When, how will we travel again?

PRETTY much every industry is affected by the COVID-19 crisis, but the travel and tourism industry has been dealt a brutal blow. The pandemic continues to have a severe impact on air travel, as border controls and travel restrictions remain in place around the world.

Travelling has come to a standstill. For the first time in history, close to 90% of the world’s population now lives in countries with travel restrictions.

Travel hubs like Changi Airport and Dubai International Airport and their respective airlines with vast majority of their flights grounded and some terminals shut may not recover so quickly.

Singapore Airlines has 10 out of 200 planes flying passengers with 95% of the fleet deployed for cargo-only services and others parked at Changi Airport and in Australia. This is the biggest challenge that Singapore tourism has faced in its 56-year history.

As a country Singapore has shown great resilience in fighting global challenges. This is a challenge of our generation. We are battling a formidable and invisible enemy. Fear of humans and crowded places will be etched in our hearts for the rest of our lives. It’s impossible to predict when or how travel might resume, let alone whether we will feel comfortable traipsing around the world again with the kind of carefree insouciance to which many of us have become accustomed to.

I typically clock over 150 000 miles a year travelling on work. However, this year I only managed 10 000 miles early March just before the entire world went into lockdown. Travelling for me has always been a pathway to happiness, be it for work or pleasure. It’s been very easy to take this lifestyle for granted. I have never been so grateful and aware of what a privilege it has been to globetrot until now.

With social distancing and hygiene practices in place, what will that mean for the travel and tourism industry moving forward?

The Singapore passport allows citizens visa-free or visa on arrival access to 190 countries. However, now we can’t travel anywhere. With close to 40 000 cases in Singapore, we may for once have an undesirable passport — at least for a while, as some countries even if they are open may restrict Singapore citizens or put us through stringent test protocols.

It could be a year and half to two years before travel picks up. No one can say for sure if we will see a partial or a complete recovery if there is a second wave of coronavirus cases. One thing for sure is air travel will be slow to recover and travelling will never be the same again.

The footloose weekend getaway to Koh Samui or Bali we had come to take for granted is pretty much over until a vaccine is developed, or when we are declared COVID-19 free. Even after a vaccine is developed travellers may need to show proof of negative COVID-19 sort of a pass or certification, like the yellow fever certificate for travelling that I always have when travelling to Africa and South America.

Travel must come back, for many livelihoods and economies depend on it. An estimated 25 million aviation jobs and 100 million travel and tourism jobs are at risk, along with financial losses of up to US$2,7 trillion of the world’s GDP. Also to be lost are jobs from fresh produce suppliers to restaurants and hotels, to taxi drivers and tour operators who ferry tourists from airports to hotels, etc, millions rely on business generated by tourists and business travellers. Between five and seven years’ worth of industrial growth will be lost.

The world can’t stay in lockdown forever. Travel is not just essential for the wanderlust among us, but to sustain the livelihoods and economies dependent on it.

The vaccine is probably one year away, perhaps more, from being distributed worldwide. The way we travel will be dramatically transformed, we need to adjust expectations, lifestyles and norms.

Fear of humans and crowded places will be etched in our minds for some time. Personal space will become important. Till there is a reassurance from senior health officials and scientists, the number of deaths down or none within the country and region, people will always be afraid to attend concerts, conventions, exhibitions where there are large crowds.

We will see more people adopting a disinfecting regimen to clean their sets, hand rest, among others before flying. Use of face masks will be a must, perhaps even gloves, the centre seat will likely be empty, beverage service may be suspended, among others. The simple pleasures of flight travel will cease to exist.

Before the masses feel comfortable taking to the skies again, staycations for smaller countries like Singapore and road trips for US, European countries etc, will likely be popular in the interim. In the short term, the economic impact of this virus will also be a key factor in keeping travellers closer to home, with non-essential travel taking the back seat. Domestic travel is not only a less scary prospect but cheaper and hassle free compared to travelling somewhere far.

Hygiene will be the new game-changer

In this unprecedented time, governments and industry players have a unique opportunity to redefine travel and build a more sustainable, agile and resilient industry.

Every aspect of travel will be affected, from the smallest to the simplest elements to huge changes. Automation across the entire sector will be the norm.

Resumption of travel will be slow, careful and in a highlyphased manner. The question now is — how do you stimulate demand and create incentives to get people travelling while reducing exposure?

People fear that recycled air and close quarters will make airplanes a breeding ground for COVID-19 infections. To establish trust among passengers and guest airlines travel accommodation that provides superior hygiene standards, perhaps like hospital standards, will stand out in the new normal.

This applies as well to companies across sectors, who must now reimagine their businesses with a safety comes first mentality. Regular temperature check, disinfection protocols, hand sanitiser stations, and providing face masks at the premises, reconfiguration of workspace, etc, are some of the measures companies should incorporate.

Increased expectations of hygiene measures may also see new hotel properties reducing the number of rooms on floors, converting them into private suites, staffed by dedicated concierge services who ensure personalised social distancing measures for guests at the hotel’s more public facilities such as the pool or gym. Electronic keys would be disinfected after each use and even the use of digital QR code to open a door is a possibility, if it does not already exist.

Businesses will probably cut back on travel and look to do more virtual meetings. Some travellers, business and leisure travellers, may prefer AirBnB rentals over hotels, as the latter are perceived to have a higher intake and turnover of guests.

Read the full article on www.newsday.co.zw

Shaun Jayaratnam has a wideranging experience of successful sales and business development management, specialising in the strengthening of industry and the establishment of operations throughout Africa, Russia, CIS, East Europe, Middle East, and Asia.