How the Coronavirus Pandemic affect the Way We Travel

(First time a guest post in my blog.) Gulshan Bafna is a leading travel entrepreneur with a passion for exploring every corner of the globe. His unique approach of describing and covering tourist hotspots as well as unknown retreats alike has won him a solid following online. True to his blog's name, he believes that travel is an exciting prospect for everyone!

For people that spend their entire life travelling, certainly, 2020 has been a tough year to deal with. Still, people are hopeful about finding a cure and overcoming this pandemic so that they can start to move around soon. As we test more and while scientists are trying to find cures, there is hope that things will improve. What is sure for now, is that the life of a traveller will be very different from how it used to be. Here is a list of things that one thinks how the coronavirus pandemic affect the way we travel: 

1.   Taking a lot more precaution: Clearly, these are difficult times. So, most people would think, and rightly so, about trying to ensure that we will try and avoid touching random surfaces. They will make sure to carry masks, alcohol-based sanitizers, and wear gloves whenever required. This is important because you are not only protecting yourself but also protecting others if you are an asymptomatic traveller.

   

2.    Not travelling if not necessary: This is one of the most important effects that coronavirus or COVID 19 will be on travellers. People are revisiting if any travel idea is really important or if they are doing it on a whim. Most random travels will be called off. Unless really required, most people are avoiding travel. Additionally, corporates are also spending less on travel when something can be done online. The travel industry has certainly taken a beating and there will be a slow increase in the people willing to travel.

3.   Selecting places: How we select places to travel to will also be viewed differently. For instance, if a place has a higher number of cases that will determine how many people would like to travel there. If most of the exploration includes enclosed places then that will certainly be a worrisome choice. This is because enclosed places show a higher likelihood to spread the coronavirus. So, the kind of places people travel to will be relooked at and reevaluated for a while.

4.    Opting for less crowded places: With the Coronavirus, travel will be affected and most people will consider unexplored locations to avoid the crowd. The more the crowd the higher the chance that you would knowingly or unknowingly catch the virus and spread it yourself. Therefore, people will find secluded places rather than where travellers would flock to usually. A lot of the unexplored places will start to gain popularity for sure.

5.    Traveller's health and age factors: It has been determined that certain people are more vulnerable than others to this virus. For instance, little children, old people, pregnant women and people with existing diseases are more susceptible to get this infection. So, people with any of these conditions will think twice about travelling during the coronavirus pandemic times. They will try and stay indoors and postpone their trips if avoidable.

6.    No more open borders: A lot of countries, states and cities are trying to protect their own people. So, across the world, a lot of governments and people are trying to lock down their borders for outsiders that want to travel. Even if they are allowing them to enter, they are asking a lot of questions such as why they need to travel, to begin with. There are many restrictions with regards to which country or states one can travel to or from.

 

7.    Watch what you eat: A lot of people are going to watch what and where they eat. Many restaurants are even trying to keep an eye on how they serve up their food. Also, many people will start taking hygiene a lot more seriously as providers of food and consumers of it. If hotels take the required precautions, there will be a higher chance that they will get more patrons. People are more cautious now, may it be during visiting restaurants or ordering food in. 

 

8.    Hotel Rules: Post-COVID most hotels will have to relook at what they need to do to be inviting and safe. They will need to focus on constantly disinfecting and taking care of people. Apart from taking all the precautions, it will also be more important to communicate it to the guests. People will also prefer finding isolated locations such as villas so they will be able to protect themselves. That the hotels are taking the required steps to protect their patrons will be the only way to get business.

9.    Budget travel: It is no secret that the economy is in the doldrums. There are a lot of problems and a lot of people that are losing their jobs. So, travelling has become a trouble. Therefore, a lot of people will look to travel, if they have to, in smaller budgets while staying safe through the trip. More hotels and restaurants will give discounts to make their place more affordable while ensuring they are careful.

10. Travel rules: Travel industry by itself will know how to undergo a lot of changes. Just having to clean up after customers and ensuring they disinfect and maintain hygiene will all become an important way that will change travel post the coronavirus pandemic. Despite how people decide to travel, air, train, bus or cab; all transport will come under the scanner. How well they are making the effort to keep it safe for public transport will determine their profitability. 

These are hard times, and a lot of people are finding it difficult to cope. We are going through times that we are not prepared for and the economy is not looking great. However, we know that people are waiting to get out and are itching to travel. Everyone should try and remember that the pandemic is not beyond us, yet. What we need to do is ensure that while we get the wheels spinning, we are also safe. Remember, travelling is a great idea, but ensure that you stay safe while you are at it.\