Travel won’t be the same after COVID-19. If anything, the current pandemic is likely to not only change the way we travel, but also where we intend to go.
It shouldn’t be all doom and gloom though. Much like everything in life, this situation will eventually pass, and those with an insatiable appetite for travel will make the necessary accommodations and get back to ticking off their bucket list.
The travel industry is set for quite a shakeup and for those who are able to quickly adapt, the cross over from what we used to know, to what we now need to become used to, won’t be as difficult as it seems although it will take some time to adjust to.
And it is not only the industry that needs to adapt, but also the traveller.
The protocols for visiting one country, might well vary wildly from visiting the next. This is because although the world is going through the same thing, every country has its own approach to the crisis. So while some countries will let guests in without quarantine, other countries, like South Africa, could require a 2 week stay in quarantine depending on where the visitor is coming from.
It certainly takes the fun out of spontaneous travels, but considering the current situation, it is for the better.
So what can we expect from future travel?
One thing is for certain, many of us are going to be travelling far less than we did in the past. This is not necessarily a terrible thing though.
Travellers will first and foremost be thinking about not only their health but the health of the nation they are visiting. While this sounds like a new concept, those who’ve been travelling to Africa for years, already know how to plan a trip based on risk factors. Even the most advanced African countries are still dealing with malaria outbreaks, so COVID will just be another risk to consider. Destinations with high infection numbers might, however, be avoided in future.
While the world’s airlines are mostly shut down already, air travel will make a return although it will not be as we know it. Passengers might have to wait longer to board, have temperatures checked and practicing social distancing while on the flight. There is also the suspicion that flights might be cheaper in future, especially to the less popular destinations.
Lodges will reopen, but they might have to lower their rates. For the traveller, this is ideal but for the tourism industry in many countries, this slow start will be difficult to adapt to. Lodges and hotels will have to be even more particular with hygiene and will also have to accommodate social distancing.
