Prior to COVID- 19 travelling became a way of life for many of us. It gave a great sense of freedom and purpose, being able to travel far and wide, gave us the chance to broaden our horizons. Having the ability to travel became ‘the norm’ and unfortunately, the luxury of it was soon dispersed and the absence was felt. People were stranded in foreign countries and others were shielded in their own homes. It undoubtedly left us with one question in our minds, one that will never be forgotten nor ignored: How has this pandemic shaped our future for travel?
What has the pandemic taught us?
The pandemic has taught us some valuable lessons. It made us re-evaluate the way we think and how we live. It showed us how easy it has been for us to travel to our dreamy destinations, which left us taking holidays and travelling for granted. A virus that ruled our world has changed everything for us, it shaped how we think and move forward. One thing for certain is life as we know it will never be the same. Travelling came to a halt and our freedom to travel to countries and other homes became under the control of the government. So how can we outsmart the virus and how will it change our future travel plans?
With travel restricted it meant that people would have to explore their neighbourhoods, and staycations became the new choice. Having the freedom and desire to travel to other destinations made us lose touch of our roots, even our own backyards. Travel restrictions made us delve deeper into our own localities and discover treasures that we were once unaware of, making us fall in love with our hometowns once more.
What does that mean for us?
The desire to travel will always remain, we are curious to see what lies in this beautiful world. Many are eager for the opportunity to travel, some are desperate to but not all of us will be jumping on the first flight out. With constant changes to COVID- 19 and it’s restrictions, the travel industry has been left with a feeling of uncertainty. This means travelling has had to become more flexible. Hotels, Airbnb's and flights may have to be changed last minute or even worse cancelled. Flight prices will fluctuate and because of this, it will make it near enough impossible to travel no matter how eager and desperate we are. With limitations to travel it has been rumoured that some airlines will go under, and economies will collapse hitting hard recessions. We did not realise the importance of travel and the effects it has on our wellbeing until now. We don’t just need travelling to fulfil our adventurous souls but to help increase and build economies all over the world.
To summarize with, travel being in high demand from airlines and travellers, flights will become fully booked, making airports to become overcrowded and for some, it will be overwhelming. Onboard magazines will be replaced with screens to view food menus and goods. As societal ‘norms’ will not be the same, disinfecting hands and surfaces will become a frequent routine and will be compulsory including wearing face masks. To begin with, private forms of transport and stays will be favoured. Airbnb’s and private charter services will increase as some may consider this as being a safer option. Road Trips will become more frequent and other forms of travelling such as motorhomes and cars will be desired, which could lead to an increase in fuel prices. In the beginning, hotels will battle to gain bookings as guidelines and changes will be hard to implement. Queues in tourist attractions may become longer due to keeping safe distances and entry rates may be higher due to loss in revenue. We may see a slow start in travelling especially on long haul flights, however, it will resume to its full potential in the near future.
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