The travel industry, like many others, has taken a level-5-hurricane-punch in the last several months. And the long and short answer of whether travel will ever be the same is yes…and NO! Things like sanitation, praise the Lord I’m not sure they could’ve been much worse, will get better. Jumping through hoops like trip insurance, new visa regulations, and precautionary measures will probably be a new norm. Based on current news and trends, here are my predictions for the future of travel.

The Bad News…

Airport Travel – If you thought your trip to the airport was a hassle before, think again. Once air-travel passenger numbers recover I think things will get even more cumbersome. There will be more rules in the name of safety regulations and don’t get rid of your new best friend the face mask; it will be accompanying you for some time.

Visas – Europe was already on track to make Americans get a visa before visiting. Now by the end of 2020 getting authorization to travel to Europe will be another hurdle to jump through. Be sure… you will be asked medical questions upon entry. Gone are the days of buying a ticket and hopping on a plane the next week to Paris. Not that I ever did that, but that’s not the point!

Site-seeing – Longer digital lines and appointments will replace standing-in-line which means you may not get to see the Mona Lisa or the Statue of David. I don’t know if we will ever go back to mass tourism the way it was? Quite frankly, I’m not sure I’m sad about that one. I hated seeing hordes of people push and fall over themselves to get a glimpse at a painting, before taking a selfie and shoving back out. I believe not as many people will get to see the famous sites but that also means a better experience for those who do and WAAAYYY more planning on the front end. I predict you will have to buy your ticket 6 months in advance to go up the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Welcome Mat – Traveling the world, I have realized, that other cultures love-to-love Americans and LOOOOVE to hate us! Our national handling of the pandemic has already condemned us in the eyes of other countries. The EU has placed a ban on US Travelers until further notice. Many countries will keep a ban on US citizens entering or have 14-day quarantines for us until our virus numbers lower significantly. I worry that in the near future other countries may not be as inviting to us as they once were.

Travel Insurance – Never again will we travel without trip insurance! Expect trip insurance prices to go up and plan on that as a regular expense along with airfare and accommodations. I use InsureMyTrip.com for comparing great coverage. The new buzz term in the insurance world will be a “cancel for any reason” policy.

The Good News…

Whew…bad news is yuck! Onto the good….

Deals!!!! – We are still waiting to see how airlines and the hotel industry will stabilize and I think in the meantime we will be able to find some killer deals.

Travel Pro Tip: My advice is if you are wary about travel now, go ahead and plan out your dream destinations, as many as you can, and wait for the right time and the right deal. I’ve written a whole step-by-step process to finding and planning your dream vacations.

I think a lot of great travel incentives are coming down the pipeline. I watch Scott’s Cheap Flights and Hopper for fare deals and, use Booking.com, TravelZoo, or contact local accommodations in the area you’re planning to visit.

Hands-Free – I am really interested to see where this takes us, but so many companies are introducing contactless technology according to Skift’s latest news report. Already rolling out are facial recognition check-in, touchless elevators, and digital ordering at airport restaurants.

Cleanliness – Ahhhhh how nice it is for the travel industry to catch up on this little aspect that has made me completely crazy for years! I love that now airport bins and tray tables will be sanitized on a regular basis. I will not even provide you the link to the dirtiest places in airports previously, along with the rates of infection. Suffice to say this is a step in the right direction.

Travel Pro Tip: Regardless of new sanitation measures, please do not drink the tap water on airplanes that they use in the coffee and tea. That study is even more disgusting…but I digress.

More Digital World – One thing the global pandemic taught us was how to better communicate without being face-to-face. As companies learn how to operate allowing employees to work from home, who’s to say you couldn’t work from a cabin in the mountains or a little European fishing village? Just throwing that out there! Let me know if it sticks… I’m seriously considering it!

One thing is certain, the travel industry will never operate the same as it did pre-pandemic. I think travel will rebound in numbers and perceived comfort level in 3-5 years, assuming no other major disruptions occur. Stay-cations and local travel will increase dramatically in the short term and international will grow very slowly as borders begin to open. The good news is the travel industry desperately wants to get back on track and I think it will be a better place when it does.

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When the time is right again for you Happy Travels!