Travel Shamed For Taking Trips During Pandemic. Why We Travellers Shouldn't Take It.

The 2020 pandemic has hit us hard and the travel industry saw the worst hit. While there has been good sides to covid-19, like the 'return to nature' and 'going for local', they rammed the pandemic world with more ill emergent too. A kind of shaming has come up to the foreground—"Travel Shaming".

There are a noticeable number of travel shamers in social media who are slamming travellers taking vacations post restrictions easing out. Don't get surprised if these travel shamers are also some section of your friends and family. So much so they could tag us as 'covidiots' violating the COVID-19 regulations.

These shamers don't consider the fact 'these vacation in their eyes' could be work-trip, and now unfortunately (for travel shamers) the jobs of travel writers and influencers have no value in such a time. Travel writer, editors and travel show directors & team have travelled to bring content for each platform they work during such hard times. Content creators are constantly in touch with travel experts and people from the Ministry of Tourism to get the guide when and where to book a homestay and what kind of travel trends need to put into focus.

As per media reports 'these self-proclaimed vacation police' are not sparing any somebody. Matt Long, travel blogger and podcaster based in USA had gone out to feature the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Pennsylvania and the moment he shared pictures of the estate on social media, groups of friends and associations poured scorn on his vacation idea. Groups of travel haters in America are leaving placards on cars which says, 'Go back home'.

Andrew D’Amours, co-founder of Flytrippers received a lot of online shaming for travelling to Greece and Turkey.

I understand this is coming from the place of fear and not wanting the virus to spread but not all will banish travel from their lives. The idea is to choose a different travel, a more experiential one and a safe one. How to do that? We should travel to the remotest of destinations and finding and putting them on the map should come naturally, a part of the travel journey we had never thought of.

Tips to follow for safe travel:

Road Trips are the way to go

Real journeys always start on the road with every spin of a wheel. If possible, drive down to the nearest and remotest destination. The 2020 pandemic spiked the popularity of road trips to an all-time high. Travel experts and influencers are marking road trips safer over flights and trains. That said, while you’re at your rented personal vehicle, coming to proximity with others will be next to nil. The rule of thumb is to pack a PPE KIT that includes face masks, hand wash sachets and 60 percent alcohol infused hand sanitizers at the least and strictly avoid taking breaks in closed spaces packed with people.

Look for homes on wheels

In India caravan travel is becoming the next big trend in the making. In the future, the popularity of such driving holidays where you can stay and sleep in your own vehicle is likely to grow. Madhya Pradesh followed by Karnataka are the first states in India to have launched the caravan stations.

So here is how to plan a caravan trip in India, listen from the expert.

Choose off-grid over touristy

Last year during the 2020 pandemic, post lockdown I planned a quick gateway to Nashik and while the state ranked highest in covid cases, I researched and looked up for an area called Gangapur Dam in the Nashik district that's had farmhouses and a rich biodiversity. I heard from locals that the Gangapur area had no COVID-19 cases for the last 3 months and though Sula vineyards and others were near; we preferred to unwind on a quiet farmhouse and go birding every morning over some of the famous vineyard resorts of Nashik. And what a trip it was, all summed up in my Outlook Traveller's article:

"The Vihang farmhouse is also headquarters to the Nature Conservation Society of Nashik, a group of local nature lovers, wildlife observers, biologists, and conservationists sharing a deep commitment to the conservation of the natural world and wildlife. The best bit is travellers are even welcome to birdwatch and get acquainted with endangered species like the Great Indian Bustard and Lesser Florican".

This year we went for another Konkan road trip and made our stay in an off grid destination, midway between Ratnagiri and Ganpatipule. A winding road took us to a quiet village of Kotawade. Hidden among its aged green of mango and coconut plantation were beautiful laterite and stone cottages, our first home on the road.

Choose homestays over hotels

Homestays are always personal and gives a home-like feel to the vacation. Now, best even if it's in a remote village and one get to experience the real culture of the place and their ways of the life. Rupinder Brar, ADG Tourism of India says, in the series, RT Next at Outlook Traveller's IG, for a country like India where tourism is also moving towards experiential tourism, it opens up a whole new arena. That is to say, a country having a diverse landscape to vast cultural space as in so many culinary forms, art, handicrafts, festivals and dance forms to explore and now the time is right to open more homestays and bed-and-breakfast unit at many levels as possible. Incredible India is what many aspires to see now than a luxury stay in a famous destination.

Homestays in the middle of a beautiful village, on the edge of a river, by the beach, in the heart of a private forest reserve is the best kind of travel stays one should look for, away from the city and with no exposure to crowd. And with the menus that rivals the best of hotels and outdoor activities giving insights of the place while keeping busy.

My recent Ratnagiri homestay was exactly on such a line. Featured at Tripoto.

Travel shaming can lead to nowhere. It's just a buzzword born with the pandemic and shall go along with it but wasting energy into something unproductive needs to stop. Social media is not a gateway to anyone's frustration. Travel experts and policy makers are unlearning and revising travel and planning and implementing new ways to enjoy. Right now the focus in on local.

The joys of travel are unparalleled and rediscovering one's own country in a whole new way is a joy not to be missed.

According to media reports, the owner of Saffron Stays, an Indian luxury villa rental service in an interview says, their booking goes up every time COVID-19 cases rise. Today with online schooling and work from home, families too are taking standalone homes within driving distance of cities. Travellers are exploring destinations within India where previously they may not have paid much attention. There is also a definite wanting for workations from professionals and entrepreneurs.

In India, the seniors too are worried about us taking holidays in pandemic times. But as long as one follow the protocols like taking a two-week quarantine post travel, vacations shouldn't harm anybody. For dealing with travel shamers, it's the mindset that has to change and as 'travellers' we don't have to feel guilty about taking vacations so long as we are doing it responsibly and working towards India's sustainable travel.

How are you planning your next vacation in the pandemic world? Let us know in the comments below.

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