How to plan your first trip post-pandemic?

During the novel epidemic, many things have been temporarily suspended, and one of them is travel. We are asked to put a hold on travel plans and stay at home to stop the spread. Many travel experts have predicted that travel might not be normal until 2023. How true is that? Well, only time will tell. But again the pandemic will certainly end. Everything has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Hence, we need to hold tight for some time. But while we are at home we can definitely learn how to plan the trip post epidemic. Honestly, there will be many changes in the travel habit of every individual so we will discuss what things will change for your first trip post epidemic in the latter part of the article.

The novel epidemic has impacted the world not only in terms of biological crises (the COVID-19 outbreak) but also with psychological crises like economic uncertainty, social distancing, and other issues.

How to plan your first trip post epidemic?

I know the novel epidemic has put a hold on your summer plans but remember not all future travels are off the table. While we are asked to stay at home, simultaneously we can use this time and start planning that much-awaited trip you are waiting for. Let's go through some of these tips below which can help you to understand how you can plan your first trip post epidemic.

TIP 1# Be Flexible

You can use this time for trip planning, it will give you motivation as well as a distraction from the pandemic problems. But remember do not plan anything soon since there are high chances that the outbreak would cancel it. And in case this happens then you will stress yourself up. There are very high chances that even if the epidemic is over, you may want to keep staying home for a little longer.

So my advice to you would be to plan your trip but be flexible. It simply means instead of thinking for summer or winter trips, think abiding like jump into 2021. The daydreaming about what you want to do is ideal but think a little long-term. Many travel companies are lenient about their cancellation policies and definitely, it can attract you as well but don't just rush into things without giving it a second thought.

We all are at that stage right now where the entire travel industry and travelers are at pause and this has never happened before. While you are searching and thinking about your next trip, consider what exactly you want out of this trip.

TIP 2# Use Metasearch Engines

So if you really don't have anything specific in mind but you are excited with just the thought of traveling, start using metasearch. These days metasearch has been commonly used all over the globe. Big giants like Skyscanner and Kayak will show you the cheapest flights in the world from your home airport at any given time. Below is the example of how you can search on Skyscanner, just put "Everywhere" in the destination and select the dates. The result will be shown and expanding the country will show the destinations/cities inside that. Therefore, make it easy for you to decide as per your budget.

Now in case you are not even sure about the dates, Kayak will be the one which you can use for window-shopping for your travel needs. Here you can just put your home airport and in destination put "Anywhere" and on dates also you can opt for "Anytime, Any Duration " and that's it. The metasearch will show you the best option for you.

Moreover you can also sign up for the fare alerts of different travel companies who can send you handpicked deals. You can use Bargainairticket and Scott's Cheap Flights. Nevertheless, this is the era of social networks and what's better than Instagram. You can follow By The Way on instagram for some travel guides.

TIP 3# Get into details

The best way to plan is to actually to get into the details. Do your research beyond the basics. Read the books, watch movies/documentaries, learn about their culture and history. You can also use social networking sites like Instagram and get connected with some locals and interact with them. Find the places which are a must to visit and check some snapshots on Instagram.

Konrad Waliszewski, CEO and co-founder of TripScout says "The trip-planning is an extension of the trip itself and it's a great way to be entertained at home."

TIP 4# Organize

Once you have the information gathered, the next step is to organize. Save the list of places to visit like restaurants, museums, tourist spots, etc on Google Maps. Also, you can download the map so it is available when you are not connected with the internet. If that does not work for you, keep it saved in 'Notes' on your phone or probably carry a diary. It is all up to you but this way can actually keep the trip organized.

These were some of the basic tips about planning your first trip after the epidemic is over. You can follow these and make your travel plans and probably 2021 would be the right time to start traveling again.

What things will change for your first trip post epidemic?

The COVID-19 has made every traveler standstill. But with the current situation, things seem to be a little off the hands. Surely, the travel will begin but when that is something which has become a mystery. But when the travel will begin then what changes are we expecting in that. Will the travel be carried out freely like before or will it be restricted? The answer to this question will be given once the epidemic will be over. But let's see what things will change for your first trip post epidemic. We have done some research and these are the possibilities.

Domestic travel will boom

There is no second thought that domestic travel will be in the limelight again and will boom like never before. The coronavirus has affected almost every country on the planet. And ofcourse, the recovery rate will be different for every country. We all have read or heard that the Ministry of Tourism is asking travelers to travel domestically. Regardless even if the epidemic is over, people will certainly not start traveling internationally immediately. Because in case of any uncertainty they can come back easily. Hence many travel experts believe that for the next few months after the epidemic is over, people will likely choose Indian destinations.

While the spread is increasing rapidly in major metro cities, we have seen how Goa has become corona free. Similarly, the famous Himalayan lands Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh have under 50 reported cases (data as per MoHFW on April 27, 2020). While Ladakh, Meghalaya, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Manipur have even less than that.

Not to forget Sikkim has been the only state in India that has not reported any coronavirus case till date. (As per the report, Sikkim will not allow any tourist to enter until October 2020)

Hygiene will be MUST

We cannot deny the fact that even when the epidemic will be over, people will tend to remain hygienic. And it clearly means that sanitization will come in the picture. You as a responsible traveler will look for your options which include hygiene. You will choose those destinations where you are confident that they are clean. Health, hygiene, and sanitization will become an integral part of your hotel accommodation. You would want your hotel staff/workers to follow strict guidelines when preparing your food or cleaning your room. Although, social distancing will be there in the picture until vaccination is found, says some travel experts.

Hotel Brands will become a priority

When it comes to the accommodation, then certainly no one would compromise on the quality. Because of the fact that they need a clean, hygienic and sanitized place to stay. And we all know when these things come to mind then we have 4 stars and 5 stars hotels on our list. You will always want to book with brands you know and have trust in them. The location will also come to your priority while choosing the hotel because you really don't want to use public transportation for your convenience. Choosing a hotel that is in a central/prime location and hygienic will have your vote. Digital payment will increase and digital check-in and check-out can come into function.

Increase in air tickets prices

Since the complete industry has been temporarily shut down and because of which the airlines have been in a complete loss. Moreover, airlines were asked to refund or issue credit for the previously booked flights. And this definitely will hit the price of your airline tickets. Plus, considering the social distancing will be followed and when you are on a flight it can be tricky. Well, the airlines will have to come up with some solutions. And this can mean that they might leave the middle seat vacant which again will result in a price hike of airfares. If let's say airlines follow this then they will only have 65% seat inventory left with them for booking.

Not only this, but airlines will also have to equip their aircraft and check-in counters at the airport with sanitizing wipes, contact-less infrared thermometers, surgical gloves, masks to their employees, etc. Airlines will also have to get their planes sanitized after every trip.

Road trip will comeback

Road trips are one of my favorite things after trekking. Now that we have to maintain social distancing, it is very likely that people will prefer their own vehicles for short-distance trips. And some might even go for long ones too if you are too adventurous. But certainly, this works out well, road trips are fun when you have your favorite people around you and that amazing playlist on an open road. You can choose between your own vehicle or maybe your friend's vehicle.

You can also choose vehicles provided by car rental companies like Zoomcar, Myles and many others will have good chances to attract traffic. But at the same time, they will have to maintain hygiene, cleaning the car after every use, and providing customers with small sanitizer bottles/wipes.

Nature will dominate the luxury

Well, it is pretty much clear that nature is going to dominate all our travel plans. We all have been quarantined at home for months now and hence what we all are missing are those serene mountains or beaches or maybe both. And so do I. It is very clear that once the restrictions are going to end, people will look towards secluded places of natural beauty. We all want to experience those snow-capped almighty Himalayas, lush green forest, calm waves in the sea, gorgeous beaches and so much more.

And nothing is better than to witness the raw beauty of nature. With people going to secluded places, the local state tourism will rise and which actually will benefit the local people. We all at the moment are actually craving for traveling but again please be a responsible traveler.

Luxury will become affordable

The economy has slowed down because of the coronavirus resulting in crashing the stock market. Already millions of jobs are on the verge, empty hotel rooms, aircraft are grounded and so much more. Just like we will think about how we should spend our money by making our priorities. Likewise, the travel industry will think how they can provide the best value/best services to the customers. Now, this can directly relate to the hotel who will be offering luxury accommodation/services to you at affordable prices. Many services like free breakfast, airport pick up and drop, spa, etc can come in handy with your booking and that too without paying anything extra.

Flexible benefits

The travel industry has really been lenient on their cancellation rules and regulations and it is expected that they will continue to do the same for some time even after the restrictions are over. How can this be useful to you? Well, it is very simple, if in case you are making any booking, you can easily postpone it, cancel it or get a refund. However, I am sure the relaxation won't be given on refund cases and we will have to wait on this from the airlines only. Moreover, if you hold any loyalty programs with the airlines/hotels/card companies then that might also extend. So you can use these benefits for longer now.

Under the Marriott Bonvey program, it has been already announced that they will extend their members' existing statuses from 2019 till Feb 2022 and the points won't expire until Feb 2021.