There has been a drastic shift in the way we travel since the COVID-19 pandemic first emerged last year. Restrictions had been imposed on travelling worldwide post the coronavirus outbreak. On World Tourism Day, let’s look at what the future looks like for COVID-19 and tourism.
Restrictions have been imposed on travelling to several nations post coronavirus outbreak
With coronavirus becoming a global pandemic, tourism was one of the main industries to be hit by its colossal effect. The international flight ban in India is currently extended till September 30, and many passenger trains still stand cancelled till further notice.
Once we’ve put the dark days of 2020 behind us, and get back to ticking off destinations on our bucket list, we’ll be travelling in a changed world. Here, we lay down the different ways travel is most likely to change once the pandemic numbers start decreasing and the ban on travel is lifted.
Limiting tourist numbers in top tourist destinations
Too many tourists seems to be the bane of quite a few tourist spots in Europe. The Austrian town of Hallstatt is one of the most visited destinations in Europe, attracting tourists by the drove. The Alpine town, said to be an inspiration for Disney’s Frozen movies, is also known for its salt mines and fairy tale scenery and is home to some 800 odd residents.
However over tourism has deteriorated the quality of life of locals and the authorities now want to introduce measures to bring footfall under control. It’s the same story in Venice. Controlled tourist numbers could soon become a norm for destinations which witness high footfalls to avoid overcrowding. This step, if implemented, could also force visitors to turn their attention to other equally immersive, under-the-radar destinations in a country.
Encourage to explore offbeat destinations
Travelling to offbeat destinations may trend from time to time as it’s as the pictures make for cool social currency. It by no means is the norm though. However, that’s about to change. Destinations which don’t receive much attention are likely to gain prominence from tourists, once situation turns normal. In other words, the ‘not-so-explored’ spots could become a hot favourite among travellers. For instance, while Rome and Venice are top draws in Italy, there are several other offbeat places to explore such as Cinque Terre, the Dolomites, and Genoa, among others.
Exploring offbeat destinations can not only cut travel budget but also avoid large gatherings. There are strong chances of tourists looking forward to venturing offbeat destinations in India and across the globe in the wake up of coronavirus.
Offseason tourism
Travelling during peak travel seasons has its own limitations. Not only are the hotels and spots overcrowded, but there’s also an ecological impact on the destination.
Difficulties can compound manifold with events like coronavirus. Therefore, in the coming days, travel agents, hotels and flights could see a surge in bookings during off-peak seasons, something which is a blessing in disguise.
Also, travelling during non-peak seasons can help you get better deals on flights and hotels. Even top-notch hotels give lucrative discounts and offers to attract tourists and generate revenues.
Travel insurance gains more prominence
Travel insurance will become all the more important once mainstream travel operations resume. Because of coronavirus, several flights had been cancelled in the first quarter of the year. Hotel bookings too had to be cancelled. Also, many had been hospitalised due to infection or sent into quarantine. All these had grave financial implications, and in such a scenario, Travel Insurance came to the rescue of the aggrieved insured parties by reimbursing the expenses incurred.
The final word
After the world bounces back from this deadly outbreak and we get on with our lives, it’s perhaps time to ponder on the impact our choices make. While we travel for leisure, are we doing it in a fashion that betters our destination of choice or does it burden that city/town’s ecology, civic infrastructure, etc. In short, will we be more conscious travellers or disruptive tourists? Ponder before you proceed.