Transparency has been a pillar of the company James and I set out to build. From our founding, we have aimed to amplify the fun of vacationing while reducing the stress of booking and organizing your stay.

We recognized that by empowering owners to monetize their unused timeshares, KOALA could open new possibilities for travelers (and solve a huge problem for timeshare owners). Travelers could gain accessibility to a new type of accommodation, while owners could receive income to pay their fees or use that cash to go somewhere new. A simplified rental market has the added benefit of significantly improving the traditional timeshare exchange (a system that falls far short of its potential).

What we didn’t count on was a global pandemic that would upend the travel industry and change the way we consider our vacation options.

It’s clear that as travel halted some companies did not know how to react. Some went into damage control mode. Some created touching messages like “We will Travel Again.” Many unfortunately went into a permanent hibernation or shuttered, while others struggled with messaging that left both hosts and travelers feeling confused.

The problem, however, is much deeper than messaging. The travel sector needs to adjust to a transformed landscape in which transparency – about cleaning protocols, cancellation policies, and responsible travel choices – will be paramount.

For transparency to truly be a company pillar, it needs to permeate the thought processes of everyone involved. But we need to rethink what we need to be transparent about in the wake of this pandemic. For example: what information do customers need, right now, to feel safe traveling again? 

That’s why we’ve partnered with our friends at AppliedXLabs and Newlab to create the KOALA COVID Tracker. For each domestic destination and listing, KOALA now provides tools that can help you make informed decisions on COVID related issues – whether that information is positive or negative. We simply inform you, so you can make more confident choices and feel safe.

With this tracker, discerning travelers can easily access information on new cases, two-week rolling case averages, and a proprietary Health Preparedness Score informing travelers of how prepared a county is for a COVID outbreak. 

Learn more about the KOALA COVID Tracker

KOALA cares about the health and safety of everyone in our community, and once you’re ready to travel, we want to help you make informed decisions. We have partnered with Applied XL to bring you an innovative new technology that provides live data on COVID-19 rates. Every KOALA resort listing in the U.S. contains a COVID Tracker with up-to-the-minute information on how the virus is affecting the local community, helping you make the best choices about where and when to travel.

Daily New Cases Per 100,000 People

This is the number of COVID-19 cases in the county, divided by population data from the U.S. Census Bureau and multiplied by 100,000.

Two-Week Rolling Average

Since county data is made available at irregular intervals, we display a rolling average of the daily cases per 100,000 people over a two-week period to more reliably convey trends over time.

Preparedness Score

This number takes into account the number of available ICU beds and hospital staff, local socio-economic factors, the age of the local population, and a live model of the COVID-19 spread.