With the recent outbreak of Coronavirus, I think one of the most asked questions is ‘how is travel going to look after all this is over?’
Along with:
Are we going to be able to travel again soon?
Is travel going to be more expensive?
What destinations am I going to be able to visit?
Right now, with the world in isolation, and close to all international flights being grounded, it is hard to imagine an end to all the chaos and disaster that is Coronavirus. But as with all tales of history, we know the world is eventually going to recover, and normal life will resume. It might be slow, painful, and stressful, but eventually, we will be able to board those anticipated flights and explore other countries again.
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What will happen to travel after the Coronavirus?
Once the dust settles and the world slowly goes back to normal, the travel industry is surely going to be a changed game, right? In truth, no one really knows the answer to this. We are all just taking a stab in the dark at what we can predict might happen. In my opinion, travel won’t really change at all. When people feel it is safe to do so again, travel is going to pick back up right where it left off.
And why wouldn’t it? The world is still going to be there. So will all those incredible places you’ve always dreamed of visiting.
Sure, there are going to be many companies that go under financially, but any company that can afford to keep afloat throughout this time in history is going to be keener than ever to get people abroad.
And the people are going to be waiting.
Whether or not travel becomes more expensive, or even cheaper than before, is going to depend on how hard companies are hit. It also depends on how quickly they can recover in the aftermath. It honestly could go either way. Travel companies will likely release a series of specials to entice people to travel again, though this won’t necessarily be cheaper offers. There will be savings to be had for those who don’t mind travelling in the immediate aftermath, but not necessarily in the long run. I think we are likely to see a huge boost in marketing strategies, with influencers being utilised more than ever to make travel seem easy and accessible again.
How will people travel post Coronavirus?
A large portion of travellers will choose to travel domestically for the remainder of 2020, and potentially into 2021. In particular, older generations are going to be a lot warier of international or extended holidays, choosing instead to take domestic trips.
When quarantine comes to an end and borders open back up again, people will still be cautious in their travels. At least for a little while. As businesses begin to re-open and the economy starts to build itself back up, many travellers will choose shorter vacations closer to home over big international trips. I don’t think we can expect this period to last long, as people are going to be itching for the freedom and adventure international travel offers.
What we will definitely see a rise in will be the levels of hygiene and self-awareness. People are now, more than ever, aware of the easy spread of germs. Businesses and traveller’s are going to have health and safety at the forefront of their minds, so I think we will be seeing a whole lot more caution being taken to ensure outbreaks are avoided in the future. Potentially, a boost in travel insurance is going to be seen because of this.
What destinations will people be travelling to?
Post Coronavirus, I think domestic travel is going to be all the rage. With many people losing their jobs, travel will again become a luxury that not everyone will be able to afford. People will choose to opt for weekend getaways and camping/ secluded cabin locations in the hopes to avoid large crowds and keep the costs down. Crowded cities will become less appealing in favour of quiet getaways closer to home.
Will travel be the same?
Tourism is one of the most resilient industries and it will bounce back quicker than most. In the immediate aftermath of travel restrictions, travellers will be able to experience once crowded destinations almost entirely to themselves. I think this is where younger generations are going to thrive.
This will likely last a couple of months at best, providing an opportunistic window to travel without the usual crowds you would expect in bucket-list destinations.
How can we all help?
If there is one thing I think travellers can do, it’s not let fear stop you from travelling. Sure, the world is going to be a little different when the cloud of Coronavirus finally clears, but to let fear win is to let Coronavirus defeat you. Those beautiful bucket-list locations are still going to be there. Your desire to travel will too. And I think the only way we can support the tourism industry is to travel again. When you feel safe to do so.
The Bottom Line: Travelling will resume after the outbreak and although people will be travelling less at first, the industry will bounce back quicker than you think.
To keep your wanderlust alive, here are some dream-worthy destinations:
Stuck at home? No travels planned?
I love this post! And you’re definitely right, people will most definitely be travelling domestically for the remainder of the year. I know I won’t be leaving the country, too risky. However, I do hope that travelling becomes a lot cheaper to help boost ticket purchases, which will, in turn, help the travel industry!
Absolutely! It will be a great day the day we can all finally travel overseas again, but it is likely a little while away. I hope it’s cheap too.
I’ve lived in Michigan my whole life, and vividly remember the 2009 auto industry collapse. I was still in college, and serving tables at the time so I didn’t experience the same financial hardships as others. Michigan was the hardest hit, with an unemployment rate of 15.2% when General Motors and Chrysler both claimed bankruptcy in the Motor City capital of the WORLD. Every block had a foreclosed sign, strip malls became abandoned, the streets got harder, and the ripple effect of unemployment spread through the state. In 2013 I graduated with my degree in Occupational Health & Safety. I also had a job offer starting immediately with General Motors. In those 4 years between bankruptcy and when I started my career there- the company had innovatively rebuilt itself. The economy recovered, and we rebuilt. Moral of the story – things will never be as they once were, and over time things will progress. When something breaks – you rebuild it better than it was before. xxx sorry for the novel… 💜
Wow! What a crazy thing to have lived through. It sounds like it would have been such a tough time for so many people. I love that you can look at it all with such a positive and beautiful perspective. We will rebuild and it will definitely be better than before. That is the nature of humanity I think. Thank you for sharing <3
I completely agree with all of this, Abbie! I think it’s going to take some time, but we’re all itching to get back out there. What’s happened to the tourism industry is just devastating, and I think you’re right that international travel is likely a ways off, but it will bounce back eventually!
Absolutely! So happy you agree 🙂 It will take time which does suck for us travellers, but I always think it is better to be safe than sorry!
Great predictions, I think a lot of people are ready to start traveling again as soon as possible. So I agree that the industry will bounce back quickly.This is a great post.
There are some really interesting predictions here. I definitely think a lot of people will travel domestically although there will be some who want to get as far away as possible for a bit. It’s such an uncertain time right now with people predicting that it might be 2021 before we can really travel again. I’m sure travel will bounce back – it’s just a matter of waiting haha.
I definitely agree with you! Although many will focus on domestic travel, people like me are going to be itching to jump back on a plane and travel to the other side of the world. Hopefully it will be sooner than 2021, but I would rather wait it out then rush into travel again while the virus is still around. Hope you’re staying safe 🙂
Great post. I think you are right. People are eager to travel again and once restrictions are lifted it will pick up again. And personally I can’t wait for that to happen. My work is based all over Europe, so if I can’t travel, I can’t work. And with my family living in an other country, I cant see them if I can’t travel.
Thank you! I definitely think a lot of people will be in the same boat as you. I definitely feel for you. It would feel so restricting not being able to see your family or work right now. Hopefully it eases up soon.
These are such great insights!! I agree that the travel industry will bounce back, especially with domestic travel! It may be awhile before international travel again, but that day will come also 🙂
Thank you 🙂 hoping it isn’t as far away as they are predicting, but it’s better to be safe than sorry, hey?
Great insights into the impact Coronavirus has had on the travel industry. I think you’ve hit the nail on the head with domestic travel surging in the immediate aftermath. With people also being very cautious of flying (and who know which airlines are going to survive) maybe even the humble road trip will be popular for a little while 🙂 Stay safe in Canada!
Thanks so much. It’s hard to really know what is going to happen. I think everyone is just taking a stab in the dark at the impacts of the virus, but one thing I think we can all agree on is that people’s love for travel won’t change. Road tripping will definitely be an exciting trend even I can’t wait to get on!