There are two worlds: one before and one after the current pandemic. Travel after coronavirus is no exception. Many people are eager to travel again despite the fear and uncertainty that permeate the air.
Several cities and countries around the world are easing their lockdowns due to internal and external pressure from different segments of society. The impact of the pandemic on the economy has been disastrous, especially on tourism.
When will we be able to travel again? What are our options? What changes will there be? Let’s see what some experts have to say.
New Rules
Earlier this week, TUI Group, the world’s largest tourism company, announced new rules that will change the way we vacation in the upcoming months once we go “back to normal”.
For starters, as painful as it is, we need to understand we won’t be able to travel normally until there is a vaccine against the virus. A lot has been said on the subject, but most experts agree that we won’t have a vaccine until next year.
Changes will be a reality. The main points mentioned were:
- Cruises
- Flights
- Hotels
- Destinations
Cruises
Cruises have been one of the most affected means of transportation. They have been put on hold for several weeks now and are not expected to resume at least until mid-June.
What changes are expected to take place once cruises start operating again?
To begin with, boarding will be a little more complicated. We will have to get used to health questionnaires, temperature scannings, and boarding will be in stages, making the process slower.
Occupancy will be reduced to allow social distancing.
Communication between cruise ships and ports will be of the essence to follow up on any new cases detected.
Seating in theaters will be limited. Occupancy will be reduced in spas and gyms. There will be no self-service buffets.
Surfaces will be cleaned every 30 minutes, and there will be more health personnel on board.
Carnival Cruise, for instance, went as far as to deny boarding to people over 70 unless they had a clearance letter from their physician.
Flights
Flights will be no different. If checking in was already a pain in the neck, get ready for what is to come.
Since social distancing seems to be the new norm, airports will have to step up their game. It is expected that boarding passes will be digital to avoid physical contact as much as possible. There will be temperature scanning areas, and more staff will be needed on site.
Air crafts will be equipped with filtration systems to improve the airflow.
Travelers will be required to wear face masks, and boarding will be in small groups to avoid crowds before boarding and onboard.
Airlines will have to reduce their occupancy. Fares will most likely go up as a result.
There will be more shuttle buses upon disembarking. Social distancing at airport conveyor belts will be enforced, and passport checkpoints will be stricter.
Hotels
Hotels will be required to keep higher hygiene standards, including more frequent cleaning, installation of disinfection points, and training their staff in this regard.
All shows will be outside, and nightclubs will be closed.
Restaurants will have to reduce their occupancy by allowing fewer people and keeping safe distances between tables. No self-service buffets will be allowed.
Regarding activities, team activities will be discouraged. Instead, individual activities will be promoted by increasing their frequency and reducing the number of participants.
Spas will have to reduce their occupancy, and saunas will be closed.
Changes at Destinations
Private transfers will be encouraged upon arrival, and hygiene measures will be stricter.
Outdoor activities will also be encouraged, although with smaller groups and private tours.
Digital services will be promoted to avoid physical contact as much as possible. Social distancing and hygiene measures will be enforced.
Domestic Travel vs International Travel
Although many countries are slowly starting to lift their lockdowns, that doesn’t mean we will be able to travel internationally as we used to do before the pandemic.
Take Europe for example. The members of the European Union have discussed the possibility of allowing travel between their members during the summer. However, for international tourists, travel to Europe will not likely happen until September. The current ban is set to expire on June 15, but it’s too early to tell if it won’t be extended.
The U.S. was expected to reopen its borders with Canada and Mexico on May 21, but the governments of both countries said they would like to extend the travel ban.
In the meantime, it seems travelers will be restricted to domestic travel. Road trips will be the only option for many people. International travel will have to wait.
New Challenges
We are facing an unprecedented crisis. The world came to a sudden stop. We realized that we needed to slow down. The planet was suffering, and something like this had to happen sooner or later.
As the world starts to open up, we will have to change our mindset. We shouldn’t go back to normal because that normalcy was the problem in the first place. We need to come out as new people. If we didn’t learn anything, it all happened in vain.
We will have to learn new ways to travel and adapt ourselves. Tourism has to be responsible and sustainable. It’s our last chance to commit to saving our planet. If we don’t do anything now, travel won’t be possible in the future, not to mention the disastrous effects we would all have to suffer.
Many people claim this is a hoax, and that we can’t live with fear all the time. Living with fear is not the answer, but going to the other extreme is even worse. We have to be cautious from now on. Better safe than sorry.
Conclusion
We will have to get familiar with changes in travel until we get a vaccine. We will have to be patient. Check-ins at airports will take more time. There will be restrictions everywhere we go: hotels, restaurants, museums, parks, etc.
A lot of people are eager to travel, but we have to take it one step at a time. If we’re not careful, we will just complicate things.
Many of us have had to postpone our plans. We don’t know yet when we will be able to travel normally again. Some people will resume their travel plans as soon as possible, while others will wait.
The economic impact will play a major role. Many people are unemployed and can’t afford to travel. The travel industry will have to look for ways to overcome this and many other challenges.
Don’t live with fear. Just be cautious. We will be able to travel again. See you soon!
Book your trip now!
Book your flight
The first thing you have to do is find cheap flights. But where do you find those? There are many search engines, but the one I highly recommend is Skyscanner. Here you can compare fares from all over the world and pick the one that suits you best.
Book your accommodation
The next thing you have to do is secure your lodging. Whether you prefer a hostel, a guesthouse, a B&B, or a hotel, you can find them all on Booking. You can find lodging of all kinds ranging from cheap to expensive and somewhere in between. Many people have scored good deals using it.
Another popular option is Hostelworld. This website focuses on hostels as opposed to hotels.
Book a tour
In some places, you might want to hire a tour. Not all places are equally accessible to visit by oneself. It helps enormously when you visit with a local guide who can show you around and answer any questions you might have…all in your native language. My to-go place is Viator as they offer tours of all kinds and have a presence all over the world.
Rent a car
Public transportation is usually cheaper than renting a car, but it’s sometimes more complicated and time-consuming. That’s a reality. In some cases, it’s more convenient to rent a car. My recommendation is Rentalcars.com. Here you can compare rates and choose the one that fits you best.
Book your bus tickets
You can save money by booking bus tickets online. My favorite site to do this is Busbud.
Get travel insurance
Never travel without a travel insurance policy, especially these days! Travel insurance can save your life. My recommendations are World Nomads and Insured Nomads. Both companies cover COVID-19 related incidents, which is crucial these days.
More resources
Just click on the “Plan your trip” tab at the top of this page, and you will find more resources like getting Mexican insurance for your foreign car, buying travel accessories, and learning Spanish. And, of course, don’t forget to check back often to read more tips on Mexico travel.
Hello,
Thank you so much for this great article which I found so interesting.
I am one of those people who is desperate to travel but not until the World is a safe place. It was really interesting to read how the small changes will start to come into place.
I can understand the increase in cost because not only will occupancy be smaller but there will need to increase the number of employees to cater for all that extra cleaning etc.
Such a relevant article for this time.
Thank you
Hi, Imelda,
Glad you found this useful.
As you said, many of us are eager to travel, but it seems we will have to wait a little more. The more adventurous will do it once they give us green light, but I think a lot of people will still wait.
Many changes are coming up. We will have to get used to them
Thanks for commenting. Stay safe.
The information you provide about what to expect when travel is allowed again is so helpful. I was suppose to travel out of Ohio with my family the day quarantine was initiated on March 16th so needless to say our travel plans were cancelled along with our flight. We are getting ready to plan the vacation again and now knowing face masks are required and social distancing will be a must, I will be better prepared. I will be sharing your information with my family as well. Thank you for the insight!
Hi, Lindsey,
Your comment is much appreciated.
Travel plans were interrupted for many of us. If it’s not an emergency, I think it’ll be better to wait. We all want to go out and enjoy a vacation, but we will have to wait some more.
Thanks for commenting. Stay safe.
Hi,
Thanks so much for an excellent article!
Travel is very important from a consumer point of view. It allows Travellers to see the endless beauty of the planet, get a chance to make new friends and connections, and in some instances even to take a break from unhealthy situations that they may be in (burnout, toxic relationships, etc).
From the commercial point of view, the benefits are countless, with tourism being among the topmost sources of revenue for many countries, and employing billions of people permanently or short term.
However, the world’s handling of the COVID-19 epidemic as it unfolded, even before it became a pandemic, was lackadaisical and irresponsible to say the least. No need to go any more deeper into that. At least lessons should have been learnt from the pain and tragedy. The only way forward, as you have mentioned eloquently, is through cautious optimism, and patience.
Thanks again!! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Hi, Teboho,
Yes, it is a critical and controversial topic indeed. On the one hand, many of us love to travel, and the travel industry is one of the most important worldwide. On the other hand, we are facing an unprecedented crisis and need to be cautious. We don’t want to go back to city lockdowns again.
We have to be patient. We will be able to travel again. When? No one knows. Only time will tell.
Thanks for commenting. Stay safe.
This is a good article! My wife and I are planning a vacation for later this year and we were contemplating questions that you covered in this post. Thank you!
What thought prompted you to write about post-COVID-19 travel? Unfortunately, due to the high unemployment due to the virus most people aren’t thinking about travel.
I browsed through your site and found it very well constructed. It is easy on the eye (not cluttered), as I would say “simple and elegant.” I like that. 🙂 As for your post, it is very well organized and researched, and most importantly it is short, sweet, and to the point. Really great! (Impatient people like myself don’t like reading long articles)
I look forward to reading more of your thoughts.
Hi, Derrick,
Thank you very much! Glad you liked it.
Answering your question, there isn’t too much we can write about travel during these times. People are more worried about other things, and some of them even get offended if we write about travel. We may come across as frivolous.
However, I think it’s important to stay informed about the upcoming changes. The travel industry will change, whether we like it or not. There are new challenges, and we all need to play our part.
I’m glad you liked this post and the site in general. Feel free to come back anytime for more info and tips.
Thanks for commenting. Stay safe.