We all know that the travel industry has been very adversely impacted during the pandemic. While we optimistically wait for the world to open up, this is the time for us to prepare ourselves anticipating the changes that are bound to take place. Thereby sharing our thoughts on how we at TRAVEL Andaz foresee the good times ahead of us. What could change for good or let’s say what could be the new normal for our esteemed travellers.
Growing emphasis on quality and hygiene
It is obvious that this passing phase of the pandemic will make the travellers extra cautious. Given the scenario, travellers will be more conscious than ever before towards the choice of quality hotels they stay in and the restaurants they eat at. At unknown destinations or specially destinations abroad travellers will strictly adhere to the valuable recommendations by their trusted travel agent.
New safety measures at Airports
Sterilisation booths, social distancing measures, thermal scanning, automated screening, heat motion sensors and trackers, facial recognition, sanitisation kiosks and much more will be newly introduced at the airports. This will definitely make air travel much more safer than before. Not just COVID-19, but it would prevent us from any other infections and eliminate the possibility of other ailments that could have occurred anytime in the near future.
Nature will be at its best
While we have been locked down at home, the nature has been healing back to present itself in its best form ever. Better air quality, greener hill tops, snow clad mountain ranges, cleaner beaches, lakes, ponds, clear skies, more scenic sunsets or sunrises and more. All waiting to welcome us for breath-taking experiences.
Interestingly, we will pack differently
Wet wipes to clean seats, sanitizing hands constantly in fear will be a new normal behaviour that will be observed at the airports or otherwise. Face masks and disposable gloves will be a new must have in the hand baggage. For all we know airlines might come up with handy kits carrying a mask, sanitiser, a pair of gloves and tissues to be given to each passenger in their efforts to provide more personalised service.
Personalised experience will be a preferred choice over large group tours
Travellers will see more value and book experiential journeys with families or in small intimate groups. Travellers may refrain from joining random large groups with no information on who they would travel with. Customised travel to a chosen destination and at the convenience of the traveller would be more in demand from here on.
Visible and demonstrated efforts by security will be appreciated
Visible and demonstrated efforts by security will be appreciated
Increased security checks and scans at the airports and hotels may no longer be considered cumbersome, but rather would put travellers at ease as it will minimise their own risk of any infections and unprecedented health hazards. We could witness travellers patiently waiting in long queues and expressing less discomfort to let the security and the frontline staff do their job diligently.
Information sharing will be key
It is imperative that at the time of making the booking travellers would demand to know from their travel agents the hotels they would be staying in, the restaurants where their meals would be organised, the quality of transportation that would be arranged for their sight-seeing and more about other aspects of their tour. There would be no compromise any more on getting the relevant necessary information in advance to go ahead with the booking.
Let us brace ourselves to a very interesting and innovative new normal that the travel industry is going to present to the world. Whether its corporate travel or leisure tourism, both are inevitable in the long run and will definitely bounce back, but with a lot of CHANGE FOR GOOD.
We should all keep our hopes alive and wait patiently for this phase to get over. We are sure that post COVID-19 lockdown, travellers would be the biggest gainers from the scaled up hygiene and safety standards by the travel and tourism industry across the world. Journeys that will be more exciting and highly experiential are awaiting to welcome the travellers.
By: Siddhesh Phadnis
Founder & Managing Partner
TRAVEL Andaz
