Among the countless issues Covid has presented in 2020 one impact a lot of travelers have been talking about is “What will traveling look like after Covid.” I think this is an interesting question for many reasons and I wanted to take a little time today to put some thoughts to paper *well digital paper I guess*
I think to start off the best comment I can make is that traveling is not going to be an on/off switch. One day we will not wake up and feel 100% confident that today I can travel vs yesterday I couldn’t. I think as a society working towards a Vacine is the only long-term way to get consumer confidence back to what it was pre-covid, but we know that is potentially years away. We know you all have the traveling bug just like us (and staying inside is driving us all slowly insane) so you might already be planning your first trip which we think is step 1
STEP 1: Just Start Planning
Being stuck inside with access to the internet atleast gives us the ability to research “eventual” trips. My wife and I made a hitlist a few years back and we’ve steadily added to that list over the past 2 months while we are inside. We focused on dream vacations & long term trips aboard & started the planning process. A few items that have come up on our list
– Eventually living abroad for multiple months in possibly Italy of Spain.
*One positive thing Covid has taught us is the feasibility of remote work*
This has meant my wife and I have spent more then 20 hours researching the process of how to make it work. We started refreshing our language learning skills with Duolingo, and it has lead us to discover that she may pursue a different career path (which has lead to more research and work) but all of that is great thing.
I believe one of the most important things we’ve learned is that at some point we will feel ‘more comfortable’ doing a trip then we do today and the type of trip will directly dictate our comfortability.
SHORT TERM TRIP IDEA: Camping!
This is what everyone has been talking about and what is more socially distant then a few friends 6 ft apart from each other around a fire sharing a few drinks (*well actually not “sharing” but you get what we mean)
SHORT TERM TRIP IDEA: Roadtrip!
In the USA we are blessed with some really incredible infrastructure which leads to enjoyable long-drives. Queue up a podcast, pack a few days worth of food in the car and take that long car ride. I know we are considering Skyline Drive in Virginia and the Delaware Water Gap ourselves
We know that the airlines/tourism industries will really be hurting coming out of this so we definitely expect there to be incredible deals to unforgettable locations which are usually to expensive to afford. Take this time to plan out one of your “Once in a lifetime” trips and make a plan to do it after Covid. Visit Bora, Bora or the Maldives, consider snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef or a lavish trip to London (using all your discounts of course)
STEP 2: Realize Travel will be changing long term.
For me this is the hardest thing to consider b/c sadly right now most borders and not open for tourism and we are becoming more nationalistic as a world. This belief I don’t think will change overnight and it’s our job to help lead others when we feel comfortable enough to make these trips.
Get ready to expect a less than stellar visa process, more expensive flight tickets as airline carriers try and make revenue on less global travelers, expect some longer-term hire prices as the industry attempts to function “Safely” while still being profitable. It’s yet to be seen whether Delta can survive without a middle seat or your favorite local restaurant can operate at 50% capacity without going belly up. We definitely have a rough few months and years ahead but don’t let your passion fade.