How is travel going to look from now on? Especially the wanderlust folks who draw their energy from constant travel are pondering over their future plans. While we know nothing is permanent and this tough time shall also pass, it is a matter of how long before the tides calm. The world is now obviously divided into a pre-covid and post-covid phase. It’s the post-covid phase that has got our minds looking forward to : with hope and a meticulous plan of action. Though we are yet to enter a timeline where the virus is completely eradicated, no harm in strategizing a rough plan.
Travel has pretty much become a necessity. It was for reasons pertaining to business, personal or leisure. Leisure travel had gained immense popularity in the past few years where families, friends or solo travels to International locations were sought after. Countless plans were made for such travels with tickets and hotel bookings done well in advance. Travel industry was functioning like a well oiled machine that showed no signs of slowing, for ‘travel’ was an ‘escape from reality concept’ for many. Alas! With our sudden stagnant world caused by the pandemic, each one of us was thrown off track. While we all have adapted to our indoor life, accepting the fact that International travels are off the charts for a while, is sinking in slowly. Some (few extremely optimistic ones) have cancelled international plans with the hope to reschedule in the coming months while many others have cancelled with fresh anticipation that might brew only when the world is pandemic free. With our confidence broken, it would take considerable time before we decide to venture overseas unless it’s an absolute necessity.
Once the situation brightens, local travel is going to be in demand. We would rather explore nearby places than refrain from travel of all kinds. Quick weekend getaways to closeby locations, (which were already prospering before) might continue to attract travelers. Intra-state and inter-state travel plans will get rolling and these destinations might prove to be a breather to let ourselves down.
Our near future would bring forth a time to introspect on our travel goals and eventually chart out territories that were right round the corner but never visited. Homestays and staycations might become a bigger fad than it already was. With people wanting to look at travel with minimal contacts, places to stay and relax will become prominent and they will majorly opt to travel by car to these destinations. Bikers would be the only set of travelers who may not be deterred by the changes happening around. They are accustomed to travelling to places either on their own or in groups where their sole aim is to ride irrespective of where they are headed. The discouraged segment of travelers will be families with aged members. With a mindset to be ‘safer than sorry’ and to wait before getting too adventurous, old family members will be given the backseat for travel priorities. This shall continue for a considerable amount of time.
While we have enough time to plan ahead, it ultimately comes down to how soon and how effectively the pandemic situation is controlled. All we can do is hope for the best and probably leave the finer details of travel plans to a later date when it is feasible to venture out!
Until then, stay calm, stay put and stay safe.
