As the number of Californians getting fully vaccinated grows, and COVID-19 positivity rates continue to decline, it’s only natural that we’re all champing at the bit to travel. Where we can safely go and how we get there remain moving targets. So, we’ve put together key points to consider before you hit the road, take flight or sail away.
1. Road to recovery
Financial losses to the U.S. travel industry during the last year have been staggering – $492 billion in revenues, or $1.6 billion per day, according to the U.S. Travel Association. The good news? Airlines, hotels, tour guides, restaurants and attractions that have survived are ready to safely take you to the places you have been dreaming of, especially if you are vaccinated against COVID-19.
2. Revenge travel
“Revenge travel” is a new buzzword, as people plan to get their revenge on the pandemic by booking bucket-list travel later this year and beyond. Virtuoso, the luxury travel advisors, recently surveyed travelers and discovered that 82% of them are ready to travel in 2021; 93% said they will never take travel for granted again. And most people are ready to spend more money, splurging on a bigger and better trip than they have in the past.
Extended families getting together to go somewhere exotic is a trend, as are people planning “do-over vacations” (another hot travel industry trend) by celebrating milestones that happened during the pandemic. Think big birthdays, anniversaries, graduations – not forgotten and now going to be celebrated a tad late.
Many are using travel agents, instead of booking via the Internet on their own, because of the professionals’ insider knowledge of what’s open, what’s safe and (most importantly) how to navigate cancellations if something goes awry.
3. Vaccine passports
Along with vaccinations has come the talk of “vaccine passports.” The European Union already has announced plans for a “Digital Green Certificate” that allows vaccinated EU citizens, as well as those who have a current negative test or have recovered from COVID-19, to use so they can travel more freely. China has already launched a digital passport, and Japan has one in the works, but the U.S. was not planning a national initiative for a vaccine passport.
It’s a real possibility that as 2021 opens up to travel, many countries will require proof of vaccination for entry. In other words, Americans who choose to not get a COVID-19 vaccine might have limited options to travel internationally.
4. Countries open to Americans
Fully vaccinated Americans who are ready to board a plane and fly are finding more and more countries are allowing entry without quarantine. Recently, that list included Anguilla, Barbados, Belize, Croatia, Cyprus, Ecuador, Estonia, Georgia, Guatemala, Israel, Iceland, Montenegro, Nepal, Poland, Seychelles and Slovenia. Other countries have been open to U.S. travelers throughout much of the pandemic, with current negative tests, including the Bahamas, Botswana, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Polynesia (Tahiti), Kenya, the Maldives, Mexico, Peru, Turkey and Turks and Caicos.
But many bucket-list places remain off-limits to U.S. citizens, including Australia and New Zealand, the European Union and even Canada. So, when planning an international trip, make sure the country you want to visit welcomes the passport you carry.
5. “Responsible” travel choices
As we venture back out into the world, new travel perspectives are coming to the forefront. Think zero-carbon footprint travel, going on environmentally aware and conservation-centered trips, plus visiting places where wildlife protections have been expanded.
Responsible travelers embrace indigenous peoples’ experiences in the countries they visit as well, and countries are also embracing those that came first. For example, Queensland and the rest of Australia have been investing resources in Aboriginal travel guides, as well as experiential and artistic centers celebrating that ancient civilization.
6. Travel’s changing look
As the pandemic raged, many things changed in the travel world, from hotels dramatically shifting cleaning and safety protocols to airlines not filling middle seats. And while some things are reverting back (don’t expect to find intentionally empty middle seats on any U.S. airline), parts of the travel landscape have permanently changed.
Many hotels continue to offer COVID-19 tests on-site, so travelers can easily get tested before boarding a flight, while both boutique hotels (Nobu Ryokan Malibu or Lido House Newport Beach, for example) and small cruise ships (Maine Windjammer Cruises, European Waterways Barge Cruises) have added complete buyouts to ensure the safety of an entire family or group.
Airbnb and Vrbo suffered badly during the pandemic, losing many hosts unwilling to rent to strangers, so expect to see many fewer home rental offerings at most destinations until 2022. Car rental companies have raised fees and lowered the number of cars available, and raised prices substantially, which looks to continue well into this summer.
Uber and Lyft also are down thousands of drivers (as well as billions of dollars) who were unwilling to drive strangers during the pandemic, so remember that getting a ride while on vacation may be problematic in many places.
7. Cruising? Get vaccinated!
After the nightmare of people confined to their cruise ship staterooms in the early days of the pandemic, many travelers are justifiably reluctant to set sail again. Not surprisingly, cruise operators both large and small are also hesitant about filling a ship with possibly infected guests. Thus, the new cruising paradigm is a simple one: in 2021 (at least), fully vaccinated people 18 and older can sail, unvaccinated people stay home (children do not need to be vaccinated on most cruise lines).
COVID-19 vaccines are now required 14 days before boarding all Princess, Norwegian, Cunard, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Oceania, Viking, the new Virgin Voyages cruise line and virtually every other large or small cruise ship that is returning to rivers, seas or oceans this year. No vaccine = no cruising.
8. Pandemic pampering
While “pandemic pampering” has been available during the past many months – think outdoor yoga classes on rooftops and in parks – indoor spa and wellness treatments such as massages, facials, scrubs, waxings, hair-stylings and mani-pedis have been woefully missing from our lives. Famed U.S. destination spas – Miraval in Tucson, Golden Door in Southern California and Canyon Ranch in Massachusetts among them – are seeing upsurges in 2021 bookings after putting pandemic protocols into place. International wellness destinations like Careyes in Mexico are finding the same – people are ready to indulge again, be it with yoga overlooking the ocean or reveling in a world-class spa.
9. Travel bubbles
While the U.S. and Mexico have kept borders mostly open during the pandemic, Canada is still closed to Americans. However, it’s possible that as the summer advances and infection rates keep declining, a “travel bubble” might develop between Canada and the United States. The idea applies to two countries that both have controlled the pandemic opening leisure travel routes between those countries. Australia and Singapore, Australia and New Zealand and Taiwan and Palau (in Micronesia) are three examples of this trend.
10. Travel insurance
As many travelers learned the hard way, when a pandemic hits all bets are off. Which meant that many would-be tourists lost significant deposits on booked-ahead tours, paid huge penalties to change plane tickets to get home before borders or airports shut down and perhaps even became ill with COVID-19 and had to foot the cost of emergency medical care or even emergency transportation in a foreign country.
All those things are generally covered by travel insurance, which in these still uncertain times is an important investment. Before you buy, note that insurers are adding specific “epidemic” benefits or exclusions to policies, so read the fine print before signing up.
11. Traveling with children: Plan ahead, wait a while
While it seems as if the U.S. is opening up and breathing freely again as the coronavirus pandemic eases, those with children at home need to know a few important facts before planning a big trip with the kids in tow.
Ages 16 and older can safely get vaccinated against COVID-19, but the younger set is still waiting for safety trials to conclude. Meanwhile, more children are contracting the virus. During the week of April 8-15, for example, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported 88,497 new cases among children – 20% of all new cases. So, it’s clear that children are still susceptible to the disease.
But here’s the good news: they rarely need hospitalization and only 0.03% of cases result in death.
