For folks who often traveled or love to go on trips, the pandemic was one of the worst things ever to happen. Its adverse effects on our health are already a given. The negative impact on economies is also pretty obvious. But not being able to travel for business or leisure is every jet-setter’s nightmare.
With all the changes in the way we live brought about by the pandemic, inevitably, changes will also occur when it comes to travel and tourism.
Here are some possible changes that can take place in travel and tourism post-pandemic.
1. Tighter airport security and screening
As country and state borders are starting to open up for domestic and international travel, airport security has been tighter with a stricter implementation on screening. Pre-pandemic security measures at airports already include temperature checks and COVID-19 testings. This is to prevent the further spread of the virus into other places.
2. Longer queues than we were used to
Just like airport security, if you think that queues at the airport were long and dragging before, brace yourself for an even longer wait time. Because of tighter airport security and the implementation of screenings and checks, folks can expect to stand in line longer to get into different areas or acquire certain airport services.
3. Travel will now require masks, PPEs, and certain clearances
At the onset of the breakout, the World Health Organization and the CDC highly recommended people to start wearing masks and other protective gear whenever they step out of their homes. This helps prevent people from spreading and contracting the disease. Travel requirements like these aren’t going away anytime soon and will be necessary for intrastate, interstate, and international travel.
4. Airfare might go up
Because of the dramatic decline in passengers and bookings, airline companies might find the need to increase their rates a bit to compensate for the losses so that they can continue to operate and serve the public.
5. Crowds will be a lot smaller
Since non-essential travel is still discouraged in most parts of the world, and airline seat availabilities are reduced per flight, the chances of running into a large crowd are slim, especially in popular tourist destinations. This means that there will be fewer people to compete with when you line up for ATV tours or tour buses, which somehow works to your advantage.
6. Road trips will be the new norm
Since there is a big possibility that airfares will increase over the next few months, most folks will opt to travel to nearby places by car instead. Road trips will be among the more common stress-relief outlets for people who want to relax and take vacations. Since travel by air is not yet practical at this time, people will start flocking to nearby locations to get a break from their regular lives.
7. Local travel and tourism will experience growth after the pandemic
One of the things that local tourism can look forward to post-pandemic is an increase in the influx of local tourists. People are eager to travel and get away from their homes. But since the pandemic has also affected almost everyone financially, vacations and weekend getaways will mostly occur in nearby destinations.
While the above-mentioned things are more on speculation and not a certainty, these are likely to happen given the way things are playing out. It is still uncertain if the changes will be permanent or if we will eventually go back to what was normal to us. Either way, we need to exercise caution if we plan to travel within the next few months. Until we’ve made it past the pandemic, it is still better to take extra care.
Stay safe!
