5 Ways How Covid-19 Has Affected The Travel Industry

The travel industry is arguably the most affected industry in the entire world thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic. When the world is running ‘normal’ and people have freedom of independent movement hotels, airlines and tour companies and also locals who work in the tourism sector are in a very good position in terms of constant business.

But of course Covid changed all of that in a heartbeat and many people in travel are hurting and will continue to hurt in the future until we have a vaccine.

That’s not us trying to be doom and gloom though, it’s just a pragmatic stance and a hard fact. However, we do believe this is a “this too shall pass” situation and the world will soon begin to slowly but surely open up again for international travel.

With that being said we have researched and tried to dissect how Covid-19 has affected the travel industry and what that could mean for future travel.

Hotels

One sub-sector of the travel sector that can groan even more so than the transport industry are hotels, particularly large scale hotels such as The Marriott chain who have lost a whopping 75% revenue already.

Cruise Ships

Experts and investors are quite pessimistic about the future of cruise ships, which have been a breeding ground for bacteria as the world was just getting to grips with just how serious this thing was.

As The Points Guy points out: A growing number of cruise lines are canceling sailings into 2021, it surely is a tough gig for the cruise line industry.

Vaccinations before travel

If the Covid-19 vaccination is finished and is given the thumbs up to go ahead, then we are confident that this vaccination will be added to the list of other mandatory vaccinations for most countries (if not all)  for an individual to have before entering their country.

The ‘I don’t have Covid’ certificate

If the vaccine is not ready by the time most of the world opens up for tourism, then expect to have a doctor’s note or certificate assuring the immigration officials that you don’t have Covid symptoms.

Unemployment

It’s not just the big companies who are losing out on money. So are the very people who prop up the travel industry; those in hospitality, transport etc will have lost jobs in this lockdown, but once we go back to normal the positive is we will have millions of people employed once again.

Less Crowds

Not a day goes by that I don’t read a travel blogger whining about their special place no longer being special anymore as more people have found it.

No one likes overcrowded destinations, but everyone that can has a right to travel. However a lot of people will still be risk-aversive or not be in a financial position to travel right away, so if you’re on the road you’ll be able to be snap-happy with a better background and have less queues, which is never a bad thing!

Travel insurance rise

If there is still no vaccine, travel insurance companies will be forced to take you on as a premium. Almost all experts in this field agree on this probability.

Better deals

It’s not all bad, tour companies and hotels are privy to people’s reluctance to travel so those who are up for it will be give cheaper options. Advance private jet booking will give you more good deals and offers to travel in style worth remembering.

Quarantine Hotels

Some countries will require you to have about two weeks quarantine in a hotel of their choice. Most people don’t have that time to spare so always do due diligence about the requirements of the country you plan to visit.

The Takeaway

Although the forecast for the travel industry during and after Covid-19 can seem quite hopeless at times, there is also a lot of positives to take from it.

The big one that we suggest is if you get to travel the world, remember that you are incredibly privileged to do so and to savour it. Never take travel for granted, put your phone down and enjoy the moment whether it be with your loved one, on your own, or with the  locals.