouTube and on PBS.

John Butler, Michael Franti, Nahko, Trevor Hall, FINK, Rising Appalachia and more will headline One Earth Live, a two-day transformational online festival from May 23 to May 24 that promotes positivity and explores the solutions and pathways for a brighter future ahead. The international lineup includes other notable musicians, artists, motivational speakers, Indigenous elders, wellness experts, yoga instructors, youth activists and poets. Donations made during the festival will benefit Proof of Impact, a charitable organization providing COVID-19 relief efforts, as well as the artists involved with One Earth Live who are unable to tour because of the pandemic.

Sublime With Rome are hosting and performing during a virtual BBQ to benefit the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund. Things kick off at 3 p.m. PT with tickets available here.

From May 23-25, organizers will stream Movement At Home, a virtual edition of Detroit's Movement Music Festival, which usually takes place over Memorial Day weekend. In partnership with Beatport, the three-day live stream will be hosted on Beatport and Paxahau's Twitch channels and broadcasted on Movement's website, Facebook and YouTube channels. Look out for the lineup and programming to be announced soon.

Ten years after they disbanded, legendary Australian rockers Powderfinger will reunite for One Night Lonely, a fundraiser for Support Act and Beyond Blue. The virtual gig starts 7pm AEST (5am ET). For sign-up details, visit Powderfinger.com.

Ocean Alley, winners of the 2019 triple j Hottest 100 poll, will perform the first of two live-streamed sets via Brisbane's Story Bridge Hotel Facebook page. Brewer Coopers is supporting the show, which kicks off 8 p.m. AEST (6 a.m. ET).

May 22: All Time Low will perform a livestreamed show to raise money for their touring crew at 5:00 p.m. ET.

May 21: Usher alongside Jermaine Dupri will perform on Verizon's weekly streaming entertainment series Pay It Forward Live that supports small businesses suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic. The three take the virtual stage at 8:00 p.m. EST on Verizon's Twitter, Facebook and YouTube pages; Fios channel 501 and 604; Yahoo Finance on Samsung TV Plus on channel 1017; the Roku Channel; AXS TV; FOX NOW; and Ovation TV. Fans can also tune in on iHeart and SiriusXM.

Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, OneRepublic, Ellie Goulding, Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, Sam Smith, James Taylor, Meghan Trainor and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical 's Adrienne Warren are all set to perform for this year's Red Nose Day Special, which begins at 9 p.m. on NBC.

The Overcoats curate The Fight for NYC in collaboration with Amazon Music, an online fundraiser for the Association to Benefit Children. Overcoats, Porches, Margaret Glaspy, Torres, Bailen, Blu de Tiger, Adam Melchor, Mia Gladstone and Samia perform here at 7 p.m. ET.

Chick Corea, Ruben Blades, Greg Camp, Kate Ceberano and more perform the Stay Well Concert at 8 p.m. ET, which you can watch live here.

Vera Blue will perform acoustic versions of her songs for OPPO's Under the Covers Livestream Concert Series. The Aussie singer will also hit a special cover that fans can vote on via her social channels. The performance starts at 7 p.m. AEST (5 a.m. ET) at OPPO AU YouTube Channel and Vera Blue Instagram Live.

h2the's Lo-Fi Live-Stream Album Release Party will feature dozens of indie artists and painters in multiple virtual rooms, with proceeds going to No Kid Hungry.

May 20: Breast Cancer Research Foundation will hold their first-ever Virtual Hot Pink Evening at 8 p.m. The star-studded Broadway tribute to Hamilton's Mandy Gonzalez will feature special guests Laura Benanti, Norbert Leo Butz, Edie Falco, Sir Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley, Karlie Kloss, Joan Lunden, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Gretta Monahan, Rachael Ray, Amy Robach, Nile Rodgers, and many more. Receive event access here.

May 19: Aloe Blacc, Grouplove, Matt Berninger of The National, Milk Carton Kids and many more are scheduled to perform during the "Safe and Sound" virtual concert benefiting Safe Place for Youth. The show kicks off at 8:00 p.m. EST; RSVP here to receive the link to watch.

May 18: Jon Bon Jovi, Dolly Parton, Meryl Streep, and other big names are set to perform for " A Night Of Covenant House Stars," a live stream concert benefiting the Covenant House charity. The show kicks off at 8:00 p.m. EST on new streaming service Broadway On Demand.

May 17: Magic Giant continues its Live From Quarantine virtual festival for a fourth weekend on May 17 at 4 p.m. ET, recruiting Bastian Baker, Chelsea Cutler, Leslie Odom Jr., The Revivalists' David Shaw and more acts. The previous three installations of Live From Quarantine raised a total of $100,000 for MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief fund and the Frontline Responders Fund.

Ahead of the Katharine McPhee, Megan Hilty, Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman, Neil Meron, and Robert Greenblatt will break down the making of Smash cast reunion, Bombshell on "Stars In The House." This companion event will support The Actors Fund, and will stream live at 8 p.m. EST on the Stars In The House YouTube channel and here: starsinthehouse.com.

May 16: Eurovision veterans Chantal Janzen and Edsilia Rombley host Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light alongside Jan Smit live from the Netherlands at 3 p.m. ET, with YouTube star NikkieTutorials serving as the online host. The non-competitive event features the 41 selected delegates from their respective locations performing Eurovision 1997's "Love Shine A Light" by Katrina and The Waves, and fans engaging in a virtual sing-a-long of Johnny Logan's "What's Another Year."

NCT 127 debuts its new single "Punch" and performs "Boom" for the first time during the K-pop group's NCT 127 - Beyond the Origin livestream concert at 2 a.m. ET, which is part of the Beyond LIVE concert streaming series via SM Entertainment and Naver V LIVE.

Ozuna kicks off the Latinos Unidos Live streaming festival on his YouTube channel at 7 p.m. ET and goes on until May 30, with multiple unannounced Latin artists performing down the line. The money raised during the livestream benefits organizations like Fundación Solidaridad por Colombia to buy ventilators for the Health Department in Chocó, located in Colombia's Pacific Coast region, as well as El Amor en Caja in Guatemala, which supports families with food and hygiene products during the pandemic.

Jason Mraz performs new single "Look for the Good" as part of the virtual 4th Annual Walk & Play LA for the Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

Queen Naija, BJ The Chicago Kid, Eric Bellinger and Luh Kel perform during Vibe #WithMe and EscapeTracks' virtual R&B festival to support MusiCares starting at 4 p.m. ET on YouTube.

Ashe presents a special, multi-artist charity event, "In My Room," celebrating The Beach Boys landmark recording and 54th anniversary of Pet Sounds. At 2 p.m. PST/5 p.m. EST, Ashe along with artists and friends including FINNEAS, Ryan Tedder, AJR, Jacob Collier, Bishop Briggs, MAX, Charlie Burg, Blake Rose, Maro and special guests, will perform songs from the legendary recording in a livestream via Ashe's YouTube Channel. The event will raise money for Support & Feed, a Covid-19 relief initiative and MusiCares Covid-19 relief fund.

Lewis Capaldi will do a special live stream show to celebrate the 1-year anniversary of his hit debut album, Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent on May 16 at8pm (BST). The show is in support of the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) - a charity leading movement against suicide and living miserably - with proceeds from the gig going to the charity, who have experienced record levels of demand for their helpline services since lockdown. Fans can purchase tickets through DICE.

Roberta Flack will be hosting a live listening party of her songs. The event, which kicks off at 3:00 p.m. EST on Rhino's YouTube page, will benefit Feed the Children. "Children need us now more than ever," Flack said in a statement. "We want to be sure that people who need food get it. Each of us can give something. Please give help, connect, and sing a mighty song of love, compassion, and care. We're in this together and helping each other. Love is a song!"

Choreographer Brian Friedman (Beyonce, Britney Spears, Cher, Normani) is breaking down the steps to his original choreo for Britney's iconic "I'm a Slave 4 U" music video at 3 p.m. ET. A portion of the ticket proceeds go to UNICEF USA.

Jason Mraz, Simon Fuller's Now United and Loote are tapped to perform at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles 4th annual Walk and Play L.A. Presented by Disney, this year's virtual event will be live-streamed on Facebook from 11.30 a.m. ET. All funds raised will support CHLA's mission to "create hope and build healthier futures for children," and participants can can choose to donate to the hospital's COVID Emergency Response Fund. Sign up to register at walkandplayla.org for more.

Paul Kelly, Alex Lahey, Archie Roach, Meg Mac, Tim Minchin and more are confirmed for the third episode of The State of Music. Minchin and Jane Gazzo will host. The six-part series is the brainchild of Michael Gudinski and will air each Sunday from 7.00 p.m. AEST (5.00 am ET) on YouTube, Facebook and Victoria Together.

LL Cool J and DJ Z-Trip will host "Live From Backstage" - where they'll be "playing some of Hip-Hop's greatest performances throughout the years" - on Sirius XM at 3:00 p.m. EST.

May 15: Miley Cyrus is scheduled to perform her song "The Climb" during Facebook and Instagram's Celebrate the Class of 2020 event in honor of graduating seniors who have had their commencement ceremonies canceled because of the pandemic. The ceremony will also feature words of wisdom from Lil Nas X, Awkwafina and others, as well as a commencement speech by Oprah Winfrey. It begins at 2:00 p.m. EST and can be streamed on Facebook.

Katy Perry will host a live Q&A and performance with Amazon Music (performing her new song "Daisies" for the first time) at 1:00 p.m. EST.

Her Campus Media is throwing a virtual "I'm Still Graduating" ceremony at 12:00 p.m. EST. Frankie Grande, Teyana Taylor, Lennon Stella, Liam Payne, Austin Mahone, Jesse McCartney, Drax Project, Grouplove, Jack Gilinsky, Alec Benjamin and more are set to appear or perform.

Mötley Crüe will host a virtual watch party for their biopic, The Dirt, at 7 p.m. ET. The metal icons have promised some " special guests " and are encouraging fans to follow along with the special commentary on thei Twitter feed using the #stayhomesweethome hashtag.

Guitar hero Tommy Emmanuel, chart-topping former The Voice Australia winner Karise Eden, and veteran blues-rockers The Black Sorrows join the lineup for Bandwidth, a virtual concert streamed live on Facebook at 7pm AEST (5am ET). An encore screening is set for May 16, 2020 at 10pm ET. Bandwidth was born out of Australia's Blues on Broadbeach festival, which has been scrapped this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Braison Cyrus plays Martin Guitar Presents Jam In Place at 7 p.m. ET.

Rainbow Kitten Surprise's Sam Melo to host a "Live from the Living Room" performance at 8 p.m. ET. Watch here. "I'm going live from inside to show admiration, pay respect and donations to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and their partners," Melo said. "People who are brainstorming how to heap as much food as they can onto as many plates as possible have a lot to think about. How to raise the money to maintain crucial community care ought to be a no-brainer."

Elle King will headline Jack Daniel's weekly Friday night livestream aimed at raising money for musicians in need amid COVID-19 at 7 p.m. EST on her and page. Fans will be able to donate throughout the livestream to Sweet Relief's COVID-19 fund .

Pasquale Grasso will host a Solo Bud Powell album release show here at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.

Queen will make the 1992 Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness available on the band's YouTube page at 2 p.m. EST, to raise money for the World Health Organization. The show will be available to watch for 48 hours, and for every dollar donated during the stream, Google will match with a $2 donation.

May 14: Prince and the Revolution: Live, which was filmed in March 1985, will stream on YouTube. The event begins at 7:00 p.m. EST with a pre-show Q&A with drummer Bobby Z. The concert film begins at 8:00 p.m. EST on Prince's YouTube channel. It will be available to stream through May 17.

Lauren Jauregui will perform during an at-home edition of LiveXLive Presents at 6:00 p.m. EST, benefitting the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Jazz Foundation of America hosts #TheNewGig to benefit its Cover-19 Musicians Emergency Fund. Hosted by Keegan-Michael Key, performers include Elvis Costello, SHERYL CROW, Robert Cray, Angelique Kidjo, Jon Batist, Stanley Jordan and Milton Nascimento. The fund, established in March, helps musicians affected by the pandemic cover basic living expenses. The event will also include memorable archival performances from past fundraisers from such artists as Herbie Hancock, Brittany Howard and the Count Basie Orchestra. The show will also include special appearances by such celebrity friends of the JFA asWayne Shorter, Bootsy Collins, Jeffrey Wright, Rosie Perez, Bruce Willis, Danny Glover, Mark Ruffin, Michael Imperioli, and Steve Schirripa. Watch here starting at 8 p.m. ET

Lyncs plays Martin Guitar Presents Jam In Place at 3 p.m. ET.

Josh Groban continues his series of "movie nights," featuring a screening of his past concert films as well as a simultaneous Q&A with Groban and his running commentary on his Youtube channel at 8 p.m. ET. Today's selection is "Awake Live." on May 28, he will screen "Live at the Greek" and on June 11, he will play "Josh Groban in Concert."

Grayson Capps plays Martin Guitar Presents Jam In Place at noon ET.

Lewis Capaldi will perform a VR concert from his parents' home at 7 p.m. ET on Oculus Venues. Produced by Supersphere, the concert will be simulcast on Lewis Capaldi's Facebook page. Pre-register here.

The second episode of Truideation and Twitch's SESSIONS is happening today; JoJo, Allie X, Cavetown, Empress Of, Kat Cunning, and Salt Cathedral will go live at 4:00 p.m. EST on Twitch. The episode will be hosted by Hannah Rad.

May 12: Jane Lynch remotely hosts NBC's "Hollywood Game Night" with Nick Jonas, Kristen Bell, and Kenan Thompson competing against John Legend, Sean Hayes and Retta in a series of pop culture games at 10 p.m. ET.

Henry Jamison plays Martin Guitar Presents Jam In Place at noon ET.

May 11: Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Mariah Carey and Sting will perform for Rise Up New York!, a citywide virtual telethon to raise awareness and funds to help New Yorkers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It begins at 7:00 p.m. EST on CNBC nationally, and on all New York City stations.

In partnership with the Crew Nation Fund, Live Nation's Live From Home platform will launch "Live From The Living Room" - an intimate concert from the comfort of the artist's home. The first episode features OneRepublic and will air today at 7:00 p.m. EST.

Code Orange's livestream series "You And You Alone" continues tonight at 8:00 p.m. EST on the band's Twitch channel.

Dave Hause plays Martin Guitar Presents Jam In Place at 4 p.m. ET.

May 10: Pickathon Presents A Concert A Day is hosting Black Milk & Nat Turner at 1:00 p.m. PST.

Clearwater will host a 12-hour live concert fundraiser in memory of Toshi Seeger on Mother's Day. Running from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET, more than two dozen artists will perform. More details here.

Inspired by Billy Bragg's recent Mother's Day video release for his song "Can't Be There Today," City Winery and Bragg are co-producing a special multi-artist Mother's Day concert to be broadcast on YouTube at 5 p.m. EST. Rosanne Cash, Richard Thompson, Rufus Wainwright, Mary Chapin Carpenter, The Mountain Goats, Shovels & Rope, The Indigo Girls and more will take part.

Todd Snider goes live with his weekly Sunday morning live sessions, "What It Is-Live with Todd Snider- at 11 a.m CT from the Purple Building in Nashville.

May 9: Fearless Records will be hosting #FearlessAtHome, an interactive livestream featuring acoustic performances by The Pretty Reckless, Ice Nine Kills, Grayscale and more. There will also be appearances by Underoath, All That Remains, Eat Your Heart Out, and others. The event begins at 3:00 p.m. EST; watch it at FearlessAtHome.com. All proceeds will benefit Crew Nation.

Brandy Clark plays Martin Guitar Presents Jam In Place at 6 p.m. ET.

Global Dance Festival is an annual event held in Denver. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Global has transitioned online to bring high energy festival sets straight to your home, with 100% of donations going to Direct Relief. Catch it here on May 9 and 10 starting at 11 a.m. PST.

Pickathon Presents A Concert A Day is hosting Zephaniah OHora at 1:00 p.m. PST.

Today, the full Sarah Brightman: In Concert at the Royal Albert Hall performance will be streamed via YouTube at 3:00 p.m. EST. The 1997 performance, which has never been commercially available, features Andrea Bocelli and Andrew Lloyd Webber and will be streamed to raise funds for COVID-19 relief charities. The performance will be available for 72 hours here.

Digital video company Underknown is hosting LIVEMEDAID, a live-streamed benefit show featuring renowned scientific leaders. It will shine a spotlight on the global crisis caused by COVID-19, and celebrate hope, resilience and the human spirit. Jane Goodall, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Ed Robertson (Barenaked Ladies), Earth, Wind and Fire, Bombino, Patrick Watson, Jesse Cook, Alex Cuba, Paul Anthony and more will take part. The event will take place between 6 p.m. EST - 11 p.m. EST, and will stream live on LIVEMEDAID social channels including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and on www.livemedaid.com.

Kate Miller-Heidke, Mahalia Barnes, Missy Higgins, Mia Wray, Montaigne and Vera Blue are confirmed for the Mother's Day second episode of The State of Music. Carrie Bickmore and Jane Gazzo will host. The six-part series is the brainchild of Michael Gudinski and will air each Sunday from 6.30pm AEST (4.30am ET) on YouTube, Facebook and Victoria Together.

ARIA Award-winning rockers The Living End feature in this week's edition of Live, Loud & Local, the virtual series produced by Australian brewer Coopers and concerts giant Live Nation. Joel Creasey and Myf Warhurst are hosts of the streaming event which kicks off at 6 a.m. ET (8pm AEST).

Colorado Gives Back, a live stream event curated by The Lumineers, will feature the local Colorado music, food and sports communities to benefit MusiCares and the Colorado Restaurant Association at 3:00 p.m. EST. The Lumineers, OneRepublic, Jewel, Nathaniel Rateliff, Peyton Manning, Von Miller, Mikaela Shiffrin and more will all perform or appear. Tune in here.

Tim McGraw will perform his new single, "I Called Mama," live for the first time as well as some fan favorites on Amazon Live at 10 a.m. PT. Following his live performance, fans will have a chance to submit questions for McGraw to answer. McGraw's performance kicks off a series of performances and intimate conversations with artists on Amazon Live. Amazon Music and Amazon Live have also collaborated with McGraw to help bring awareness to the World Health Organization's COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, and the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund for the livestream.

The Northern New Mexico festival Virtual LemonAid will stream at 10:00 p.m. EST via Instagram TV, Facebook Live and Youtube Live. David Byrne, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Meredith Monk, Ali MacGraw, Daniel Rossen (Grizzly Bear), John Dieterich (Deerhoof), Tiago Arrais (Os Arrais), Gary Farmer and Nacha Mendez will all appear or perform.

Volbeat will livestream their Live From Beyond Hell/Above Heaven concert film at 10:00 a.m. EST on their YouTube channel.

Angela Petrilli plays Martin Guitar Presents Jam In Place at 4 p.m. ET.

Pickathon Presents A Concert A Day is hosting Nathaniel Rateliff at 1:00 p.m. PST.

Kip Moore will perform at 7:00 p.m. EST on Facebook and Instagram to benefit Sweet Relief's COVID-19 fund in partnership with Jack Daniel's.

Rolling Loud to stream Miami 2017 festival, featuring Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller, XXXTentacion, A$AP Rocky, Lil Wayne, Travis Scott and more.

Trombone Shorty plays live at 6 p.m. E.T. as part of Crown Royal's #GenerosityHour happy hour here.

May 7: The 1975 collaborated with magazine to throw their own tribute livestream concert. Phoebe Bridgers, Pale Waves, Clairo, Cavetown, Beabadoobee, Gracie Abrams and Rina Sawayama will cover the English pop-rock band's classics starting at 11 a.m. ET.

Radiohead will stream their 2006 Bonnaroo Festival set on YouTube at 5:00 p.m. EST.

Lollapalooza will share video of the Foo Fighters' 2011 set at 8:00 p.m. EST here.

Punk rockers The Frights will be playing on Doc Martens' Instagram page at 6:00 p.m. EST.

LiveXLive Presents: Hot Chelle Rae will air here at 5:00 p.m. PST.

Houseparty will host a free prom with D-Nice and Zack Bia at 8 p.m. EST. See more info here.

Lauren Mascitti & Shawn Camp play Martin Guitar Presents Jam In Place at 7 p.m. ET.

Indigo Girls have confirmed a concert and Q&A series, live streaming every Thursday in May (7, 14, 21) at 7 p.m. EST ( Facebook Live and Instagram Live). The May 14 concert will include an optional donation with all proceeds to charity.

Pickathon Presents A Concert A Day is hosting Mac DeMarco at 1:00 p.m. PST.

Zac Brown Band will perform on Verizon's weekly streaming entertainment series Pay It Forward Live in support of small businesses affected by COVID-19. The performance will take place at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST and will stream live on Twitter (@Verizon), Yahoo, Verizon's Facebook and YouTube pages, Fios Channel 501 and 604, Yahoo Finance on Samsung TV Plus on channel 1017, The Roku Channel, AXS TV, FOX NOW or on iHeart and SiriusXM.

Dallas-based blues rockers Brothers Beckham will be live-streaming a full concert performance at 4:00 p.m. ET via Facebook Live and YouTube. The show is being produced in cooperation with Alford Media and Wilde Silas.

Clyde and Gracie of the band Lawrence will perform as part of CampTShirtDay.com at 8 p.m. ET.

Third Street Music School Settlement will hold a virtual gala at 6:30 p.m. EST with a performance by Jason Mraz. Mraz, Cyndi Lauper, composer/violinist Jessie Montgomery, designer Zac Posen and YouTube global head of music Lyor Cohen will be honored. Third Street students will also perform.

Wiz Khalifa will host a VR performance of new music and more on Oculus Venues at 7:00 p.m. ET from his home in Los Angeles. Produced by Supersphere, the performance will be broadcast live on Oculus Venues. Fans can pre-register here.

Pickathon Presents A Concert A Day is hosting Black Mountain at 1:00 p.m. PST.

Dave Matthews Band to host "DMB Drive-In" every Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST here, featuring a live show from the band's archive.

May 5: Diplo and Dillon Francis are performing as part of Corona's #CincoatHome Benefit Concert. For every person who tunes in, Corona will donate $1 - up to $500,000 - to the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund. The livestream begins at 9:00 p.m. EST on Live Nation's Twitter.

Dave Matthews Band will broadcast a show from their archives each Wednesday for a show titled DMB Drive-In. Listen 8 p.m. ET via dmbdrivein.com.

Noise Pop's "No Place Like Home" kicks off today at 7 p.m. PST in response to the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the independent live music communities in the SF Bay Area. The livestreams will take place every Tuesday and Thursday night, starting with a performance from SF's own K. Flay on May 5, followed by Rogue Wave on May 7 and Geographer on May 12, along with a very special solo performance from Built to Spill on May 14. All funds raised will be shared between the co-promoting venue, artists, and Noise Pop's Staff Relief Fund.

21 Savage and DJ Marc B will be going live with Tequila Avion at 8:00 p.m. EST to celebrate Cinco de Mayo on the brand's Instagram page. 21 Savage will be performing some of his songs as well as answering fan questions.

Katy Perry is going live on Instagram with CYN to celebrate CYN-co De Mayo at 5 p.m. PST.

311 is doing a live concert stream from their Summer Tour 2019 at 8:00 p.m. EST on Facebook. Donations will benefit Heartland Food Bank.

The Deftones are celebrating the 10th anniversary of Diamond Eyes with a listening party on YouTube. They'll be chilling with fans during the event, which begins at 9:00 p.m. EST.

The Grammy Museum will host a bilingual Instagram Live event in both English and Spanish in celebration of Cinco De Mayo. Airing 2-3 p.m. PT on the Grammy Museum's IG, it features co-founder of Flor De Toloache Mireya Ramos, Aureo Vaqueiro and is and hosted by Ruidosa founder Francisca.

1800 Tequila is launching Live From Inside, a new digital livestream series that encourages "fans to stay home, watch live entertainment and enjoy a refreshing cocktail." The weekly livestream will feature Lauren Jauregui, Westside Boogie, Kiana Ledé and Chika, with Jauregui kicking things off today at 9:00 p.m. EST via Instagram Live.

The 1975's Matty Healy is launching a podcast with Brian Eno, Stevie Nicks, Kim Gordon, Conor Oberst, Mike Kinsella of American Football, Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream and more. The first episode, featuring Eno, drops today at 11:00 a.m. EST.

Mitchell Tenpenny will perform via livestream for Cracker Barrel's "There's Comfort in Giving" campaign.

Toby Keith has been hosting The Furniture Store Guitar Sessions, in which he performs different songs every day.

BeachLife Festival and Herradura will be celebrating Cinco De Mayo with sets from Russ Rankin of Good Riddance, Dan Kelly of Fortunate Youth, Moi from Tomorrows Bad Seeds, Davey Allen, Gavin Heaney of Latch Key Kid, Kira Lingman and V Torres, Ron Artis II, and Tom Freund. The event kicks off at 5 p.m. PST.

Brandon Lancaster of LANCO plays Martin Guitar Presents Jam In Place at 8 p.m. ET.

Ozomatli is holding a special Cinco de Mayo live stream fundraiser for the House of Blues Music Forward Foundation at 5 p.m. PT. The live stream is free to view with registration, though fans can access an "after party" and other extras by donating.

Pickathon Presents A Concert A Day is hosting Joan Shelley at 1:00 p.m. PST.

1800 Tequila is launching Live From Inside, a new digital livestream series, encouraging fans to stay home, watch live entertainment and enjoy a refreshing cocktail. 1800 is also contributing to Music for Relief, the disaster response campaign of the Entertainment Industry Foundation. The weekly livestream will feature an artist performance, with a lineup that includes lineup including Lauren Jauregui, Westside Boogie, Kiana Ledé and Chika. Jauregui will be kicking off Live From Inside on her Instagram Live (@laurenjauregui) at 6 p.m. PST / 9 p.m. EST.

May 4: Questlove will host a livestream for Northwell Health's #HealthcareHeroes Concert Series at 7:00 p.m. EST. Tune in on Northwell Health's YouTube, Questlove's Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages to see him perform, and you can also watch on Northwell Health's website and The Roots' YouTube afterward.

Florence + the Machine will be performing for Vogue's virtual Met Gala celebration, "A Moment With the Met." The performance will be followed by a DJ set from Virgil Abloh. It streams on Vogue's YouTube channel, and begins at 6:00 p.m. EST.

The New York Guitar Festival kicks off its daily shows with live performances and appearances at 4:00 p.m. EST each day, streaming on its YouTube channel. The event will begin with Rosanne Cash and John Leventhal on May 4. The festival continues daily, and ends May 15. Donations will benefit MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Chris Shiflett plays Martin Guitar Presents Jam In Place at 5 p.m. ET.

Pickathon Presents A Concert A Day is hosting Israel Nash at 1:00 p.m. PST.

May 3: Columbia's Livestreams series continues with Lauren Jauregui on Instagram at 3:33 p.m. EST; Diplo at 4:00 p.m. EST on Instagram, YouTube and Twitch; and John Mayer at 10:00 p.m. EST on Instagram.

For YouTube's #StayHome campaign, The Rolling Stones will launch a weekly series called "Extra Licks" on the band's official YouTube channel, starting today at 3:00 p.m. EST. A release states, "Each featurette, available digitally for the first time, will appear as a YouTube Premiere, streaming bonus features of six concert films from throughout their career, including performances from the 1994 Voodoo Lounge Tour and the 2016 Latin America Ole! Tour. This series is in partnership with The Rolling Stones and Eagle Rock Entertainment, and will stream exclusively on YouTube."

Birds Of Tokyo, Diesel, G Flip and James Reyne are confirmed for the first episode of Michael Gudinski's new project, The State of Music. The six-part series will air each Sunday and debuts from 7.30pm AEST (5.30am ET) on YouTube, Facebook and Victoria Together.

Darin & Brooke Aldridge play Martin Guitar Presents Jam In Place at 8 p.m. ET.

Sofi Tukker will go live every day here at 10 a.m. PST.

Walshy Fire of the electronic dance music trio, Major Lazer, hosts a weekly Sound Clash - bringing on artists from around the globe to compete against one another. Catch it here at 12 p.m. PST. Diplo will go live here at 3 p.m. PST.

Lolla From the Vault - Alesso will air the DJ's 2019 set here at 8 p.m. EST.

May 2: Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood will be livestreaming a performance from the Grand Ole Opry at 7:30 p.m. EST. The event will be viewable on Brooks' Facebook page.

Elliot Easton plays Martin Guitar Presents Jam In Place at 4 p.m. ET.

Lennon Stella, Bobby Berk, Shay Mitchell, Chelsea Handler and more will participate in Create + Cultivate's first ever digital conference dubbed, Money Moves. In an effort to help those in industries who have been most affected by COVID -19, proceeds of ticket sales will go to a $10,000 small business grant for one small business owner. See the schedule here.

Columbia's Livestreams series continues with Diplo at 11:00 p.m. on Instagram, YouTube and Twitch.

Bandsintown LIVE's programming expands into the weekend as they are co-sponsors of the Dreamworld live festival featuring Darude, Adventure Club, Tritonal, Good Times Ahead, and Snakehips. Catch it here starting at 2 p.m. PST. The fun continues into the weekend.

Diplo and Dillon Francis return with their Coronight Fever show here at 9 p.m. PST.

Win and Woo & Goldfish will go live here at 11 a.m. PST.

Get down with Team Bassrush with Slander b2b Svdden Death, Habstrakt, Kompany, and Effin here at 8 p.m. PST.

Black Coffee will go live here at 12 p.m. PST.

John Legend will go live here at 12 p.m. EST.

Genesis will host its weekly series here at 3 p.m. EST.

May 1: Josh Groban, Quincy Jones, Questlove and many others are participating in the global 24-hour Call to Unite livestream, which kicks off at 8:00 p.m. EST at unite.us, as well as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and other platforms.

iHeartMedia Los Angeles' 102.7 KIIS FM will be hosting a Virtual Prom for Southern California students live at 6:30 p.m. PST on KIIS FM's YouTube channel. The event will feature DJ sets from Joe Jonas, Dillon Francis and Loud Luxury, a special guest appearance from Lauv and more.

Kesha will perform at 7:00 p.m. EST on Facebook and Instagram to benefit Sweet Relief's COVID-19 fund in partnership with Jack Daniel's.

Pvssy Riot play Boiler Room here at 3 p.m. ET.

Christine and the Queens play Mark Ronson's Love Lockdown here at 6 p.m. ET.

Lauv's Blue Boy Foundation will host "Breaking Modern Loneliness: A Conversation on Mental Health," a virtual panel discussion in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, at 1:00 p.m. EST. Alessia Cara, Anne-Marie, and Sofía Reyes will also join the discussion; the panel will be moderated by Michelle Carlson, executive director of Teen Line.

Mitchell Tenpenny plays Martin Guitar Presents Jam In Place at 6 p.m. ET.

John Legend will be joining iHeartRadio's four-week tribute series, "iHeartRadio's First Responder Fridays with FirstNet, Built with AT&T" hosted by Ryan Seacrest at 4:00 p.m. PST on iHeartRadio's Facebook Page here.

Americares' "COVID Is No Joke" virtual comedy fest, with a performance from Sia, will feature a mix of sketches, stand-up comedy and heart-felt messages to help raise critical funding for Americares COVID-19 response. Watch it here at 8 p.m. EST.

Kurt Vile, John Oates, G. Love, Nick Bockrath and many others are scheduled for the three-day Love From Philly virtual music festival, which runs through May 3. The event will be livestreamed on lovefromphilly.love, and will benefit Philly's artists and entertainment professionals impacted by the pandemic.

The 1975 will be hosting an online listening party for their self-titled debut album at 7 p.m. GMT. The platform has yet to be announced.

Kenny Chesney will celebrate the release of his new album, Here and Now, with a 30-minute visit with fans hosted across Chesney's social media platforms, on KennyChesney.com and simulcast on SiriusXM's The Highway (Channel 56) and No Shoes Radio (Channel 57) as well as the SiriusXM channels' Facebook pages at 6 p.m. CT.

Luke Combs is partnering with Miller Lite for a live performance to support bartenders around the country. "The bars and small clubs are where I got my start, so it hurts to see them and everyone else having to struggle the way they are," Combs said in a statement. "I'm excited to partner with Miller Lite to raise some money for them, sing a few songs, and spread the love for my favorite beer with my fans!" The event - which kicks off at 8:00 p.m. EST on his YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram - is part of the #VirtualTipJar campaign, where viewers can make donations.

The Dreamworld online musical charity festival will feature Bonnie x Clyde, Cheat Codes, Tokyo Machine, and many more DJ performances. It will stream live on Twitch May 1-3, and benefits the Heart Water Foundation for COVID-19 relief efforts. RSVP at DreamworldFest.com.

Talinda Bennington's 320 Changes Direction partnered with LA-based production company, Femme Fetale for Gender Empowerment Week, taking place May 1 - 7, 2020, the week leading up to 320 Festival Online. The virtual broadcast event will include educational sessions featuring topics such as art escapism, creating from within, gender possibilities, queer stigma, and viewers can even learn how to do their own drag makeup. The sessions will be lead by special guests such as Ka5sh, Holander, Johnny Gentelman, and more. For a full schedule, please see here.

Columbia's Livestreams series continues with Quinn XCII at 6:00 p.m. on Instagram and Diplo at 11:00 p.m. on Instagram, YouTube and Twitch.

Halestorm will go live here at 1 p.m. PST.

The Front Bottoms will host their weekly Twitch livestream here at 2 p.m. PST.

Fredo Disco will go live here at 4 p.m. PST.

Fitz and the Tantrums will go live here at 5 p.m. PST.

BeachLife Festival and Jack Daniels will be celebrating the week that the BeachLife festival was supposed to happen, by featuring Speakeasy acoustic sets from Jim Lindberg of Pennywise, Chris Shiflett of the Foo Fighters, Trever Keith of Face to Face, Jason Devore of Authority Zero, Jason Cruz of Strung Out and LAW, plus special sets from Sublime with Rome and Ziggy Marley. The event kicks off at 5 p.m. PST.

Tory Lanez will go live here at 7 p.m. EST.

NRJ Music Tour will go live here at 2:30 p.m. EST.

Pink Floyd will air "An Hour With Pink Floyd: KQED" here at 12 p.m. EST.

Pickathon: A Concert a Day will host Foxygen here at 4 p.m. EST.

Childish Major will be hosting a beats-making session with Amazon music on Twitch. Watch it here at 9 p.m. EST.

PJ will go live here at 7 p.m. EST for "Doing My Part with PJ."

Dash Studios Live: Sasha Marie will go live here at 4 p.m. PST.

R&B vocalist RHYE will go live here at 10 p.m. PST.

Factory 93 livestream with Lee Foss, Anabel Englund, & MK live from Los Angeles will broadcast here at 7 p.m. PST.

The first episode of Music Lives ON, a new on-going series that will happen every Friday night on LiveXLive, will broadcast here at 5 p.m. PST. This week we will feature Anitta, Golf Clap, Just Seconds Apart, Kiesza, Kemper Sisters, The Kid LAROI, Masteria.

Zaza World Radio returns to Apple Music here at 9 p.m. EST for a quarantine special with Kendall & Daniel, Bella Hadid, Joe Perez, Virgil Abloh, and many more to catch up and practice social distancing at its finest.

April 30: Megadeth will stream their 2017 Wacken Open Air Festival performance in its entirety on Megadeth.com at 5 p.m. EST. Singer/guitarist Dave Mustaine will do a live chat with fans, sharing anecdotes and answering questions during the stream.

Norah Jones will be livestreaming from her Facebook page at 5:00 p.m. EST.

Janelle Monáe is performing for Verizon's #PayItForwardLive series at 8:00 p.m. EST to support small businesses. Watch the performance on Verizon's Twitter account.

Chris Daughtry, Rob Thomas and Gavin DeGraw perform at 8 p.m. here for Rock the House for the Animals, a fundraiser for the Humane Society.

Straight no Chaser will be airing a concert here at 7 p.m. EST benefitting MusiCares COVID-19 relief fund. The concert was shot at the Durham Performing Arts Center in Durham, NC.

Echosmith will perform during an at-home edition of LiveXLive Presents at 9:00 p.m. EST, benefitting the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.

&pizza and Breakaway Music Festival will host a virtual Hero Concert series sponsored by Local Now, with Loud Luxury, Kid Quill and Bryce Vine on the lineup. Kicking off at 8:00 p.m. EST, fans can tune in on Twitter, as well as on &pizza, Breakaway, and Dancing Astronaut's social pages and across all of the artists' social pages. Plus, the series will help "raise funding for and celebrate hospital workers on the frontline of COVID-19 through &pizza's Hero Pie Program," a release states. The Hero Pie Program has provided free pizza pies to hospital workers all over the east coast, providing over 30,000 pizzas thus far.

The Grammy Museum will put on an Instagram Live event in honor of the 13th anniversary of Amy Winehouse's "Back To Black" single release. The singer JoJo, Winehouse's stylist Naomi Parry, Winehouse's close friend Catriona Gourlay and music journalist Eve Barlow will all appear. The Instagram Live will take place from 5-6:00 p.m. EST, and the "Beyond Black - The Style Of Amy Winehouse" virtual exhibit will go live on the Museum's website on Friday (May 1).

The cast of Broadway's Sing Street will stream an at-home performance for charity via Facebook Live at 6:30 p.m. EST. Proceeds will benefit The Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Fresh after playing for Jimmy Fallon's The Tonight Show, Music From The Home Front and Warner Music Group's PlayOn, "Dance Monkey" star Tones And I will host her very own a webcast. "I'm playing some songs for you live on my YouTube channel," she tweeted. "Stay at home and hang #WithMe." Log on here.

Rob Thomas, Chris Daughtry and Gavin DeGraw will present a livestream event called "Rock the House for Animals!" with musical performances, interviews and "appearances by special friends of Rob and Marisol Thomas" on Facebook, YouTube and Twitch. The pre-show begins at 7:00 p.m. EST, and the live concert will kick off from the musicians' homes at 8:00 p.m. EST. According to a release, the event "will help the Humane Society of the United States, working together with Sidewalk Angels Foundation, to support critical work for all animals, including help for pets and their people who are impacted by COVID-19."

Dinosaur Pile-Up will have an interview here at 9 a.m. PST.

Tyler from Theory of a Deadman will host a Q&A here at 10 a.m. PST.

Trivium will stream their 2018 Brixton set here at 12 p.m. PST.

Emily Hackett will be showing fans around her quarantine and going live on Reverb's Instagram at 2:00 p.m. EST.

Columbia's Livestreams series continues with Lennon Stella at 4:00 p.m. on Instagram; Diplo at 10:00 p.m. on Instagram, YouTube and Twitch; Riley Lanez at 10:00 p.m. on Instagram; and Chloe X Halle at 11:00 p.m. on Instagram.

Centertainment will be hosting Rufus Wainwright, a performance by Kristen Ford of her song "$crubs" to honor those on the front lines and a message of hope from the Center's congressional representative, Congressman Adam Schiff, from this week's Big Queer Convo. See it here at 7 p.m. PST.

April 29: The Roots Jam Presents Solo Sessions premieres at 6:00 p.m. EST on The Roots' YouTube channel. Each episode will feature one-song performances handpicked by the band, with the first episode highlighting MuMu Fresh, Son Little and Madison McFerrin.

Korn will release a concert film of their September 2019 album release show on YouTube.

Offset is teaming up with Young Thug, Rich the Kid and Saint Jhn to benefit the Atlanta Community Food Bank with a livestream of performances from 4:00-6:00 p.m. PDT. The event will stream live on Oculus Venues and Facebook.

Sheryl Crow joins H.E.R.'s "Girls With Guitars" series at 8:00 p.m. EST on Instagram Live. There will also be additional surprise guests.

Willie Nelson's Red Headed Stranger Live From Austin City Limits (1976) will stream here at 5:20 p.m. EST.

Twice's series premiere of their docuseries Twice: Seize the Light launches part one at 10:00 a.m. EST on YouTube. (You can also watch episode one here.)

Columbia's Livestreams series continues with Quinn XCII at 6:00 p.m. on Instagram.

The Grammy Museum is releasing its digital public program with Brett Young here.

Grouplove will be live on Instagram answering fan questions at 4:00 p.m. EST.

Carly Pearce will go live on Pandora's Instagram account at 5:00 p.m. EST with a Q&A and a wine tasting from her home in Nashville.

Thomas Rhett will kick off the iHeartRadio Living Room Concert Series Presented by State Farm. The first installment of the eight-week series will stream on iHeartRadio's YouTube Channel and broadcast across iHeartRadio stations across the country at 7:00 p.m. local time.

Trivium will go live here at 12 p.m. PST.

Tones and I will host a live performance here at 7 p.m. PST.

The Stone Foxes will play at 9:00 p.m. EST on Anchor Brewing's Instagram account.

Ally Brooke plays on Navy Exchange's Facebook or Instagram at 7:00 p.m. EST.

April 28: Billy Joel will be streaming live for "Live From the Porch" at 8:00 p.m. EST on his Facebook page.

Beck shared his 2018 set from the We Love Green Festival in France, with "Up All Night," "Wow, "Loser" and more in the setlist. Watch the full set here.

Dashboard Confessional's Chris Carrabba will host a career-spanning charity livestream at 8:00 p.m. EST, with all profits benefiting Music Health Alliance. Pay-what-you-want tickets start at $5 and can be purchased here.

CMT Next Women of Country will go live on CMT's Facebook page at 5:00 p.m. CST. The stream will be hoste

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Here Are All the Livestreams & Virtual Concerts to Watch During Coronavirus Crisis (Updating)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
UPDATE: This roundup is now weekly - check out all of the livestreams to watch for the week of Jan 25. As the nation adjusts to the new reality of life under self-quarantine in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, a number of artists and musical institutions are taking the show online to share some musical joy during these trying times.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
For many people, a trip to Germany's fairytale-like Neuschwanstein castle, the Republic of Ireland's stunning Cliffs of Moher, or the pristine waters of the Maldives are a bucket list ambition.

Plans for these and other international trips in 2020 were brought to an abrupt halt by the Covid-19 pandemic. Around the world, once-crowded sights lay dormant, with hotels empty and not a tourist in sight.

The statistics speak for themselves. On 13 October, the International Air Transport Association (Iata) said that international traffic "has all but disappeared", with airlines carrying only about 10% of normal levels.

By Iata's estimate, Covid-caused disruptions put more than 41 million jobs at risk across the travel and tourism sector.

In the absence of travellers, tourism boards, hotels and destinations have turned to virtual reality (VR) - a technology still in its relative infancy - to keep would-be visitors interested and prepare for the long road to recovery.

What began for many as a temporary stop-gap measure may now be a long-term tool. Iata predicts that travel will not resume to pre-pandemic levels until 2024.

Faced with a new reality of diminished tourism, many believe that Covid-19 might be the watershed moment for VR that changes perceptions from a clever and occasional marketing trick to a permanent fixture of tourism marketing.

'Alternative travel'

"The impact of Covid-19 may have allowed VR to somewhat shake off its image of being a gimmick in tourism," says Ralph Hollister, a tourism analyst at Global Data and author of a report on VR's applications in tourism.

"The further this pandemic goes on for, the higher the chance that VR may become a valid form of alternative travel as consumers get more used to this technology."

Steve Perillo is boss of Travel World VR, a US-based VR and 360-degree video marketing and production company that works with tour operators, destinations, cruise lines and hotels.

He says the pandemic has been a "shot of adrenaline" for a technology that to date had "not yet really arrived".

Now he says VR can whet a potential audience's appetite. "The momentum has really picked up. It's really launched the concept of travelling remotely."

'Essential elements'

In this environment, a number of countries have stepped up VR marketing efforts to prepare for the gradual recovery of their tourism industries.

Among the most prominent is Germany, which has unveiled a number of immersive projects to highlight the country's potential as a travel destination.

In 360-degree videos designed to be seen on Oculus Rift headsets, for example, the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) has taken viewers on trips across the country, as well as to parts of its Baltic and North Sea coasts.

Another set of videos - for the Microsoft Hololens - includes views of six of the country's most famous castles and palaces.

"Digital applications cannot, and are not intended to, replace the experience of real-world travel," GNTB chief executive Petra Hedorfer told the BBC.

"But VR and AR (augmented reality) applications are essential elements in keeping interest in Destination Germany alive during travel restrictions, getting potential customers excited about our product and providing inspiration for real-world travel."

VR acceleration

Some 1,200km (745 miles) to Germany's west, VR was being explored by Irish tourism officials even before the pandemic began.

In November 2019, Tourism Ireland launched a two-part VR experience designed to promote sights in Northern Ireland.

The Embrace a Giant Spirit campaign - which involved collaboration with Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon and Oscar-nominated cinematographer Seamus McGarvey - included the famed Giant's Causeway and highlighted the country's role as the setting for HBO's Game of Thrones.

"We know technology is already changing how we travel, and it's only going to accelerate with VR in a post-pandemic environment," says Siobhan McManamy, Tourism Ireland's director of markets.

With travel still largely at a standstill, it remains too early for Ireland and Germany to gauge their return on investment: that is, the number of people who, having seen a destination virtually, actually book tickets and visit.

'Return value'

Thoyyib Mohamed, managing director of the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation, says while VR will indeed help boost tourism, the direct correlation may be hard to measure.

In the case of the Maldives, VR has been used to showcase various experiences on island properties, such as morning yoga by the beach, snorkelling, or cooking lessons.

"An increase in investment in VR does not directly translate to an increase in visitors in the future," he says.

"However, the amount of times... VR is utilised, either on websites, in print or even during [travel] fairs, can translate to potential conversion.

"Each medium provides a different return value, but is assisted by the investment done on VR marketing."

Boosting traveller confidence?

Some, however, believe the benefits of VR in travel might be felt much sooner.

They include Miguel Flecha, a Madrid-based travel and hospitality expert for the multinational consulting firm Accenture.

He thinks that as restrictions ease in the next few months, VR will be a vital tool in helping familiarise travellers with a new environment and help slowly rebuild consumer confidence.

"As we start to recover, there will be segments of the population that will be willing to travel like crazy. Younger people will be booking flights as soon as possible, but other segments of the population won't be very comfortable," says Mr Flecha.

VR technologies, he adds, can be a cost-effective and potent way to help clients feel more comfortable - and more willing to travel.

New Tech Economy is a series exploring how technological innovation is set to shape the new emerging economic landscape.

"They [travellers] could be shown health and safety measures, or the check-in process at a hotel in the new reality so that they feel safer, or the boarding process on a flight or cruise.

"If you're able to increase the comfortability of a client to travel, in the end they'll book. They'll stay in a hotel, or they'll fly with you. That's the return on investment - you're incentivising the client to travel."

An airline using VR to replace travel isn't without precedent. Since 2017, Japan-based First Air - which bills itself as the "first virtual aviation facility"- has been offering VR "flights" from Tokyo, complete with boarding passes, in-flight meals and programmed destination countries from Italy to New Zealand.

With the onset of the pandemic, the company's bookings spiked 50%, it told reporters this summer.

'Great accelerator'

There are, however, a number of limitations that experts say are currently holding the technology back, including large, unwieldy headsets and high costs.

The most important limitation, according to Mr Flecha, is that there has yet to be a trusted global brand to place its bets on VR. "The industry needs to believe in the technology [for it to succeed]," he says.

That may have begun to change with the September launch in the US of Amazon Explore, a platform that gives access to one-on-one virtual experiences with tour guides and local residents in countries around the world.

Experiences offered on the high-tech giant's public beta version range from tours of Kyoto neighbourhoods in Japan to artisan shopping in Costa Rica and fish taco cooking lessons in Mexico.

As Mr Flecha sees it, Amazon Explore may foretell the success or failure of VR in the travel industry.

Serious investment by a high-tech giant and a trusted brand - Apple and Samsung are also looking into virtual reality - could, he believes, be the "great accelerator" needed.

More on this story

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Coronavirus: Is virtual reality tourism about to take off?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For many people, a trip to Germany's fairytale-like Neuschwanstein castle, the Republic of Ireland's stunning Cliffs of Moher, or the pristine waters of the Maldives are a bucket list ambition. Plans for these and other international trips in 2020 were brought to an abrupt halt by the Covid-19 pandemic.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What is virtual reality in travel?

Virtual reality refers to interactive images or videos which enable the viewer to explore the entire 360 degrees of a scene. Unlike a regular image of video, which is shot from a fixed view point, VR production captures every part of a location.

In the travel industry, virtual reality can be used to capture tourism destinations in a unique and immersive way.

This is achieved using specialist cameras, rigs, and software. The finished content can then be viewed on either a VR headset or a regular computer or mobile device.

Many people assume that VR content can only be viewed on a specialist VR headset but this is not the case. Although VR is more immersive when viewed in this way, it can also be viewed on any device, including mobiles.

Take a look at the tourism VR content below, produced by us at Immersion VR. You can click or swipe across the video in order to view an entire 360 degrees.

VR tourism video produced by Immersion VR

VR in tourism marketing

The most common way in which VR is utilised in the tourism industry is for marketing. Being able to capture tourism destinations in such a memorable and immersive way is a powerful marketing tool.

One of the greatest strengths of VR is allowing the user to experience the feeling of "being there". Whilst regular images and videos can work well for showing what a destination has to offer, they don't often elicit an emotional response.

VR in tourism has the ability to place the user at the heart of the scene and makes it easier for them to imagine themselves at the location.

360 VR tourism

When many people think of VR they think of it as CGI (computer generated imagery), which is how it is used in the gaming industry. However, there is a different form of virtual reality known as 360 VR, or 360VR video.

360 VR focuses on the real world rather than computer generated imagery. This makes it perfect for the tourism industry where it is important to show users a real location rather than a mockup or a simulation.

Immersion VR capturing VR tourism content

360VR content in tourism is captured in a similar way to regular image and video content. A 360 VR company, like us at Immersion VR, arrives at the location with specialist equipment in order to shoot the scene. The footage is then taken back to the studio where it is produced into VR content using specialist software.

This form of VR is the most widely used form of VR in tourism and it something that we specialise in here at Immersion VR. 360 VR is also commonly used in education, the real estate industry, and for online marketing in general.

VR technology in tourism

VR can be used in many different ways in the tourism industry. The technology is evolving at a rapid rate and the uses of VR within tourism is expanding along with the technology.

The main VR technologies that are used in the travel industry are VR video and VR photography.

VR tourism videos

A VR tourism video works much like a normal video. They can be viewed on social media or websites, but unlike a regular video, the user is able to explore the entire scene whilst the video is playing.

VR tourism videos are captured using specialist cameras known as omnidirectional cameras. These cameras film every angle of the destination at once. After filming, the footage is taken back to the studio where it is stitched together in order to produce a VR tourism video.

There are 2 types of VR tourism videos:

- Monoscopic VR tourism video

- Stereoscopic VR tourism video

Monoscopic VR videos for tourism can be viewed on regular devices including mobiles and computers. The viewer can click or drag across the screen in order to rotate the field of view, similar to turning your head to explore a scene.

Take a look at the VR tourism video below for an example of monoscopic footage. The video can be viewed on any device, inclusing mobile and desktop. Scroll or swipe across the video to explore the entire surroundings.

Monoscopic VR tourism video produced by Immersion VR

Stereoscopic VR videos for tourism are produced for VR headsets and they cannot be viewed on a regular device. Although they take more time to produce and are typically more expensive, they provide a more immersive travel experience. These videos feature head tracking so the user can move their head to explore the surroundings in a realistic way.

For more information about monoscopic and stereoscopic VR content, take a look at our in-depth article here.

VR tourism photography

VR tourism photography involves the production of 360 images of travel destinations. These images are generally designed to be viewed on regular devices such as mobiles and desktops.

Virtual tourism photography works much like a VR tourism video but with still images. The view is free to scroll or swipe across the image in order to view the entire scene.

Take a look at a sample of some of the 360 tourism images taken below.

The images are taken with state-of-the-art DSLR cameras on specialist rigs which allow for the capture of 360 degrees. Because DSLR cameras are used, it allows for higher resolution images when compared to VR tourism videos.

The 360 images can then be uploaded to social media and websites for user to view just as easily as regular images. Although these images are typically not as immersive as VR videos, they are quicker to produce and generally more cost effective.

Using 360 photography, it is also possible to produce hotel tours which enable the user to explore a hotel and its surroundings in an immersive and interactive way.

Applications of virtual reality in tourism

Applications of VR in tourism include:

- Virtual reality travel experiences

- VR tourism content for social media/websites

- Virtual hotel tours

Virtual reality travel experiences

Virtual reality travel experiences typically refer to VR tourism videos made for VR headsets. These virtual travel experiences aim to create a feeling that is as much like being in the real destination as is possible.

At the cutting edge of 360 VR, virtual reality travel experiences provide something truly unique and memorable to the user. The number of travel agencies and travel companies embracing this technology is continually growing and they promise a bright future within the industry.

VR headsets in the travel industry

VR headsets typically provide the most realistic virtual reality travel experience for the user. A VR headset uses specialist software which tracks the movement of the users head. This allows the user to explore the travel destination as they would in real life.

Currently, the number of people that own a VR headset is rising at a fast rate. This growth in headsets can largely be attributed to the gaming market, where the technology is being pushed hard.

Also, all the major online platforms including Google, Facebook, and Amazon are all investing heavily in VR headsets and VR content, promising a bright future for this space.

VR created for headsets is more expensive to produce as it requires the production of Stereoscopic content and spatial audio. However, for those travel companies looking to be at the forefront of the technology, the cost can be worth it to allow them to stand out from the crowd and provide an unrivalled experience to their clients.

VR for travel agencies

One of the most common uses of VR headsets in tourism is by the travel agencies themselves. They can offer prospective clients in-store virtual travel experiences that completely transform what it means to visit a travel agency.

Instead of showing visitors brochures and computer screens, travel agents can provide their clients with a virtual experience. This approach can also be used to great effect at trade shows and events, quickly gaining interest from the general public.

Utilising VR allows travel brands to stand out from the crowd and it provides the user with an experience they won't forget. Many travel companies have embraced VR technology and have used it to improve sales, as well as to gain brand exposure.

Virtual tours of hotels

Virtual hotel tours allow users to explore a hotel and its grounds in a much more immersive way than ever before. Just how virtual tours are transforming the real estate industry, they are also having a huge impact on the hotel industry.

Hotel interiors and exteriors can be captured in extreme detail using high resolution cameras and specialist equipment. The images are then merged together ( stitched) to form a complete 360 degree interactive tour in which the user can choose which room to explore.

VR hotel tours are usually monoscopic, which means they can be viewed on any device including mobile and desktop. The tours can then be uploaded to websites and social media for prospective clients to view at any time.

They can also be stereoscopic if the situation and budget allows. This can result in a more realistic and immersive experience.

Unlike regular images of hotels, these tours allow users to imagine themselves in the space. This kind of immersion helps to create unique brand engagement and a lasting impression with the user.

To find out more about virtual tours please take a look at our in-depth article here.

VR travel tours

As well as hotels, VR travel tours can also be created for a wide range of travel destinations and landmarks. VR tours of popular tourism destinations can be produced to give the user a taste of what it's like to be there.

Benefits of virtual reality in tourism

The benefits of virtual reality in tourism include:

- Allowing the user to imagine themselves at a travel destination

- Being able to showcase 360 degrees of a destination in high resolution

- Enabling the user to explore a scene at their own will

- Creating memorable and unique experiences for the user

- Creating unique brand engagement

- Allowing travel companies to stand out from the crowd

- Providing travel experiences to those that cannot travel

- Reducing impact of tourism on vulnerable destinations

VR tourism statistics

According to research carried out in Germany by Statista (see below), almost 50% of people would use VR as a tool for choosing their holiday destination (providing it was free). 13% of those surveyed were actually willing to pay for the VR.

Tourism VR stats - Source

Furthermore, research carried out by Tourism Australia found that almost 20% of consumers had used VR to select a holiday destination. Around 25% of consumers said they planned to use VR in the future to help them decide on a holiday destination.

Overall, the research by Tourism Australia found that VR had the ability to bring a destination to life and make consumers consider travelling to places they wouldn't have otherwise considered. In particular, consumers were most interested in the VR content that related to nature, wildlife, aquatic, and coastal offerings. - http://www.tourism.australia.com/content/dam/assets/document/1/6/y/7/t/2003897.pdf

The future of VR travel

At Immersion VR, we can't see tourism VR going anywhere. On the contrary, we have seen an increase in the use of VR for travel. We cannot predict how this space will develop or what new VR travel technologies will be developed. However, we can spot emerging trends within the industry.

VR travel trends

Common VR travel trends include the following:

- VR travel experiences by travel companies

- Virtual hotel tours by travel companies and hotels

- Technologies to make VR travel more realistic

- VR travel experiences for the elderly

- VR flight experiences

- Virtual experiences of landmark destinations

- Virtual booking interface

We are sure that this list will be growing in the near future so watch this space!

Virtual experiences of landmark destinations

Popular landmark destinations often suffer from the environmental problems associated with too many tourist visitors. By making VR experiences of these landmarks, the number of users can be controlled, reducing the environmental impact.

Take a look below at a VR travel experience of the Grand Canyon. Don't forget to drag or scroll across the video to explore the scene.

Virtual travel experience of the Grand Canyon - video by 360 Labs

With the number of VR headsets on the increase, these type of experiences are sure to become a common feature in many households across the world.

VR flight experiences

Passengers embark upon a replica of an aeroplane cabin while they are given the pre-flight safety demonstration and then served gourmet food. The goal is to provide them with a realistic experience of flying to a destination.

VR flight experiences are a relatively new addition to the VR travel space. A Tokyo based company called First Airlines has created the world's first virtual reality airline.

Virtual travel experience provided by First Airlines - Source

Upon "arrival" the passengers are then given a virtual tour of the destination with VR headsets. Whilst still in its early stages, this kind of experience has the potential to provide people with travel experiences that they would otherwise be unable to afford.

Virtual booking interface

A virtual booking interface is another very recent development within tourism VR. Users can book their holiday whilst wearing a VR headset. All of the booking process takes place within virtual reality.

Everything from choosing the hotel to paying for the holiday happens whilst the user is experiencing the VR. Whilst this has limited applications, we can see travel agencies and companies taking this approach to increase the number of conversions.

Cutting edge virtual booking interface produced by Amadeus

It seems to be the logical next step up from one-off travel experiences to taking care of the entire booking process. Whilst still in its infancy, we can see virtual booking interfaces becoming more common within the tourism industry.

Virtual reality travel for seniors

One of the areas in which virtual reality can replace travel is for those that cannot travel, in particular seniors. When people think of VR, they don't tend to think of the elderly. But being able to provide them with travel experiences that would otherwise not be possible can be extremely rewarding.

Seniors experiencing virtual travel with the help of Maplewood Senior Living - video by Mashable

In a blog post written by The Big Issue, they explain how a company called Viarama have been working on a VR tool to help people with Alzheimer's disease and dementia. They worked on providing senior citizens who are receiving end-of-life care with a one-of-a-kind experience.

Billy Agnew, chief executive of Viarama, said:

"In a hospice situation, we are going in there and letting people 'travel' the world. We are letting people travel to where they got married, or where they did their national service, and to places that they never thought they would be able to see." -
https://www.bigissue.com/latest/technology/how-virtual-reality-is-giving-the-elderly-remarkable-end-of-life-adventures/

Viarama achieves this by using HTC Vive headsets, Google Earth VR software, and powerful computers. But whilst the experience is virtual, the emotions it elicits are definitely real.

Billy Agnew went on to say:

"It's quite often hugely moving. The first time we worked in a hospice we had two doctors who were in to evaluate what we were doing, and both of the doctors broke down because it was so emotional." -
https://www.bigissue.com/latest/technology/how-virtual-reality-is-giving-the-elderly-remarkable-end-of-life-adventures/

Will virtual reality replace travel?

VR is great for creating moments of immersion but it cannot yet replace the complete immersion of being in a real space 24/7.

In fact, in a recent study carried out by European touring company Italy4Real, 81% of adults said that VR can't replace travel. 92% said that visiting a destination in VR did not equate to visiting it in real life. Furthermore, 77% cited sampling the local food as being important to them. -
https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/302947/virtual-reality-not-seen-as-substitute-for-travel.html

Other downsides of VR include smells and the overall atmosphere created by people and animals. Whilst VR technology is progressing at a fast rate, it's pretty safe to say that virtual reality won't be replacing travel anytime soon.

77% of people cited local food as being important

VR in tourism is currently best used for marketing travel destinations and hotels. With the growth of VR, we think that virtual travel experiences will become a huge part of the tourism industry in the near future.

VR travel experts

At Immersion VR we have a wealth of experience in VR for travel with clients across the UK and overseas. We have shot on location in countries such as Oman, Scotland, Spain, Indonesia, and Mexico.

We can cater for any kind of tourism VR that you need, from virtual reality travel experiences to VR hotel tours.

Immersion VR capturing VR travel content on location in Oman

We take great pride in the quality of our work and we are unlike any VR travel company. With skills in so many areas of VR, we can advise and inform our clients every step of the way.

Our highly trained crew and attention to detail is what puts us amongst the best VR travel experts out there.

For more information on VR for travel and the services we offer please get in touch today.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
VR For Tourism - The Future Of The Travel Industry | Immersion VR

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In the travel industry, virtual reality can be used to capture tourism destinations in a unique and immersive way. This is achieved using specialist cameras, rigs, and software. The finished content can then be viewed on either a VR headset or a regular computer or mobile device.

# data[].attributes.headline
Sustainable Tourism on a Finite Planet - Megan Epler Wood

# data[].attributes.subject
Sustainable Tourism on a Finite Planet - Megan Epler Wood

# data[].attributes.body
This book talks about the impacts that technology has already had on the tourism industry, from traffic control to digital tourism tracking, which could all have a huge effect on the shape of tourism's future

# data[].attributes.body
Yes it is taken from the example but digital adoption will probably be a major player

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
6 ways the pandemic has changed businesses

Sectors like healthcare and banking are battered but not beaten by COVID-19 disruption, McKinsey analysis finds. Digital delivery features large in the post-pandemic futures of six sector...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
From lockdown to locked in, here's what post-pandemic travel could look like

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In the absence of a universal vaccine against COVID-19, tighter constraints on human mobility will remain in place - perhaps for a long time, according to two economists.

# data[].attributes.headline
Supporting local tourism economy after national lockdowns

# data[].attributes.subject
Supporting local tourism economy after national lockdowns

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
1) Pollution driven by huge increase in mask sales

The promotion of mask wearing as a way to slow the spread of COVID-19 has led to an extraordinary increase in the production of disposable masks: the UN trade body, UNCTAD, estimates that global sales will total some $166 billion this year, up from around $800 million in 2019.

Recent media reports, showing videos and photos of divers picking up masks and gloves, littering the waters around the French Riviera, were a wake-up call for many, refocusing minds on the plastic pollution issue, and a reminder that politicians, leaders and individuals need to address the problem of plastic pollution.

2) A toxic problem

If historical data is a reliable indicator, it can be expected that around 75 per cent of the used masks, as well as other pandemic-related waste, will end up in landfills, or floating in the seas. Aside from the environmental damage, the financial cost, in areas such as tourism and fisheries, is estimated by the UN Environment Programme ( UNEP) at around $40 billion.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has warned that, if the large increase in medical waste, much of it made from environmentally harmful single-use plastics, is not managed soundly, uncontrolled dumping could result.

The potential consequences, says UNEP, which has produced a series of factsheets on the subject, include public health risks from infected used masks, and the open burning or uncontrolled incineration of masks, leading to the release of toxins in the environment, and to secondary transmission of diseases to humans.

Because of fears of these potential secondary impacts on health and the environment, UNEP is urging governments to treat the management of waste, including medical and hazardous waste, as an essential public service. The agency argues that the safe handling, and final disposal of this waste is a vital element in an effective emergency response.

"Plastic pollution was already one of the greatest threats to our planet before the coronavirus outbreak," says Pamela Coke-Hamilton, UNCTAD's director of international trade. "The sudden boom in the daily use of certain products to keep people safe and stop the disease is making things much worse."

3) Existing solutions could cut plastics by 80 per cent

However, this state of affairs can be changed for the better, as shown by a recent, wide-ranging, report on plastic waste published by The Pew Charitable Trusts, and sustainability thinktank Systemiq.

The study, "Breaking the Plastic Wave: A Comprehensive Assessment of Pathways Towards Stopping Ocean Plastic Pollution", which was endorsed by Inger Andersen, head of the UN environment agency UNEP, forecasts that, if no action is taken, the amount of plastics dumped into the ocean will triple by 2040, from 11 to 29 million tonnes per year.

But around 80 per cent of plastic pollution could be eliminated over this same period, simply by replacing inadequate regulation, changing business models and introducing incentives leading to the reduced production of plastics. Other recommended measures include designing products and packaging that can be more easily recycled, and expanding waste collection, particularly in lower income countries.

4) Global cooperation is essential

In its July analysis of plastics, sustainability and development, UNCTAD came to the conclusion that global trade policies also have an important role to play in reducing pollution.

Many countries have introduced regulations that mention plastics over the last decade, an indicator of growing concern surrounding the issue, but, the UNCTAD analysis points out, for trade policies to be truly effective, coordinated, global rules are needed.

"The way countries have been using trade policy to fight plastic pollution has mostly been uncoordinated, which limits the effectiveness of their efforts, says Ms. Coke-Hamilton. "There are limits to what any country can achieve on its own."

5) Promote planet and job-friendly alternatives

Whilst implementing these measures would make a huge dent in plastic pollution between now and 2040, the Pew/ Systemiq report acknowledges that, even in its best-case scenario, five million metric tons of plastics would still be leaking into the ocean every year.

A dramatic increase in innovation and investment, leading to technological advances, the report's study's authors conclude, would be necessary to deal comprehensively with the problem.

Furthermore, UNCTAD is urging governments to promote non-toxic, biodegradable or easily recyclable alternatives, such as natural fibres, rice husk, and natural rubber. These products would be more environmentally-friendly and, as developing countries are key suppliers of many plastic substitutes, could provide the added benefit of providing new jobs. Bangladesh, for example, is the world's leading supplier of jute exports, whilst, between them, Thailand and Côte d'Ivoire account for the bulk of natural rubber exports.

"There's no single solution to ocean plastic pollution, but through rapid and concerted action we can break the plastic wave," said Tom Dillon, Pew's vice president for environment. As the organization's report shows, "we can invest in a future of reduced waste, better health outcomes, greater job creation, and a cleaner and more resilient environment for both people and nature".

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Five things you should know about disposable masks and plastic pollution

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The fight against plastic pollution is being hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, as the use of disposable masks, gloves and other protective equipment soars, but UN agencies and partners insist that, if effective measures are put into place, the amount of plastics discarded every year can be significantly cut, or even eliminated.

# data[].attributes.headline
Airlines should be told to reach net-zero carbon emmissions by 2050 or no bailout

# data[].attributes.subject
Airlines should be told to reach net-zero carbon emmissions by 2050 or no bailout

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
For airlines, the reckoning is no longer far away on the horizon. It's now a jumbo jet meters from the runway, landing gear down. Without a sizeable external cash injection, many international airlines will follow Virgin Australia into insolvency within months, if not weeks.

Should governments bail airlines out? And if so, should any conditions be imposed, particularly in a world that requires rapid progress to net-zero emissions?

The uncertainty of COVID-19 and a pancession (pandemic-induced recession) of unknown duration, has meant the short-term bankruptcy risk for many airlines is at an all-time high. It is becoming increasingly difficult for airlines and aerospace players to source finance through traditional private debt and equity pathways. But underlying this are some salient truths. Many countries see mobility, airline jobs and a competitive aerospace sector as non-negotiables - and will do all they can to prevent the loss of a major airline.

However, airline bailouts are an inefficient use of taxpayer money at a time when fiscal recovery (stimulus) spending is sorely needed.

We recently surveyed 231 leading economists (from 53 countries) including senior finance ministry and central bank officials, for a new Oxford Review of Economic Policy paper, and asked them about 25 different stimulus policies. We found that airline bailouts have the lowest perceived economic payoff and the lowest overall desirability. Conceivably these policymakers were put off by the industry's carbon emissions and perceptions of history repeating itself. In this vein, governments want to avoid setting a precedent for future crises - that is, they hope to encourage responsible behaviour by the industry. Any airline bailout clearly should require a quid pro quo.

Making bailouts sustainable

The solution is simple: any airline bailout should include conditions that the airline reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, with interim targets and a plan to deliver. If airlines fail to meet these conditions, or any number of intermediate climate-related targets, bailout funding would be converted to equity so that the taxpayer could own a stake.

In this way, airline executives and shareholders would have strong financial incentives to meet carbon reduction targets, governments would improve their progress to meeting international climate commitments, and the world would benefit from slowed global warming.

Jaromir Chalabala / shutterstock

Green bailout conditions should allow for strong ambitions - such as airlines reaching 30% sustainable fuel use by 2030 - without prescribing solutions. Governments must empower airlines to develop their own pathways for carbon reduction, providing the freedom to business to determine the most cost-effective decarbonisation choices.

Even airlines which are not bailed out need to do better on sustainability. The current global agreement, CORSIA, the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, requires airlines to offset all growth in emissions from 2020 onwards. This is a good start, but it is far from enough to reach net zero in three decades time.

Yet, as a result of the huge reduction in air travel, the global airlines trade association, IATA, has implied that the climate emergency should be deprioritised to allow for COVID-19 recovery, citing " inappropriate economic burden ". Maybe a realistic compromise would be to cut the airlines some slack in the short term, perhaps using the average of 2017-2020 emissions as the baseline (rather than 2020 alone) - the extra two years would reduce the effect of the crisis.

However, we can and should ask much more of the industry in the medium and long term - nothing less than a collective net zero target is required.

Achieving net zero

The concept of net zero aviation is not far-fetched. Qantas, IAG and Etihad have already committed to reaching it by 2050 while Finnair believes it can do it by 2045. How? Through alternative power, efficiency opportunities and direct carbon offsets.

Jet fuel and aviation gas have almost-exclusively powered jet turbine and propeller planes since the second world war. Biofuels were first approved for commercial airliner use in 2011 and though they remain much more expensive, production efficiencies are reducing prices, as might emerging algae and sugarcane-based technologies.

Battery-powered flight is no longer science fiction. In 2019, the world's first fully electric commercial plane was unveiled at the Paris Air Show. Projections suggest that such aircraft could become a staple of short-range travel by 2035.

New zero-carbon fuels hold great promise. Both hydrogen and ammonia can be produced efficiently from air, water and renewable energy. Synthetic kerosene (made from renewable hydrogen and CO2 captured from the air) is another route that is being explored. All of these rely upon renewable energy, which is getting cheaper every year.

There are other options. More efficient flight planning and plane design can help. Reduced airport taxiing, idling and longer runways could help too, offering significant reductions in cost and carbon emissions. Lighter materials and more efficient spacing of seats could dramatically reduce fuel consumption for equivalent loads.

Finally, airlines can partner to play a key role in developing more reliable carbon offset markets. As discussed in a recent Nature paper, carbon offsets are not all equal because they store carbon for longer or shorter times. Airlines can hold competitors to account on weak carbon offset standards and lobby for industry-wide carbon audit processes that are conducted through independent review.

The impacts of COVID-19 on aviation are only just beginning to be felt. Governments should use bailouts to encourage innovation and get something for all of us, and the climate, in return.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why airline bailouts are so unpopular with economists

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For airlines, the reckoning is no longer far away on the horizon. It's now a jumbo jet meters from the runway, landing gear down. Without a sizeable external cash injection, many international airlines will follow Virgin Australia into insolvency within months, if not weeks. Should governments bail airlines out?

# data[].attributes.body
-Are social distancing measures likely to be extended indefinitely?
-Will we adapt and accept these measures as 'the new normal' or reject them?

# data[].attributes.body
-How long will national lockdowns last?
-Will the virus make a comeback? Will this cause worldwide lockdowns again?
-Health response

# data[].attributes.headline
Building Tourism Resilience in an Era of Global Pandemic

# data[].attributes.subject
Building Tourism Resilience in an Era of Global Pandemic

# data[].attributes.headline
Driving Force: National and international lockdowns

# data[].attributes.subject
Driving Force: National and international lockdowns

# data[].attributes.headline
Example of Scenario Planning in a Post Covid World

# data[].attributes.subject
Example of Scenario Planning in a Post Covid World

# data[].attributes.body
DO NOT COPY THIS. This is an example to help us understand how to carry out the process of scenario planning.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A Nottingham charity is helping people missing out on the annual Hajj pilgrimage after Saudi Arabia banned international visitors making the journey in a bid to control coronavirus. The pilgrimage has begun and is normally performed by Muslims from around the world, but only a limited number of people living in Saudi Arabia can make the journey to Mecca.

# data[].attributes.body
* Global health crisis are forcing economic to slow down.
* Strick quarantine measures force down to close the boarder.
* Sanitizing, social distance protocol has lead business on opposite direction.

# data[].attributes.body
* Museums, heritage sites has reach unprecedented level.
* More then 80% UNESCO World Heritage property have closed.

# data[].attributes.body
* Cancellation and postponed of major sport event.
* Sport re-commenced without crowds.
* Restriction on activity, people and place.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Not only do we analyze data daily, but we are in constant communication with hotel operators. Despite these alarming statistics in such a short period of time, we're also hearing stories that are inspiring. Many hotel managers are working hard to keep as many people working as possible. They are also utilizing this time while less people are traveling and staying in their hotels to enhance their business and further train employees for a prosperous post-COVID-19 era. For instance, hoteliers are investing time to cross-train people on different jobs, to tackle preventative maintenance and to take care of deep cleaning projects that can be hard to do when hotels are full, and they are finding ways to share available hours in a fair way with involvement and suggestions from their team members.

During the last few years, the hospitality industry has been working harder to implement technology. We can see that through the development and utilization of mobile apps by hotel brands, investment and implementation of IoT in guestrooms as well as throughout the hotel, and the creation of software to manage and streamline logistics and employees.

Now more than ever, hoteliers need to lean on this technology to ensure they are utilizing their employees in the most effective way and reducing labor costs whenever possible. Many hotels are still using static staffing models instead of scheduling based upon calculated hours needed based upon guest activity and other factors. Technology can ensure that labor plans perfectly reflect the operating requirements of the hotel, eliminating waste and protecting the guest experience, even in these challenging times. They should start planning now to incorporate these tools into their daily management.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Economic Impact of COVID-19 on the Hotel Industry

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Not only do we analyze data daily, but we are in constant communication with hotel operators. Despite these alarming statistics in such a short period of time, we're also hearing stories that are inspiring. Many hotel managers are working hard to keep as many people working as possible.