The travel industry suffered a lot when the pandemic started over a year ago. By May 2020, more than 200 countries and territories closed their borders to stop the spread of the virus. It resulted in a 55 percent decrease in airline passenger revenues when compared to the year before. But this may change soon.
And with over 286 million vaccine doses administered in the US, the end of the pandemic may already be in sight. In this situation, the post-pandemic travel scene may be different. You may not travel as much as you did before, especially with the virus still active in other countries and the emergence of new variants of the virus. Here are some trends in the travel industry that you may encounter once the US finally reaches herd immunity.
Increase in Domestic Travel
At the height of the pandemic, many countries closed their borders to foreigners to stop the entry of the virus. After the relaxation of domestic travel restrictions, people were still hesitant to travel outside the country. This led people to travel around the country and go on staycations to escape the confines of their homes.
The surge in staycations will likely continue even after the pandemic will end due to people’s concern about the health situation in some traditional tourist destinations in Asia. Additionally, the majority of visitors to Tripadvisor searched for hotels for future domestic trips. So, travelers are more inclined to travel within their home countries rather than going abroad.
Increase in Dream Vacations
Another trend that may emerge in the post-pandemic world is an increase in people going on their dream vacations. After staying home for a year, people have saved a lot of money that they would have spent to travel if the pandemic did not happen. At this point, they may plan to go on a once-in-a-lifetime vacation with the money they saved. This trip reflects the longing to travel after all the restrictions implemented by the government over the past year.
If you have the same pent-up feelings, you’ll likely want to go on a long trip abroad once everything is back to normal. You can go on an extended safari in Botswana or surf to your heart’s desire in Oahu. You may even want to join one of those Charter Boat Sydney trips. Aside from having a romantic dinner with a loved one, you can also take in the sights of Sydney onboard a private boat.
Going on a dream vacation will likely be one of the items on people’s travel bucket lists once the pandemic is finally over.
Increased Awareness in Sustainability
The pandemic was initially good for the environment as people stayed off the road, planes were grounded, and boats stayed on the port. This allowed nature to recover as pollution dissipated to some degree. The reduced human presence also resulted in wildlife appearing in unexpected places in big cities. Spotted pumas were seen in Santiago, Chile, while the Port of Trieste in Italy saw dolphins coming in for a visit.
These are some of the good things that happened to nature when the pandemic started. But the increase in the use of personal protective equipment (PPEs), such as masks and gloves, also contributed to the garbage that was haphazardly disposed of. The single-use PPEs eventually made their way to the oceans, which increased ocean pollution to a significant degree.
Due to this, people who appreciated the decrease in pollution levels became aware of the trash they produced in the middle of the health crisis. It also allowed them to rethink how they travel after seeing how clean the environment can get if everyone worked together. Additionally, it put travel companies in a bind as they have yet to recover from the losses they incurred at the start of the pandemic. People will likely try to find the middle ground to ensure sustainability for the environment and the travel companies.
Longing for the Wild
Some of the places where people went to after the lifting of some restrictions were the state and national parks. These were among the places where people have a lower risk of contracting the virus if they stay away from others who are not a part of their households.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released guidelines for people to follow if they visit these parks. The agency even indicated that parks are among the places that offer health benefits as long as people followed proper protocols. People will likely continue visiting parks even after the pandemic ends since it allows them to keep their bodies and minds healthy while enjoying the beauty of nature at its best.
Travel in a post-pandemic world will likely change and make people thankful for what they have.