With the Coronavirus outbreak hitting our 2020 travel plans hard, most people around the world are in nationwide lockdown. This did not just hurt the tourism industry, but it also left everyone wondering how it could impact the future travel experience.

There’s no doubt that the future of travel is still unknown. No one knows when we’ll be able to travel freely again for sure or how the global travel industry might change. Whether it could be change in the travelers’ behavior, travel procedures, or a rise in new industry trends, change is inevitable, even if it’s temporary.

As speculations are raised here and there, I reached out to several travel bloggers and asked them for their take on this issue. Each had their own interpretations, and even though they all make sense, they’re all still theories based on years of travel experience. Here’s what they had to say.

Q: What might be the effect of the pandemic on the future travel experience?

First things first, how will frequent travelers’ behavior change? Are there any new travel trends expected to surface? Will there be different levels of demand for certain places? Some travelers were inclined towards the idea of change in travel interests and demand.

“People will tailor pick their travel more carefully.”

“It is testing times right now regarding the COVID-19 pandemic especially for those of us with wanderlust.

It is all up in the air when and how we can safely travel again, whether it’s feeling our toes in warm sand or mountain hiking in the rain. One thing is for sure though, how people travel will never be the same again.

In our opinion, people will tailor pick their travel more carefully. We think travelers will be more cautious not to travel to places where it can be too ‘touristy’ and overcrowded. Off-the-beaten-path destinations will become more popular because it’s the minimal chance of interacting with as many strangers as possible, with the social distancing still embedded within their minds.

We believe this may be a good thing as more areas of the world will be explored and people will go to destinations where they wouldn’t have considered before.

– Kerrie and Woody of Just Go Travelling

The tendency to avoid crowds and gatherings is definitely expected. But how can the changes in demand affect certain travel industries? Well, Wendy here believes the cruise industry, in particular, might face a lot of trouble, but on the other hand, small local tour companies will benefit.

“It will take a long time for the cruise industry to recover if it ever does.”

“People who used to go on cruises will now think twice since cruise ships have shown themselves to be the perfect breeding ground for the virus. It will take a long time for the cruise industry to recover if it ever does. But this may be a positive change in the long run, as people will choose to try tour companies that ensure small group sizes instead.

These small group tours are not only more environmentally friendly than cruises, but they also offer tourists more opportunities to have meaningful, authentic interactions with locals and give back to the communities they visit.

Typically, the people living in cruise port destinations don’t benefit very much from the type of tourism that cruises bring. The passengers don’t spend money in local restaurants or hotels since they eat and sleep on the ship. And when hundreds of passengers disembark at once, it can be quite disruptive to locals’ daily lives. But with a small group tour, their tourism dollars will go directly to the local community, and they will have more opportunities to talk with locals and learn about their culture.”

– Wendy Werneth of The Nomadic Vegan

Meanwhile, other travel bloggers believe that there will be a rise in domestic travel, which is something that’s already being encouraged by governments of countries that heavily rely on tourism, but of course, at a lower capacity and with taking safety measures.

“A shift towards local travel..”

“It is inevitable that there will be changes within global travel and tourism industries after the effects of the pandemic. This may result in a shift toward prioritizing local travel.

In recent weeks there has been an increased ‘prioritize local’ trend in communities all over the world with consumers buying more items from local, independent, and smaller businesses. This has been a remarkable change in thinking which could affect post-pandemic travel trends.

Coupled with the fact that there will most likely be international travel restrictions, travelers will first prioritize visiting destinations in their own country. In this case, we would expect to see international travel continue to decrease, while domestic travel will spike when lockdown restrictions begin to ease. During this time, there will be a higher demand for accommodation, restaurants, and shops from small and independent businesses. I estimate that this could be a trend well into 2021.”

– Catriona of Catriona Mactaggart

Catriona might have coupled the expected increase of demand for domestic travel with restrictions and the ‘prioritizing everything local’ trend. But what about the travelers’ safety concerns? And how is that going to affect their future travel experience and travel interests. Coupling this with Emma’s theory on coming to realize the hidden gems in your own backyard, it will also indicate an inclination towards domestic travel.

“Once we discover how beautiful our home country is, why go abroad?”

“I truly believe that the current Coronavirus pandemic will have a long-lasting impact on future travel experience and the industry as a whole. People are already rebooking vacations closer by home and I think this is a trend that will persist into the future. Once we discover how beautiful our home country is, why go abroad?

It’s likely that country borders will remain closed for a long time, so we have to adapt our travels to it. I believe that some people (including me) are focusing too much on escaping their home country and too little on enjoying what they have at home! 

While everyone is in lockdown, people will naturally start to discover hidden gems in their own region. I mean, did you ever really visit one of your neighboring cities (not for shopping)? That’s what people are looking into now and this can become a trend that persists long into the future!”

– Emma of Emma’s Roadmap

But how about new trends? Nowadays, people have been curing their wanderlust with alternatives to travel experiences such as virtual tours. Could this trend proceed to exist?

“International and local tour operators may continue providing their foot tours online.”

“During the lockdown, we’ve had the ability to visit the French Quarter in New Orleans, learn to cook with an Italian chef, and take a tour of Scotland’s Outlander filming locations without leaving home!

For some, this escapism is temporary. For others, being able the access virtual tours and games over Zoom is a lifeline. Hence why many international and local tour operators may continue providing their foot tours online, so travelers with disabilities can experience their products too.

Digital travel is also affordable and doesn’t require time off work! COVID-19 will have a huge impact on travel budgets, so plans may have to adapt. Online tours give families a chance to travel without having to take a flight after all. They are also cheap to run. All those tour operators need is access to WiFi, photography, video, and conference call software.

While digital travel will never replace the in-person experience, online tours are still inclusive, accessible, and cheaper to run for companies.”

– Gemma of Two Scots Abroad

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Virtual tours have always been there, but because of the lockdown, travelers might be seeing it differently. Another thing that has always been there, but more people now can be leaning towards it more than ever, is sustainable travel.

Everyone around the world noticed how the planet started healing when people gave it a break. Can the increased awareness on sustainable travel lead to changes in the future travel experience of the average traveler as well?

“Slow(er) travel will be favored.”

“As a vegan and someone who cares about our planet, the moral dilemma of travel has been on the back of my mind each time I flew or set foot in a train. I’ve already taken steps to offset carbon – I limit flights to maximum a round-trip per year, I choose to travel by train, and prefer to support local businesses – but the new world reality has got me thinking about what would happen when we’d be free to travel again. The (almost) worldwide shelter-in-place and quarantine orders have done wonders for our nature and the air quality. It is normal to find a way to continue this trend even when there will be more movement.

There’s an authentic feel that comes from taking the time to get to know the culture, people, and nature. Slow(er) travel will be favored. And exploring a new place by bicycle, on foot, or any other non-motorized way will be the norm. Accommodations will strive to be more sustainable, with emphasis on keeping a low number of guests and putting the gardens to good use (as a place to have the meals, for example). The prevalence of eco-friendly cleaning products, alternative energy sources, and plant-base meals will also increase. At the same time, facilities will strive to forgo the incredibly long queues that put a strain on the historical sites. Entrance will be made by appointment and only a much smaller number of people can get inside at the same time.

– Cris of LooknWalk

Moving to to travel restrictions and how countries around the world are expected to open its borders to foreigners. It surely won’t be easy; more documents might be required and visa procedures may be subject to change. In other words, countries won’t easily open its borders wide open without taking extra precautions, at least until a vaccine is found.

“I suspect countries will screen visitors for the virus, its antibodies, or related symptoms.”

“I think it’s going to be a while before a lot of countries open their borders to visitors after the initial waves of COVID-19 infections subside. When that inevitable day comes, though (assuming we haven’t found a vaccine or an effective treatment method first), I suspect countries will screen visitors for the virus, its antibodies, or related symptoms.

For example, when I traveled to Japan in 2018, visitors were screened for abnormal temperatures using an infrared scanner; at a minimum, I think many countries will adopt a similar strategy. I also think we’ll see a patchwork of other approaches, including an “antibody passport”, like the idea recently floated by Chile, which would allow those who have already been exposed and recovered from the virus the ability to enter its borders or even testing of travelers for the virus itself, once a quicker and cheaper testing method is developed.

The future travel experience will be different; travelers may have to get more comfortable with the idea that their adventures will now inherently go hand-in-hand with costly or potentially even intrusive health screenings. That being said, count me as onboard for measures that keeps everyone safe and allows me to start traveling again!”

– Jessica of Uprooted Traveler

“Maybe our Carte Jaune will become an obligatory travel document in the future.”

“I believe that just as we have seen restrictions on what we can bring on planes post 9/11, we will see significant changes in post-COVID-19 travel. Smaller countries, island nations, in particular, will probably want to make sure that the virus doesn’t spread too easily again. So just like some countries now require yellow fever vaccines, I think that COVID-19 vaccination might become mandatory to enter certain countries as soon as a vaccine is available.

I could even see it becoming mandatory for when you want to go to an airport. So maybe our Carte Jaune will become an obligatory travel document in the future. EU officials have already stated that once the Schengen area opens up its borders again, visa applicants might have to provide a negative COVID-19 test. And a mandatory vaccine is being debated as well. If the EU goes through with this, other countries will surely follow.”

– Nina of Lemons and Luggage

There are lots of speculations on the future of travel experience are in the air; whether on the long or short run. And in spite of any rumors you might be hearing every day, you can’t really expect anything. Who would’ve expected this would be our 2020 anyway?

If you have any speculations yourself, care to drop a comment below and share your two cents! I want to hear your opinion. Most importantly now, stay home and stay safe!

You might also like:

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