So, we’re all waiting for the pandemic to get over and get back to travel.
But nobody really knows when that is going to happen but it is definitely going to, soon.
Moreoever, we’re seeing slow traction in travel so far. Air bubbles being opened up, special flights being launched. So, traveling is slowly coming back to normal.
Many countries are lifting the travel ban as we speak and air bubbles are being opened up. What does it mean? The travel industry doesn’t want to wait. They want to get back in business as soon as possible – we agree.
But the question is – how traveling is going to be after the pandemic? Will it be the same again? Let’s take a look.
Travelers will get more cautious
With the pandemic, we all learned that travel can be dangerous.
Not for the sharp cliffs or underwater dives but for the so-called “safe trips”. Nobody is safe from a virus attack. We all got to keep an eye out for the next pandemic, the next outbreak.
Especially in the case of elder travelers who are in the high-risk category. For example, things are going to get a lot tougher for parents visiting the USA to meet their kids. Better travel insurance for parents visiting USA, better precautions, and a carefully planned itinerary to reduce the risks would become necessary.
Travelers will watch the news for more travel advisories, for precautions. Overall, travelers will get more cautious than ever before.
There shall be delays
Travel will mean more delays. Why? Because of all the safety precaution checks, lining up and social distance maintenance, travel will get delayed a lot more. We may not like it, but it sure will be the standard. You like it or not.
Pre-certification for diseases will become standard
More and more countries are cautious about letting people in from other countries. What it means is that travelers from certain countries will have to get pre-certification for diseases. For example, it’s very likely that Governments will make a COVID screening and no-COVID certification mandatory from high-risk regions or countries.
New travel destinations will open up
Having said that, people just want to travel like never before now. And there is going to be huge demand for smaller, budget-friendly travel destinations.
What does that mean? You’d need to come up with new travel destinations. Destinations that are affordable yet fun. Like weekend getaways and short stays. We hope this opens up and creates a new category on its own in the travel industry.
Travel insurance will become mandatory
Travel insurance was always seen as something to be avoided by travelers. Well mostly.
Travelers to international destinations like the USA understood the importance of travel insurance and always took bought it. It has become even mandatory in some cases like the USA where the Government has made travel insurance for USA a must for visitors on certain visas. But local destination travelers never took it seriously and avoided the “extra cost”.
With the delays, flight cancellations and ambiguity that comes with travel today, especially after the COVID situation, we think travelers will take travel insurance seriously and start buying it for all their travel.
Travel industry will boom
Even with all that pain and hassle, we think that travel industry will boom. More people will travel, new destinations will be launched and overall a lot of business will happen.
History can only repeat itself. And we’ve seen this previously as well. Whenever there is a ban on travel, the industry only bounces back even more vigorously. It happened with pandemics, restrictions, and other disasters. With this pandemic, we think it’s not going to be different.
Flight tickets will become cheaper
Not everything is sad news though. With more business and enthusiasm, we predict that there will be a lot more competition among airlines. And, they will do all that they can to grab as much business as possible.
And that can be done only by bringing the flight ticket prices down. Imagine a scenario where you have a choice between two of your favorite airlines. That would be awesome, right?
Well, looks like the pandemic will actually make it possible.
Safety precautions will become standard
What about safety precautions? Mask. Social distancing?
Well, we think it will become the standard. To prevent the pandemic from spreading, to prevent new pandemics from breaking out and keeping the risk low, we think the safety precautions need to be standardized.
Airlines will bring about strict policies like having face masks as a must. Keeping distance between other passengers another standard.
Will these precautions be a nuisance? Yes.
But just like how TSA increased their safety checks after the attack, this too shall become the standard and we shall all learn to live with it.
After all, it’s all for safety.
Traveling will become more hectic
And with all these precautions and regulations, travel will only become more hectic.
You may not like it, but you will have to live with it.
Travel will always remain a delightful experience, no matter what. But people will have to understand that, to get to that delightful experience, you need to sacrifice a bit. Follow instructions, follow safety precautions so you can enjoy the travel.
We are ok with it.
Airports will become smart
Airports have always been a place of polarized opinion. Some people love it. Some people hate it. There are no in-betweens.
With all the new standard protocols, we think airports will become smarter.
New health check measures, new zones, new procedures, new devices – will become the norm.
Some airports will become a traveler’s favorite while some may slip down the charts. It’s going to be an overhaul.
JFK may become the best airport while DXB will struggle to contain large number of people. Smaller airports will be faster and more preferred while bigger ones may become less desirable.
It’s not going to be easy. Travel as we knew it will change after 2020.
Newer destinations will emerge, new flight paths will be made.
But along with it, new precautions and safety standards will also be brought in.
There shall be more travelers, but travel will not be the same. More business may mean new venues. Newer user behaviors.
One thing is for sure. Travel, as we knew it. Will never be the same post the pandemic.
So, brace yourselves.
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Also Read: Country-Wise Travel Advisories And Quarantine Rules