“A ship in harbor is safe — but that is not what ships are built for.”
John A. Shedd

Hospitality and travel industry after corona lockdown would be a riddle. Travel bloggers during corona phase are waiting with baited breath to start moving again. But we all know travel and hospitality industry after corona would have to go through significant overhaul. Here are our predictions about post corona travel trends.

How corona will impact hospitality business

Travel and hospitality industries are hit badly because of corona virus epidemic. It was majorly people who traveled to various parts of the world that carried the virus with them from one location to another. Due to lock down all modes of transport are closed. From trains, planes to local transport, people are stuck wherever they are. Forget about travel for leisure people have not been able to reach their homes in other countries and states. In fact, one of us left his Gurgaon home for a week and it has been 5 weeks – he doesn’t see any possibility of return soon. Travel industry after Corona lockdown would be a riddle. We can’t say when would corona phase be over but we know life is not going to be same after this. Travel bloggers during corona phase are praying for the proverbial Phoenix rising from the ashes. How corona will impact hospitality business is a not a good thought. All industries will have to reinvent themselves and some will have to start from scratch. Amidst all this, travel and hospitality will not be same as well.  Travel and hospitality industry after corona would go through long term overhaul.

Here is our list of some of the expected travel trends post corona.

Masks for corona virus

Often times we would see travelers from abroad using masks at airports or even when they are roaming around in their country of tourism. This saves them from pollution, air born viruses and infections. Honestly, we never bothered to do that. We realise that is a big mistake. Masks are going to be on top of everybody’s check list while traveling. We are expecting to see most of the tourists and travelers using mask in a post corona world.

Sanitizer against corona virus

We have never compromised on this. We have a habit of carrying sanitisers in our pockets whenever we travel. From air travel to road trips a sanitiser always comes in handy. More so because we love dhaba food on the highway and many a times they do not have decent arrangements for washing hands or accessing toilets. A small bottle of sanitiser saves the day in such situations. In post corona world we expect a lot more people buying sanitisers and making it a must item in their bags before they travel.

Budget travel after corona virus

Travel for leisure is going to be an all time high now that people are stuck indoors and craving for mountain breeze or a stroll on the beach more than ever. But businesses have shut down and GDP graph is moving southwards causing the common man to have smaller disposable income. In post corona world, budget travel is going to be the mantra. From travel enthusiasts to family vacations, budgets would take precedence over any other consideration. People have learnt to live on basics during corona lockdown and we assume that is going to linger on their memories for quite some time.

Homestays

In line with budget travel, we think homestays are going to be preferred over hotels in post corona world. They are not just pocket-friendly, but also generate income for the locals. During our travels to Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, we have come across many homestay owners for whom this is their major source of income. We can only imagine how desperately they would want tourists to come and stay with them. Moreover, as compared to hotels, homestays are less crowded and there is lower risk of viral infections. We expect homestays to be even cheaper and provide better experiences in post corona world.

Hostels

While homestays might see an upswing in business, hostels may see a dip. World over and especially in India, hostels are extremely popular with foreign tourists. They tend to stay in the country for longer duration and hostels provide them affordable options. Most of the hostels have shared spaces/dorms where sometimes 6 or 9 or even more people share a room. From bathrooms to lounge areas, one is expected to occupy space with strangers. While the concept was beautiful in a pre-corona world, we wonder how many tourists would welcome the idea after corona. Sharing space and resources is the main idea through which hostels provide affordable accommodation. The fear of catching viral infections might deter a lot of travelers to opt for hostels in a post corona world. We just hope hostels come up with an optimum solution through which they can still manage to provide affordable stay options while keeping infectious disease at bay.

Experiential travel after corona virus

Staycations, when you just stay in and enjoy the room service, are going to go out of trend after corona. All of us have had enough relaxing at home, much more than we would have ever wanted in our lives. People are going to be more extroverts, would like to see tourist places, experience nature, and be adventurous during their travels post corona. Also with pollution index improving world over, rivers cleaner than ever before, travelers would like to relish each and every moment outside soaking in the best of what mother nature has to offer us.

Crowd Control

In an ideal post corona world we would expect famous tourist destinations to be less crowded. The corona outbreak has majorly taught us the benefits of social distancing. It is always wise to stand apart in a queue be it a museum, sunset point or a temple or cover our mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing. We hope all of us have learnt our lesson and will try to keep safe distance from each other even while traveling.

Corona virus hygiene

No one wants to get sick while traveling. Hygienic and sanitized spaces would be the primary concerns of travelers in a post corona world. Shabby hostels and other shared spaces would have to buckle up and provide clean, hygienic and properly spaced out arrangements to lure travelers. Tourists would not mind shelling a few extra dollars to have better and enhanced services.

Road trips post corona virus

We believe people will tend to opt for alternative solutions to air, train or bus travel if feasible. Road trips in a privately owned vehicle may see a rise as this involves minimum contact with others. This, in turn, will increase short term traveling. Traveling overseas for leisure could see a dip as air travel for leisure may be very pricey for a while. Consequently, that would decline.

Post corona socializing

Given social distancing, many of us are missing our family and friends like never before. We personally know of people who are waiting with baited breath for resumption of transport so that they can visit other cities or even overseas to be with their parents, children, spouses, partners and close friends. We therefore see an immediate rise in travel for personal reasons. Many relationships that we have taken for granted would mean so much more now. And money may not be the deciding factor in such cases. People may be willing to pay more for the happiness and warmth.

One of us is willing to give his right arm to head home right now. Working from different cities during corona virus, all we can think of is travel, whichever way that works out.