Wanderlust in the Time of Coronavirus (A GeoEx eBook)

Wanderlust in the Time of Coronavirus

Post-Pandemic Travel: What Will It Look Like?

of their travelers. Airports, too, will re-think and re-tool passenger screening and baggage-handling procedures to minimize traveler risks. Many experts believe that temperature screenings will be widespread in airports and on airplanes; others have suggested that travelers will be required to carry some form of immunity passport or health certificate. Some pundits have predicted that chartering aircraft will see new popularity. Following a similar line of thought, others say that smaller boutique hotels, villas, and resort properties will be more enticing than large hotels and that destinations distinguished by wide-open nature and comparatively few people—think Patagonia, Antarctica, Mongolia, Alaska, and national parklands, for example—will prove especially popular. All of these seem reasonable to me. I also think that as we have pressed pause on our daily lives, we have had a chance to re-evaluate what we do and how we do it. I believe we will apply this thinking to our travel dreams as well, that we will focus on taking trips to places that have special meaning for us, with people who have special meaning for us. I believe that we will be more cognizant of the effect we have on local environments and economies when we travel, and more conscious of the intricate net of human connections that support us whenever and wherever we go, from the airline check-in agent to the tuk-tuk driver to the cafe waiter to the craft shop owner and on and on. I think we will be more mindful, attentive, and grateful travelers. But those are just my musings on a cloudy crystal ball. I am really wondering what you, dear fellow wanderlusters, are thinking. What do you see as the future of travel in the post- pandemic world? When do you think you will start traveling again? Where are you itching to go first, and why? Do you think your travel style will change? Do you think what you value and look for when you plan your trips will change? And what are some of the factors that will determine when you start

making your travel plans? If you’re inclined to share your thoughts on any or all of these, I’d love to hear them! Please respond in the comments section below—or email me if you prefer. Thank you in advance for sharing—and dreaming!

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