Not unlike any other business in the post-pandemic world, the travel industry has taken a huge blow from the COVID economic impact. However, with the news of vaccine passports flooding in, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. We’re going to dissect travel after COVID. Is it safe to travel yet, how to choose a destination, and more!
What is Going to Change? What is Going to Stay as it is?
Things are slowly going back to normal. Hotels and hostels are opening their doors to the customers. Some properties actually had been more active even before the vaccination rumors and all. However, even with vaccine passports and all the advanced precautions, the stubborn virus is still not entirely taken out for good. Even if you’re vaccinated and all safe from the virus, the vaccine only halves the transmission. Meaning all the precautions we’re now used to will remain as a post-pandemic souvenir with us.
From a more positive point of view, however, international travel will finally get back on its feet. In 2020 international travel took a huge hit from the pandemic, making domestic travel more of a viable choice for travelers. With the good news flooding in, international travel will also begin the recovery process. It’ll probably be slow, as measurements are strategies are to be considered before taking action by the governments. But eventually, we will be able to travel the world once more!
Advanced COVID Precautions & Measures
Recovery will be uneven. For example – at the time of writing – UK and Israel, the frontrunners of the vaccine rollout, are far ahead of most the countries in the world. By the same token, there are countries like Spain and Italy that rely more on tourism as an economic instrument. This doesn’t necessarily mean these countries will be the first ones to rejuvenate travel. But it might mean the named countries are expected to act more strategically when it comes to travel after COVID.
COVID Testing & Vaccination
It’s safe to say all countries look for a negative COVID test result as a requirement of entry firsthand. There have been rumors about governments considering the idea of rapid PCR tests pre-flight, even for domestic travels. COVID testing will continue to act as a basic travel permit in 2021, as the experts say. And as for vaccination, as we mentioned before, vaccine passports are becoming more than just rumors now. Australia is already – lowkey – implementing the idea. Canada, England, and France are also chasing behind Australia on this matter.
What Should We Know Before We Travel After COVID?
We’ve all been challenged by the pandemic, both physically and mentally. It’s a beautiful sight how people are all working together to make this demon of a virus go away! Our lifestyles have been touched by the pandemic though. We shifted from working in our offices to remote working, we’ve kept our distances and kept our masks on our faces. Now, imagine COVID just goes away in a poof! We’ll still probably be living differently than how we used to before. It’s the aftermath of the pandemic! Here’s how the new lifestyle changes our travels:
Traveling Trends
The pandemic has kept us inside. We miss nature, the wilderness, the green! I’ve heard a whole lot of people talking about how they wanted to pay mother nature a visit if they could! The point here is, the traveling trend will probably shift to “Green Traveling” in the near future.
Some of us, however, may not like the idea of camping and dealing with all that hardship! Respectfully, to some, a powerful internet connection to a luxurious hotel with functional utility is more appealing than green traveling. Still, we strongly recommend keeping “responsible traveler” in your mind, two words that may keep nature neat as it is.
Sustainability
The earth has had a breather while we were burrowed in our homes! Air pollution, carbon footprint, water pollution, and all the other disgusting demons vanished for a good year and a half. The pandemic controversially reminded us of how bad we are to our natural habitat, the earth. That is why experts are anticipating the idea of the “conscious traveling” trend again. Surprisingly enough, the whole idea of sustainability – being kinder to the earth – is not as hard and expensive as one might think.
Technology Comes Into Play
“Workation Tourism” is a weird term I hear daily. So, basically – if you missed out on it – the idea of remote working during the pandemic sounded so cool to some that both employees and employers don’t want to go back to their offices! The idea of “Workation” was born post-pandemic as a result. Workation – the combination of words Work and Vacation if you hadn’t noticed yet! – is the act of moving out of the usual workplace but remotely working nonetheless. The remote-working area of the pandemic attracted so many people working on projects to make it more of a viable option for employees that most of us see the amazing apps and software in our daily lives.
Beyond that, contactless travel is becoming more of a trend every day. As properties are looking to take advanced precautions. The technology not only cuts face-to-face interactions at reception but also expands the options for both travelers and hospitality workers. Hospitality workers can shift into Airbnb hosts. And travelers can enjoy a contactless trip.
Predictions on our Habits
Don’t expect things to be the same. Whether it’s a positive or a negative impact because of the change in our lifestyle, our habits have also changed. I personally never thought I’d one day wear a face mask and take selfies with it! Anyhow, we will behave differently when we travel after COVID. The question is what will change in us, and here’s the answer:
You Probably Will Pack Differently
Most airlines obligate people to wear face masks. Many people bring their own hand sanitizers wherever they go. Some don’t trust hotels with their towels, so they bring their own! – which is actually a very good idea – The point here is, we’re using very different stuff than we used back in 2019 on our trips. Especially if you’re a green travel enthusiast, you would know it’s best to bring your own stuff than to use disposable products.
Transportation Changes Heart
As mentioned, domestic travel will recover before international travel. In the post-pandemic world, trains are preferable to airplanes for various reasons. Trains are usually less crowded, air ventilation is better due to windows being open, and as the conscious travel trend is skyrocketing, trains are also usually more sustainable than planes. France is considering banning short-haul domestic flights.
Also as a more general comparison, it’s worth mentioning traveling by car will be more preferable than public transportation. Especially with the rise in wilderness travel. Many people look for untouched virgin landmarks instead of over-populated hotspots.
We Will Need to Adapt
In conclusion, all that’s been said is what we’ve gathered from wild anticipations and predictions. No one really knows what’s next for travel after COVID. Either way, we will need to adapt to the trends. – While in Rome, do as the Romans do! – One thing that’s for sure is travel is getting back on its feet. It’s fairly easy to understand all the precautions are there for our own sake. Hence, adapting to whatever changes that may occur only result in our own good.
