The Future of Travel After the Coronavirus

 It’s hard to imagine a world of packed planes, busy beaches, and city streets full of tourists. Yet that was the reality a matter of weeks ago, and it will be the reality again in the not-too-distant future. But after a period of months that has brought the travel and tourism industry to its knees, what are we likely to see in the future of travel after the coronavirus pandemic clears?

 

Will Flying Become More Popular After COVID-19? 

The wishful thinking in the industry is that the end of the worldwide lockdown and social distancing measures will coincide with a sharp spike in demand for travelling, and so airlines can get competitive once again and gain back a decent proportion of the money they’ve lost in the intermediary months.

But this doesn’t actually look likely to be the case – at least not immediately. Leaders across the world have made unmistakably clear that the return to normal life is going to be incremental and gradual, not nearly as sudden as the start of the lockdown. Even as travel bans are lifted, crowded planes with economy-style seating arrangements will certainly not be permitted until social distancing measures are relaxed.

 

 

In addition, the idea that there’ll be a huge international travel boom as soon as it’s viable is questionable. A lot of people will still be anxious about crossing the globe in light of the volatility of the last few months, particularly as many UK nationals are still stranded abroad having been given the green light to fly out. A lot has also been made of comparisons to the 1918 Spanish flu which saw an enormous second wave in cases after the first outbreak died down and many returned to normal life.

 

Will the Prices of Plane Tickets Rise or Fall?

With both of the above likelihoods in mind, it’s fair to suggest that travel costs will actually become cheaper after coronavirus. On top of that, benefits such as no-charge cancellations or booking changes will surely become the norm in order to give customers peace of mind.

What About Life on the Ground?

Fortunately, by their very nature, hotels, aparthotels and other accommodation sites are quite segmented compared to planes and tourism hotspots, so they should be one of the first things to become fully operational in the world of travel after coronavirus. Having said that, all of these companies will no doubt have to ramp up their cleaning practices in order to convince their customer bases that they’re on top of their health and safety.

But what will coronavirus mean for some of the largest tourist attractions across the globe? Where enforced social distancing meets the holidaying high-season, trouble is bound to occur. Mass gatherings and public events have been suspended around the world up to as far as September, and it’s hard to imagine, for example, the Vatican City opening its doors to the public any time soon.

 

We hope that wherever you are in the world you’re staying safe in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Supercity’s doors are still open in London, Manchester and Brighton for anyone who needs a safe, secure short-term place to stay. Have a read of our latest safety measures and contingency plans here.