By now you must think and dream of that special destination. Soak up the sun with your feet nestling in the white soft sand. Hear the birds sing at your favorite bushveld getaway….
COVID-19 is here to stay for a long, long time. We may be saturated with related information, but it is best to adapt to the new normal. Change is a constant in our lives, and not to be escaped.
The same applies to the travel industry. Some changes may be permanently, and others temporarily.
As Europe is lifting the lock-down consumer behavior will indicate the way forward in travel trends. Many hotels are still closed. At the time of my article, our holiday venue is closed until well after our intended vacation dates. We were going to spend a glorious week on Rhodes Island in Greece – seafront hotel accommodation.
One understands hotel measures to remain closed. However, it does not mean that travelers won’t go elsewhere. This is where the new normal in travel will be evident. Travelers will search for accommodation that is less crowded, and more secure in terms of health risks. In addition, they will search for a certain amount of travel freedom, e.g. avoid wearing a mask.
It seems only natural that the new travel norm in the context of accommodation will shift from hotels to rental apartments/self-catering accommodation.
Less risk, more freedom of movement.
A small sacrifice will be to clean-up after yourself, but you can always negotiate an additional cleaning service with the service provider.
Service Providers in return will have to come up with a strategy and plan to assure their guests of the venue’s safety regulations.
Another factor to consider is that domestic travel is the first to open up. It is by far less daunting to travel in your own country. Another possible shift towards increased domestic reservations. Travelers will seek for a home-from-home experience. Rental apartments/self-catering accommodation will give them that peace of mind.
The new normal in travel may well be a shift from public venues to more private venues, albeit permanently or temporarily. As the COVID-19 crisis battles to fade away, service providers of private rental accommodation have the perfect opportunity to increase turnover.
It is not new for mankind to first think of the worst before coming up with some creative ideas to overcome a problem. It’s called the panic phase. After that, solutions are weighed up and put into action. In other words, instead of going far away on holidays, holidays will be spent closer to home and will be for shorter periods at a time. For instance, a day visit to a public park with beautiful lush landscapes.
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