The Covid-19 pandemic has essentially shut-down the world economy. One of the first, and hardest-hit casualties has been the travel industry.
With backpacking trips, honeymoons, gap-years and family vacations now being put on hold in the face of a global pandemic, it’s difficult to predict what the future of travel looks like.
In the face of uncertainty, one of the best things that we can do is to stay positive. While a positive mentality is a great starting point, it’s now more important than ever to come together as a broader travel community and put that positivity into action.
But what can we do?
How Has Travel Been Impacted by Covid-19
Well, the short answer is that for now, travel is canned.
And rightly so.
Traveling in the current climate is both selfish and inappropriate. Even if border restrictions don’t apply to you, traveling to other countries contributes and compounds the rate of infection.
As a result. trips have been put on hold, tour operators have lost their incomes, airlines are begging for bailouts to stay flying, and local tourist-based economies are struggling.
It’s certainly not a great time. And, what’s worse is that almost no one knows when this Covid-19 nightmare will be over.
As a blogger and travel photographer, my personal income has been slowed to an abrupt halt.
However, while times are tough, it’s easy to fall in to the woe-is-me spiral of self pity. The truth is, there are always people that are much worse-off than ourselves.
This is especially true for those of us who come from countries with strong social and economic support. While the big companies are of course bleeding, it’s the local Balinese tour guide and Nepalese porter and their families who are really going to feel the brunt of this whole thing.
So, what can we do as a travel community to support those who need help the most and to come out of this on the other end together?
Coming Together As a Travel Community – Ways to Help
We’re all in the same boat, so let’s all do our best to keep it afloat. Below I’ve included a list of ideas and ways that we can all contribute.
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1. Don’t Cancel, Postpone
This is what many airlines, tour groups, transport organizers hotels, etc. are asking to avoid bankruptcy.
If you are able to, the best thing that we can do is to postpone our travel arrangements to a later date. Most companies are offering “time-flexible” or “open” tickets and bookings that are free to use as soon as this is over.
2. Request Travel Credit
If you have made a tour booking or purchased a flight ticket, it may be possible to request travel credits to use at a later date. This is different from “open” tickets, because you’ll often also have the option of changing destinations altogether.
3. Buy Gift Cards
Whether it’s for an upcoming birthday or a future celebratory self-gift, purchasing a gift card is a great way to contribute to the travel economy.
It’s really a win-win situation. You’ll have future travels paid off, and the companies will have the cashflow to keep their staff running until we beat the pandemic.
4. Stay Adventurous
For the lack of a better term, keep the “wonderlust” alive. Share previous trip pictures on social media, buy travel books and magazines, read blogs and guides and watch travel vlogs!
Sharing, commenting and enjoying travel content helps to keep creators afloat during these times. You’ll probably also find some great travel ideas and inspiration for the post-covid travel boom!
5. Don’t Forget the Little Guys
As I mentioned, the people really hurting are the local guides and business owners who live in places where tourism is one of the only options for an income.
I’m sure we’ve all met local legends who have gone out of their way to make your visit to their country unforgettable. Stay in contact with them, see if you can support them financially if you are able to.
Book future travel plans with them and keep the positivity flowing.
So, When Can we Travel Again?
The truth is that at this stage, nobody knows. What we do know for certain is that travel will be back.
The good news is that the best estimate at this time is that the tourism industry is expected to fully recover by 2023.
While that might seem like a long way away, let’s stay positive, let’s stay adventurous and all do our part to keep tourism and travel alive!