As much as recreational travel plummeted during the depths of the pandemic, tourism shrank, and borders closed, people are still getting out there. They’re just doing it quietly—in some measure, for fear of a public scolding. But some initial data on holiday travel over Thanksgiving weekend most definitely implies that travel is making a comeback.
What Are Some Signs of a Travel Comeback?
Miami International Airport reports that it served more than 720,000 passengers during the Thanksgiving week time period (a little longer than 7 days in this instance, from Friday, Nov. 20 through Tuesday, Dec. 1). On the Sunday after Thanksgiving, the airport experienced its busiest day since March (when shutdowns began in seriousness in the United States).
“It was exciting to welcome back more of our passengers within the last two weeks, and to see our travel numbers reach levels we haven’t seen since early 2020,” said Lester Sola, the director and CEO of Miami International Airport, in a press release.
Also indicating an uptick in interest in travel is a report from deVere Group, an independent advisor to high-net-worth clients, that demand for second passports has increased by more than 50 percent. “Whether it be for personal reasons, such as to remain with loved ones overseas or be able to visit them, or for business reasons, a growing number of people are seeking ways to secure their freedom of movement as they have faced travel restrictions which are, typically, based on citizenship,” said Nigel Green, founder and CEO of the deVere Group, in a press release.
What’s Different with the Travel Comeback? Health Security
Travelers, now with perhaps a keener interest in cleanliness and sanitation than in the before times, might take comfort in the accreditations that some organizations are obtaining that attest to their use of best practices in disinfecting their facilities.
Miami International Airport, for instance, was the first airport in Florida to be accredited pursuant to the Airports Council International Airport Health Accreditation program. I know from personal experience that Miami International Airport looks pretty good—I was there in June.
In a similar vein, Forbes Travel Guide and digital health company Sharecare have developed a badge for hotels to display indicating that the facility is health-security verified. Sure, we all know that hotels now are doing a lot to adjust to our changed circumstances, but those seeking third-party verification are doing more than leaving it to hotel guests to notice.
“Hotels have invested heavily in setting up health safety procedures,” observed Forbes Travel Guide CEO Filip Boyen in a press release. “But they have placed the burden of assessing their programs—and assuring individual properties are following them—onto the guest or travel advisor,” he noted.
By earning a Shared Health Security VERIFIED with Forbes Travel Guide badge, “hotels now have a credible way to broadcast that they are following comprehensive, consistent procedures to heighten health security, certified by a third party,” Boyen said. Among those hotels that have already earned a badge is a personal favorite of mine, New York City’s Hotel Baccarat.
Internova Travel Group chose Sharecare and Forbes Travel Guide to validate the procedures and protocols followed by some 50,000 hotels booked through its systems, Sharecare reports.
“While health safety is neither new nor unique to the hospitality industry, the pandemic has put the concept of health security into sharp focus,” said Hermann Elger, president of travel, hospitality, and entertainment at Sharecare, in a press release.
Verified hotels are “taking a major step forward not only by creating a culture of accountability for the protocols they have in place, but also by providing travel buyers, corporate travel programs, and individual guests with an industry-wide common denominator identifier to alleviate the overwhelming burden of having to decipher hotel companies’ health protocols on their own,” Elger continued.
Yes, most definitely, a badge makes all of it easier to understand.
Travel Comeback 101: Make This a Part of Your Travel Plans
Travel, as with everything else in 2020, really is different now. CheapOair offered a number of tips to help people travel safely during the holiday season. Of course, check current requirements (restrictions, really) before you embark on your journey. Driving rather than taking other forms of transportation also makes sense as all of us try to minimize the contacts with the outside world (to that end, plan rest stops accordingly!).
“Be prepared,” suggested Sam Jain, founder and CEO of Fareportal, in a press release. (CheapOair is one of its brands.) “Pack sanitizers, establish ground rules, wear a mask, and keep a safe distance from others,” he suggested.
Even if you are going on a road trip to see relatives or good friends, you might want to opt to stay in a hotel. It’s something of a logical choice. The professionals in the hospitality industry may well have better (and more commitment to) sanitizing protocols than your buddies do. Plus, it could be easier to social distance in the more spacious setting of a hotel.
What It’s Like Out There
For those who’ve been holed up at home for months now, getting back out into the world may seem a surreal experience, especially if you visit places that were once highly trafficked. Be prepared for temperature screenings and accompanying questioning. Negative test results increasingly may be requested or even required in certain circumstances. Already, some airlines such as United and American are developing COVID-19 testing programs for travelers.
In some ways, yes, travel is harder than it was before. But if you have to go, try to prepare for what travel is like now.
—Lori Tripoli
Lori Tripoli is the editor and publisher of Bashful Adventurer. Based in the New York City vicinity, she writes about travel for a variety of publications.
Contact Lori at loritripoli @ bashfuladventurer.com.
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Photo credit: L. Tripoli.