Do people travel at all now? Most of us are wondering this given the current situation in the world. Many of us sacrificed our vacations this year to follow the development of the epidemiological situation in the world. It was difficult to decide because the care for our loved ones was still present. However, you would not believe how many people traveled during this time.

For the first time, almost all countries in the world have some restrictions on entering and leaving the country. On the other hand, the crisis is accelerating trends, so we see how the digital transformation is happening fast. Also, travelers booking luxury tours were the first to return to their habits, they started making reservations almost at the same time as the measures started to ease and haven’t stopped since. Large apartments and private villas were first sold out this summer. Most passengers opted for a road trip with safety as a top priority.

Travel trends are changing very fast, and covid has only further contributed to the situation for each of us to find an alternative in these crazy times. Let’s see what we can expect now!

Italy has lost its title of a dream destination – a surprising travel trend

As we all know the saying “all roads lead to Rome” we would also agree that all roads lead to Italy. Or at least that was the case before the covid pandemic.

Italy has been the number one favorite destination of all people in the world for decades. In addition to the fact that people are afraid of the scenario that happened in Italy, according to research by the company Virtuoso, travelers have a much more peaceful life in their homes. There is a tendency towards Africa as a representative of wilderness, nature, authenticity, rawness, different culture.

Air travelers are willing to pay more 

With the beginning of the crisis, many airline companies blocked the possibility of reserving a middle seat in airplanes until the beginning of autumn. But as more passengers return to flying and flights fill up faster, surveys have shown that passengers are willing to pay extra to ensure the middle seat stays empty.

Cruises for 2021 are sold out quickly 

Despite the large number of newspaper articles dealing with the cruise crisis, cruise passengers are eager to travel again. Unexpectedly, the figures show that all those who like this way of traveling don’t give up on it. Ocean cruises recorded a drop in sales for the next year of only a few estimates, while river cruises have a growth of 14%. Passengers have confidence that the ships will be clean and safe, and they are ready to wear masks during the voyage. Long-distance tours are especially interesting for travelers. The new ship Le Commandant Charcot, which will be launched in May next year, already has sold-out tours, and it is a ship that will use liquefied natural gas and will take its passengers to the North Pole and hard-to-reach parts of Antarctica.

There will be less favorable offers, but tourists will get more

Since the world of tourism will slowly recover, many saw it as an opportunity to travel cheaper. According to Virtuoso data, if the prices of luxury accommodation drop significantly, it will seriously harm the industry. According to the owner of a small hotel in Italy, it will take him 5 years to recover financially from this season’s reduction in the price of overnight stays by only 10%. Hotel owners are advised to offer guests more for their money instead of lowering prices. The added value can be a free night, an upgrade to better accommodation, free excursions, spa treatments, cocktails, meals.