As the world begins to reopen, many start to consider where they’ll want to travel to next – and can you blame them? After all, it’s been a year of COVID-19 infection rates, on-again, off-again lockdown restrictions and quarantine fatigue. Many aspects have changed and may become permanent, according to CNBC. Travelers will find that their experience has been shaped and changed by the pandemic – and not just wearing a mask, social distancing and enhanced hygiene that we’ve come to expect in our daily lives. Some of the changes that travelers can expect include: testing requirements, touchless technology, more independent lodging, cancellation flexibility, and increased awareness in overall travel hygiene and safety procedures.
Post Pandemic Travel
According to a recent survey of 535 adults by The Vacationer, once the pandemic is officially over, 25% of people plan to travel more, while 58% will return to pre-pandemic travel habits. The same study found that 68% of respondents plan to travel in Summer 2021.
Those with international travel destinations will spend a significant amount of time studying guidelines and restrictions – both entering https://yourtechlist.com/ another country and returning to their own country. With many restrictions that include a negative COVID-19 test result, “widespread testing will remain key”, said Paul Charles, Found and CEO of The PC Agency. “Testing is the magic wand and only testing travelers as much as possible can you reduce the impact of infections across the borders,” said Charles.
Touchless technology – like mobile hotel check-in – has become essential during this crisis and it won’t be going away anytime soon. “Using your phone as a key, texting the front desk, text room service – all of this was sort of starting to happen but is now so much wider spread,” said Jan Freitag, National Director of Hospitality Analytics at STR.
Vacation rentals available through AirBnB and other websites have been popular during the pandemic since people are craving space and control over their environment. Hotel demand and occupancy will go up as people get more comfortable with hotel stays, according to Freitag. In 2020, the US hotel occupancy rate for end of March was 30%, but this year occupancy was 52% for the same week. One way that AirBnB rentals and hotels can continue to increase their occupancy rate is by making travelers feel safer and in control of their space. Proper cleaning and disinfecting of high touch point surfaces helps reduce the spread of germs, however temporary. MicroShield 360 antimicrobial coating system can be applied to these frequently touched surfaces and it’s the perfect complement to traditional cleaning and disinfecting protocols. In fact, once the system is professionally applied it works 24/7 and up to an entire year to promote a healthy and safe environment as these treated surfaces will inhibit the growth and development of harmful bacteria, microbes and unsightly mold.
Lastly, travel policies have become more flexible as many travelers have a need to reschedule their vacation or cancel dur to unfavorable COVID-19 test results. Many large US carriers have eliminated some of their change fees and introduce increased cleaning and disinfecting standards. In fact, MicroShield 360 antimicrobial coating system is used widely in the private aviation space. Some of the world’s leading brands in private aviation trust MicroShield 360. The system is EPA registered and FDA approved as it’s non-leaching and promotes a healthy and safe environment for the private aviation’s staff and traveler. Contact MicroShield 360 today if interested in learning more about MicroShield 360 or how the system can help your business promote a healthy and safe environment for staff and travelers.