Summary
- International travel could be in the offing with the world gearing up for digital travel pass.
- Travel insurance with considerations for contracting COVID-19 can help in mitigating travel-related risks.
- Remote work trends are facilitating the demand for vacation rentals.
“When we roam the roads of lands remote”, we subconsciously tend to live those H.C Andersen’s fairytales which many of us have long forgotten pressured by overbearing mundane lives. Indeed, our affinity for travel is so strong that a faint glimmer of hope amid the COVID-19 pandemic has been sending us on cloud nine to take an exciting journey.
Although international travel enchained by the border restrictions is yet to gain grounds, the domestic tourism was pretty fast to pull the gypsy souls to explore their backyards once lockdowns were relaxed. Meanwhile, with vaccinations on the cards, many travel enthusiasts have turned into eager beavers to eventually undertake the trip that has been put on the back burner for almost a year.
Nevertheless, let us not forget that although the calendar year has changed, we are still in the pandemic epoch, with economies struggling to fight coronavirus. It would mean embracing the precautionary measures and most importantly staying up to date with the latest travel trends as we embark on that much-need journey.
Let us look at some of the key trends that are likely to define travel in 2021.
Vaccination Passports
Millions across the globe took their first jab of vaccine shots, amplifying the prospects for international travel. However, the trips abroad might not be easy without proof of vaccination.
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Air carriers worldwide are planning to use ‘Travel Pass’ to be developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The proposed digital travel pass would include information on COVID-19 test results, travel history and vaccinations. The Denmark Government has already started developing vaccination passports in a bid to ease international travel.
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Travel Insurance
COVID-19 outbreak left many travellers in the lurch. The pandemic scenario and the uncertainty one might face in foreign lands has further escalated the need for travel insurance. At the same time, many insurance companies have undergone a significant shift in their orientation after re-evaluating their policies in the current context.
Furthermore, when international borders reopen, it is highly likely that international travel would come in a package with compulsory insurance policies- which also seems to be a safe bet in these unprecedented times.
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Vacation Rentals
Why not compensate the last year of boredom with at least a month of vacation?
The appealing idea has turned into a possibility as many organisations decided to continue working remotely in 2021 in the wake of coronavirus uncertainty. The current situation has fostered a perfect setting for the vacation rentals that witnessed an uptick in demand, signaling upbeat rental prices.
Change in people’s travelling behaviour and their reluctance to take frequent travels, especially involving public transport, is further booming vacation rentals market. Significantly, the popularity of natural-environment destinations for vacation rentals have grown primarily driven by the shift.
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Digital Integration
Technology and travel were never so unified as they are now, as one of history’s darkest hours reinforced the ally bound to shape the future of tourism. The usage of technological competence is now no longer limited to bookings and reservations. Radically innovative technologies have made their way into travel space.
COVID-19 tracking apps became the new normal as the Governments beefed up their initiatives to control infection. With the growing coronavirus concerns, contactless travel services are on the rise with hotels, airports and associated businesses adopting the changing trend.
While travel trends come and go each year, 2021 is set to be one of tourism’s most substantial years to date. As the world sluggishly recovers from the pandemic, economies recoup, vaccines boost health, and borders gradually open- it will be interesting to watch travel experiences unfold in the year of hope and healing.
Source: Kalkine Media
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