Taking a different route during Covid
AS YET another tumultuous year for travel comes to a close and yet another coronavirus wave has set records, here are some travel professionals’ outlook and travel resolutions for the new year.
The surges in the Delta and Omicron variants of Covid-19 warn us that we may get tastes of freedom when cases calm down, but some unforeseen havoc may be lurking around the corner to thwart our travel plans yet again. No trip is set in stone. No take-off is guaranteed. Any optimism comes with caution.
Those caveats can make the trips we take more memorable, more appreciated and more rewarding. So we keep planning, hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.
To draw inspiration for our eventual adventures, we collected the thoughts and goals of a few avid travellers. Here are their New Year’s resolutions:
Rick Steves, travel author and host:
One year ago, as I happily said goodbye to 2020, I hoped – and expected – that the pandemic would be over by 2022. Now, though, it’s clear that we’ll be travelling cautiously for a while. But, thanks to two recent trips to my favourite continent, I have a new optimism. Here are my takeaways for European travel in the new year:
The news at home can stoke illfounded anxiety. I wouldn’t tell Americans, ‘Sure, you can travel ... no problem’. But I would say, ‘You’ll feel at least as safe in Europe as you do travelling here in the US’.
From Athens to the Alps and Rome to Paris, I was struck by how normal travel felt. My big fear was that my favourite little mom-and-pop joints hadn’t survived. From Alessandro’s osteria to Dimitri’s taverna to Heidi’s chalet, these are the entrepreneurial ventures that enliven our travel experiences ... the kind of places I weave into my guidebooks, TV shows and tours. And thankfully, nearly all my favourites are still standing – tired and hunkered down, but strong and determined.
The joys of European travel are still waiting for us: the rattan seats at the Paris corner café, the passeggiata (evening stroll) in Rome and the edgy street art tour in Athens. And from Norway to Portugal to Turkey, my resolution for 2022 is to happily (and safely) venture where my travel dreams take me.
Adam Richman, host of the History Channel’s
Modern Marvels:
Before the pandemic began, I was living and filming a show in London, one of my favourite cities. When I had to return home, not only was the show unfinished, it also felt like I left my experience in London unfinished as well.
In the new year, I hope to return to England. There are still places in Asia and Europe I have yet to visit that have long been on my bucket list, but with the surge of the Omicron variant, I am going to proceed with caution.
While Europe will have to wait, the beauty of the US will not, and there is much left to explore in the coming year – wide open spaces that are Covid-safe, inspiring and breathtaking.
Ruzwana Bashir, founder and chief executive of Peek:
I’ve missed taking the epic bucket list trips, with my favourites including ice-trekking in Argentina, exploring the Palmyra ruins in Syria and seeing orangutans in the rainforests in Borneo. My travel resolution includes bringing those back, starting with my current trip to Thailand to ring in the new year.
But during Covid I’ve also realised that adventures can be close to home. When far-flung places were inaccessible, I made the most of my weekends – like renting a boat for the day to sail around Los Angeles, and taking a road trip to go hiking in Yosemite. Travel doesn’t feel guaranteed any more, so next year I’m committed to being spontaneous and finding experiences to make the most of every moment.
Catherine Powell, Airbnb’s global head of hosting:
For those fortunate enough to do so, working from home now means working from any home. The freedom you feel when you realise you can go a little further if you stay a little longer is just the antidote to the isolation we have all experienced. In my case, this has meant enjoying long weekends away with my husband in California, Utah and Colorado, and longer stays with family in the UK and Italy.
My goal for 2022 is to discover more of the US (Georgia and Nashville are next on my list), reconnect with family
overseas and – having started my job at Airbnb right as the pandemic began – spend time with team members and hosts whom I have only met via Zoom.
Andrew Zimmern, TV host and goodwill ambassador for the UN’s World Food Programme:
I am not one for New Year’s resolutions. However, I do always look back at the last year to take inventory, see what worked and what didn’t, what actions and behaviours brought me closer to my goals, and which ones didn’t. I tell anyone who will listen to imagine what kind of life they really want and then say ‘no’ to anything that didn’t help them get there. Sounds easy. It isn’t.
Travel for me has always been transformative. The more you venture away from your normal, whether that’s around the world or on the other side of town, the more you learn. Away from our primary habitat we take more risks, ask more questions and try new things. Then we learn, grow and bring all that back. Well, I didn’t really travel in 2021. And that was the primary source of growth for me. Travel had been the single greatest learning activity in my life – until I stopped it entirely and spent more time with my kid than I have in a long time.
Turns out, I don’t have to travel to take risks, ask questions, try new things and learn from that process. Turns out, the more time I spend with my favourite human, real time being really present in those moments, it achieves the same result. And I got more of the life I wanted at the same time.
I guess you’re never too old to learn a new trick – or to take a different kind of journey.