What will travel look like after the pandemic?

After months of containment and restrictions on our freedom of movement during this pandemic, we are wondering if we will be able to gradually resume the course of our lives. To date, human activities have “slowed down” due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Moving freely, even within one’s own country, can be complicated and for some even unattainable. At the international level, the difficulty is even greater, since border crossing is highly regulated and you often need to have taken a covid-19 test shortly before traveling. It is nowhere near as easy as it was a bit over a year ago. 

Are we going to rethink the way we travel?

In order to avoid further coronavirus contamination, many countries close their borders, others require the PCR test and request that their visitors spend fourteen days in isolation. Travel abroad is thus accessible to a very small number of travelers and international tourism activity is strongly affected. Our way of travelling will probably be different, and solutions will be put in place to preserve the health of everyone and of our planet. Here are some ways in which travel may change post-pandemic. 

How could travel change after the pandemic ?

These are just some of the many predictions about how travel could change after the pandemic. Of course, anything is possible and it is hard to predict with certainty what is going to happen with certainty. However, there are some more likely theories than others which we are about to explore here.

Travel less often but longer

The net cessation of tourism activity was very violent. People who have remained confined have a desire for freedom and they will try to travel (if they have the opportunity) this year as they used to do before the pandemic began.

On the other hand,  it is very likely that tourism will evolve towards a slower journey, and slow travel may become a lot more common than it used to be. Since the relationship with work is also changing, we may be able to work for a few months and a few years without taking a vacation to finally organize a big trip of several weeks or months. It would become an important moment of relaxation to rejuvenate and take the time to discover new cultures. 

A new generation of travelers

More and more people are becoming aware of the problem of flying regularly on weekends to make a getaway. This is causing serious environmental problems, and it’s also very difficult in a time of closed borders, quarantine, and a slowdown in airline activity.

In a few years the trips will probably be more ecological, using gentler means of transport, less polluting and tourists will take their time to discover a region, a culture and go to meet the inhabitants. Slow travel will likely be more of a reality than it was now with people dedicating more time to getting to know the local culture and truly immersing themselves in a new destination. 

A new budget

The risk of ticket prices soaring in the near future is high. Travel could become even more elitist and alienate some of the middle class in developed countries. Due to fewer travelers it could mean that travel for everyone becomes more expensive. “If the airlines can only put half as many people on the plane, it’s going to cost a whole double,” says Rick Steves, the Washington-state-based European travel expert known for his guidebook series, public television and radio shows, and travel company that takes more than 30,000 people to Europe in a typical year. 

The price of tickets is not the only bad news, to be able to travel quietly some countries require PCR tests, quarantines and soon vaccines. All these fixed assets have a cost (and depending on the country it can vary very strongly) and for some trips it would double the price of the trip.

The closer and more virtual journey

This year, travelers could rediscover the local journey and visit their region, spending less money and using less polluting means of transport. We could also see a tourism that thanks to technology would allow us to travel without moving, we can visit many places around the world by using VR. We can already see how many of the events people would usually travel for have become virtual, and it is highly likely that the number will continue to grow even after the pandemic is over. 

You can for example stroll on Google Arts & Culture to visit virtually many great museums and see famous works. If you prefer to visit cities, you are lucky because cities like London or Paris allow you to visit their neighborhood and attractions online like the Louvre museum.

A new geopolitics in the making

Local tourist ecosystems have suffered, many restaurants, housing and cultural places have had to close, and because of the crisis, others may still close.

States are developing plans to get out of the crisis, globalization is changing. The list of countries considered by the Departments of Foreign Affairs to be trouble-free is likely to decrease. Due to the deflagration of the economic crisis, regions well known to travelers are likely to see their political and economic situation deteriorate, making travel more complicated.

Covid-19 has weakened large rich countries and made them less self-sufficient. Today we must adapt life to the current conditions and we wonder who will emerge leader of this crisis.

Travel advisors will become essential

We can expect that more and more people will go through travel agencies to have a more precise expertise of where they are going and the regulations in force, etc. Tourists will also become more environmentally conscious and will look for more ecological ways to go to their holiday places and enjoy different activities.

That’s why travel agencies, knowing their jobs better than anyone else, could be back in the spotlight. If you are looking to plan a trip for your dream destination, they will be in the best position to advise you and suggest ideas based on your requirements, they will also inform you about all the requirements and formalities required to travel.
If you want to make a long road trip, they are also the best placed to advise you, they will tell you which regions to visit thoroughly, what to do in the regions and stay there for how long.

In recent years the travel agencies have been a little less solicited but with all the events, they could make their comeback

Our recommendations for planning your next trip

If you are planning a trip in the coming months, we invite you to inform yourself and follow the official recommendations of your country of residence and the country of destination. Be sure to consider the following information:

• Book with free cancellation or modification options. In this crisis context, it is strongly recommended to book with free cancellation and modification options. Depending on the health conditions at the time of your trip, your trip may be cancelled due to measures taken by the government of your country or your destination.
• Take out travel insurance. In the face of the Covid-19 health crisis, travel insurance coverage may be essential. Indeed, its guarantees are intended to protect the traveler throughout his journey.
• Protecting yourself and others. It is essential that each traveler secures his movements by protecting himself and others. Every country in the world is advocating to the public that there are barriers to take to protect the health of all.

Travel in 2021

The most important thing is that the world of travel adapts and acts as a result of the situation. It is expected that travelers will change their behavior and that new requirements will be required to travel. This is far from a catastrophic scenario and we can be sure that the globes will not lose the desire to travel and that many of their 2020 trips will be postponed to 2021. 

In 2021 with all the new formalities and changes in the world of tourism, budgets are tightening, finding here the cheapest destinations to go to after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Don’t forget if you decide on traveling in 2021 that LuggageHero is there to ease your troubles. Don’t let your bags drag you down from the moment you arrive to the moment you depart. Book your storage in one of our cities across Europe and North America right here!