Written By: Ch. Faisal Mahmood
In these unprecedented times when the entire world is facing matchless crisis without an equivalence and large-scale social distancing is the most important note of the time. The ways, means and styles in which we operate and connect with one another and the world around us have changed drastically, the day World Health Organization declared (March 11, 2020) Covid-19 as Pandemic.
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Nowhere in any other field or in any other industry is this more apparent than when looking at the current state of the world’s travel trade, hospitality sector and tourism. Unfortunately, these sectors are the largest sufferer of this pandemic because of the restrictions on movement and border closures. It is hoped that once the worst of the pandemic is behind us, however, these measures will ultimately ease.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean that life style and things will revert back exactly to how they were in before coronavirus invasion of the world.
At this stage, when Covid-19 is at rampage, it’s next to impossible to predict with complete certainty what the future may bring, the following trends are likely to shape the ways people engage with travel around the world.
1.Less Heads, More Minds
The foremost important consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic has been its highlighting the deleterious effects of over tourism and industry have had on earth and the natural environments in which we live.
Slowly but surely the over tourism debate was heating up in Europe and in South East Asia, where cities like Barcelona, Venice, Amsterdam and many other places were looking at ways and means of reducing the number of tourists that used to flock to the different destinations on a daily basis, sometimes outnumbering locals.
With so many reports and widespread images of cities with less air and fully polluted water and now the return of wildlife & marine life to previously defunct natural spaces and water sends a clear message. It is the foremost and utmost collective duty of all human being living on this beautiful planet to better take care for it. This will of course undoubtedly influence post-coronavirus travel decisions.
An aversion to mass tourism will compel the industry to move towards more sustainable, compassionate and mindful operating systems.
Fewer people will seek out clichéd holiday photos against a well-worn tourist attraction backdrop with more consideration given to how both one’s presence and pennies impact the local community and environment, only opting for those experiences that promote the health and well-being of people and planet
2. Stay at Home
The impact of the coronavirus crisis extends well beyond concerns for humanity’s physical health. Its aftermath is already having and will continue to have severe economic implications, leaving many travellers strapped for cash, unable to afford the epic international adventures of pre-pandemic epochs.
However, people will still want to travel. While personal budgets may tighten, the desire to get out and explore will only ramp up, especially after thrill-seekers and adventure junkies are released from lockdown.
As such, many travel-lovers will look closer to home for more wallet-friendly, wanderlust-busting excursions. Expect more people touring around their home countries, supporting local economies and exploring their own cities.
3. Ethical Wildlife Tourism
An international outcry regarding the ethical treatment of animals followed the controversy surrounding the coronavirus’ and reports related with possible origin of coronavirus from a Chinese wet market. My observation is that the movement away from unethical wildlife tourism experiences will therefore gain even further momentum, encouragement and support from the public around the globe once the Covid-19 subsides.
The sensible world is not going to consider that Instagram snapshot riding mistreated elephants or petting caged tiger cubs as cool one, perhaps it is expected the world is going to condemn such things more loudly and forceful , especially after the inhumane conditions of captive tigers was exposed to a locked-down-at-home audience via the pop-culture phenomenon that is Netflix’s Tiger King docuseries.
Future tourism will focus on supporting only accredited initiatives conserving and preserving the natural environment, flora and fauna in an ethical and sustainable way.
4. Virtual Tourism
As the world is invaded by covet-19 and became pandemic, many individual and organization has come forward with score of new innovative ideas and creative techenabled solutions to their geographical restrictions.
Virtual tourism, video conferencing, zoom meetings, live-streaming performances and virtual excursions have become universally accepted as a new norm. In the travel industry, some impressive examples have already manifested and will only continue into a post-pandemic planet.
Many Keen and inquisitive who wanted to explore the remotest destinations or wanted to visit any world-famous art museum but never had the chance, Thanks to the internet it’s now possible while staying safe, staying home!
Many tourism organizations around the world offering detailed viewer-controlled virtual walking tours around their spectacular destinations, places, archipelago, mountains, glaciers and even live-stream guided safaris through a South African nature preserve, the era of armchair virtual travel is most certainly upon us.
