Travel came to a grinding halt due to COVID and everyone asked when will we start again? After a prolonged confinement to the four walls of their houses people want to step out and unwind.  Going forward look for the following trends that are emerging in travel.

Social Awareness

Masks, sensitization, and social distancing will now be integral part of every tourism activity. Consumers are socially aware and social hygiene is the first priority while deciding their travel. We can expect strict protocols being followed at airports and hotels. One thing you can surely expect is lesser crowds than usual, which is likely to make for a better and efficient experience. Preventive measures may lead to restrictions on leisure activities so one must set expectations right while planning travel.

Slow Start

Though essential travel never ceased, there is likely to be a slow start to leisure and business travel these days. Leisure travel has kick-started to destinations within driving distance from people’s place of residence and is likely to extend gradually with Indian states assessing the situation regularly and prescribing norms for travelers and service providers. To avoid disappointment and losses you have to be aware of  government travel guidelines to the destinations you want to travel to. Your Travel Consultant (me J) will be critical in providing you all the required information.

 

Great Deals

As travel restarts, all hotels, airlines, and other service providers will look forward to scale up their business eagerly and there will be plentiful deals available for you. To rebuild consumer confidence and trust, travel vendors will have to offer easy and flexible condition in terms of date changes and cancellations.

Travel Consultant

So, there will be greater dependency on travel consultants over online travel companies. Travel consultants will play a critical role in ensuring a seamless experience to you my friends.Their ability to handle crises,  availability of 24 x7 services, and provide the human touch will set them apart from the online travel companies who thrived by offering big discounts but failed miserably when it came to handling cancellations and change of plans during COVID. Travel consultants are there for you in the long run—in person.

International Travel

As travel starts to accelerate it will be domestic travel that will build up fast because, as you can well anticipate, we may have to wait slightly longer for the international travel . Governments of different countries are continuously lifting or applying restrictions on tourist arrivals. Some have opened up borders for neighbors and are slowly opening up to countries with low infection rates. As India is slowly resuming international flights short-haul tourist destinations will be the first ones to get traction. Long-haul destinations will have to wait slightly longer.

Travel planning must not be taken lightly , you must have a reliable and dependable travel advisor and you can trust Trip Hut for the same .

Dinesh Bhardwaj
CEO – Trip Hut LLP