THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL
Insiders look into what’s at stake and what’s in store for travelers and the travel industry
The Covid-19 pandemic made us realize that there are precious things in life that we took for granted, such as the freedom to travel. We have become eager to re-do things and to rediscover ourselves. Given a chance to travel again, consider every trip as if it were your last, so you can really make the most of it. Leisure travel in the future will be quality tourism, done cautiously in style, with better planned itineraries, travel outfits more carefully chosen, photographs properly taken. Cuisine will be considered a must, along with history and culture. More and more destinations will be added to our bucket lists. There will be more adventures and experiences to keep in our drawer of unforgettable things. Travel will bounce back with a bang, bigger than before. People are travelers by nature. This is a mere setback. There will be quite a delay, but we will continue to travel again. But that’s just me. My colleagues in the industry have this to say.
The future of travel, from an air operator perspective, is ensuring that health and safety measures are in place in every stage of the passenger journey. From providing passengers a disinfection misting “shower” before entering the terminal, observing social distancing at the airport and during inflight interactions to going through a thermal check and testing upon arrival.I foresee that, while others may resist the procedural steps, the majority of travelers will welcome this new set of norms because of the sense of assurance and empowerment it brings. It will give them that sense of protection. Whether for business or leisure, I believe people will do research on places to visit, map out carefully schedules to follow, and strike a balance between indoor and outdoor activities. —Cielo Villaluna, external communications chief, spokespersons, Philippine Airlines People keep saying travel will never be the same. I truly agree, but not because we will travel differently, not because of the fear of getting sick or being infected, not because we have to practice social distancing. We will travel now with much more appreciation for the sites we see, the food we eat, the the souvenirs we buy, and, more important, the people we meet. Traveling is and will always be a part of our lives, whether alone or with friends and family. —Maria Paz Alberto, president, Philippine IATA Agents Travel Association
The future of travel remains uncertain, thanks to the suspension of airlines' passenger flight operations, discontinuance of public transport, temporary closure of hotels and tourist attractions, and imposition of travel restrictions or bans in other countries.
We also need to consider the“fear factor” and availability of the travelers’ leave days, which must have been used or advanced during the ECQ. Travelers will also think twice about spending their savings on travel over other essentials. Nevertheless, once all of the above are out of question, we can expect travel to start slowly going back to how it was. We will start with essential business trips and deployment of overseas Filipino workers. Leisure travel may commence, initially with a few individuals and families who may have gained confidence over the established safety and health protocols.For now, we can just look back at our previous travels and the places we visited, the people we met, and, more important, all the memories we took back home. —Ritchie Tuano, president, Philippine Travel Agencies Association
With so much uncertainty, I think it will take a while for the public to start traveling by air again. Countries might impose stricter requirements and health checks before they allow entry to visitors.How people travel will change, butthe desire to travel will never go away. Travelers will take more local trips. They will also prefer less crowded places.In the long term, once travel restrictions ease up, travelers will be more eco-conscious and demand more responsible tourism. —Jane Cuyegkeng, president, Pioneer
Travel Corporation
While we may not be able to do this now and teleconferencing has taken over, there will be no substitute to meeting with family members, friends, and even business partners in person.
Travel will be irreplaceable as connecting through the engagement of all our five senses is part of being human, whether we do it to reach out to people or to experience new places and cultures. We always come back a more enriched version of ourselves after traveling, which is why the thirst for new experiences will never wane. Post Covid-19, I think travelers will be more careful, but the desire to travel will be even stronger. —Pam C. Navarro, country manager, sales-Philippines, United Airlines
Marilyn de Mesa is the general manager of Seasons Travel and Tours.