Planning Post-Pandemic Travel
We're about a year into this global pandemic (longer depending on where you live) and with the vaccines now being rolled out, there is finally light at the end of the tunnel! And with our eyes on a post-pandemic world, it means we can start to safely plan travel again! However, as exciting as that is, it's still not the way we used to plan. With the vaccine rollout potentially taking months or more in a lot of the world, there are still going to be restrictions for a while. Having traveled internationally a couple times during 2020, this blog post is aimed at giving you a game plan for post-pandemic (or at least post-lockdown) travel.
Refundable Tickets
With the uncertainty that will most likely remain for 2021 (and possibly 2022), booking tickets that are refundable is a top priority. Whether that means airline tickets, train tickets, admission tickets to tourist spots, etc., make sure that when you choose your ticket option you choose a refundable ticket. Because the airline and tourism industries have suffered so much during the pandemic, refundable ticket options are not only available, but are what they're pushing the hardest. It used to be that if you wanted a refundable flight, the fare would be significantly more than a basic fare or super saver. Times have definitely changed! I recently booked a round-trip flight from NYC to LA for October 2021 and the total for a refundable ticket was $286! I was shocked. I lived in LA for seven years and never paid that little for a flight.
Cancellation Policies/Change Fees
If you can't book a refundable ticket, check to make sure there is a good cancellation policy or whether or not there are fees to change. I booked a flight with JetBlue for May 2021 and while I didn't get a refundable fare, JetBlue is offering the ability to change any flight without having to pay a change fee. Similarly with hotels and accommodations through rental sites like AirBnB, most places have a very friendly cancellation policy or the ability to change to a later date without having to pay any penalty.
With so much still up in the air as far as entry restrictions go, it is great that places are being reasonable with their cancellations or changes. If you're planning a trip that currently doesn't have any restrictions, there is no guarantee that when your trip comes that will still be true. Likewise, there could be entry restrictions in a country as of January 2021, but by the time you get there in May, those restrictions could be lifted. For tourist attractions, the same thing applies. Something may be closed now, but open when you arrive (or the opposite). Be sure to book tickets that you can cancel or change to a later date if needed.
Know The Testing Requirements
Even with vaccines being administered in a lot of countries around the world, it is going to take a while before we reach any sort of "herd immunity" or the disappearance of COVID-19. For all we know, even once the majority of the global population is vaccinated, COVID-19 may be with us every year in a different strain. We may need a vaccine annually or a booster shot annually. Because there is still so much unknown, it is pretty likely that most countries are going to continue requiring a negative test result prior to entry. Be sure to research what type of test is required (PCR or rapid) and once more people are vaccinated, whether you will need proof of that as well.
It is important to know the testing requirements because depending on where you live, you may not have the ability to easily get tested. Living in New York City, I can get a test any day of the week, whenever I want one (both rapid and 3-4 day wait time PCRs). However, many parts of the United States do not have such easy access to testing. If you are planning a trip in which a negative test is required, say 48 hours before arrival, you will need to find a rapid testing center to ensure that you will have the result before boarding your flight. Hopefully as we move into a post-pandemic phase of traveling, airlines and/or airports will start offering rapid tests when checking in.
Safety Where You Want To Go
Just because vaccines are being rolled out in the US and other first world countries doesn't mean that is the same everywhere. If you are planning a trip to a smaller country or somewhere with less access to vaccines, make sure that it is safe to travel there. Even once vaccinated, the vaccines are not 100% effective at preventing infection. So you wouldn't want to travel somewhere that still has a high rate of COVID-19 even if you have been vaccinated. Again, with so many unknowns still out there about this virus, better to ensure that where you want to travel is somewhere that is safe to do so. Tourism is the main source of income for many small nations around the world, so visiting is still vital. However, the safety of not only tourists, but the native people is just as important.
Know What Is Open
While the city or country you want to visit may be open and you can easily find a flight and hotel, there might not be anything to do once you get there. I was supposed to go to Peru and Bolivia last year, but our trip was cancelled for many reasons, one of which being that Machu Picchu was closed. If the main thing you want to see in the location you're visiting is closed, it probably isn't worth visiting now. Wait until everything is back up and running and visit then. We pushed our trip back to March 2021 and now we've pushed back again to March 2022. Because while Machu Picchu is open again, Peru currently has a mandatory 14-day quarantine for all tourists entering their country and that's not a possibility for us.
Also when it comes to what is or isn't open, it is important to know what rules and requirements there are for things that are open. It's safe to assume that pretty much everywhere you go in 2021 is going to have some sort of mask requirement. Personally, it's been almost a year of having to wear them in NYC so I don't even notice wearing it anymore. However, if you live somewhere where you don't have to wear them as often or you're in your home most of the time, having to wear one everywhere you go on your trip may take some getting used to. Prepare yourself ahead of time!
Don't Be Afraid
Lastly, as someone who took two international trips in 2020, let me just say that you should not be afraid to travel. COVID-19 is no joke and I would never downplay its severity. NEVER. I do not think it's safe to travel anywhere that has a high rate of infection nor do I think it's smart to be lax about wearing a mask, social distancing, and washing hands/sanitizing. Having said that, I do think that it is safe to travel to many places in the world, especially once you've been vaccinated. If you travel somewhere with a low infection rate and you practice all safety precautions, you can travel safely. Depending on where you go, it may be safer there than your own hometown. When I traveled to Albania in September 2020, their entire country had less cases than my zip code in NYC and the total death count was less than 400 people since March 2020. I felt much safer there than I did in the US.
As stated above, for a lot of places around the world (even in your own state), tourism dollars are a huge part of how they survive. Likewise, the food and entertainment industry is a huge moneymaker for a lot of economies. Thus, traveling is a way to make sure that countries/restaurants/small business/etc. stay afloat.
Be smart. Plan Accordingly. And have fun!
Bon Voyage!
