Don't Burst my Travel Bubble!

We have been hearing more and more recently about so called Travel Bubbles.

With little intel on when the pandemic might end, many travellers have already given up on the idea of a summer vacation. Prolonged lockdowns and the imminent arrival of Europeans' traditional vacation season have prompted some countries in Europe to make piecemeal agreements with neighboring nations to allow unrestricted, bilateral travel between themselves and enable at least some measure of leisure travel this year.

Similar to a joint venture in business or collaboration but this time between countries who want to keep tourism alive but still keep their visitors safe as well as their own citizens. Travel bubbles would enable tourists to travel between destinations that have demonstrated low volumes of COVID-19 cases without the need to undergo the standard, fourteen-day self-quarantine.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have already formed their own so-called “Baltic bubble”, allowing free movement of their respective residents while maintaining closure of their exterior borders closed to everyone else.

Many travellers have told me they see countries opening up and would love to be making plans and they are not afraid to travel but are not able to manage the mandatory quarantine they would be bound by should they choose to travel right now and are eager to see those restrictions lifted.

Australia and New Zealand are planning a "travel bubble", or corridor, that will allow the quarantine-free flow of people between the two neighbours. Both countries have severely restricted international travel to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

However, if successful, the "bubble" could grow to include more countries that have a low number of cases. This quarantine-free travel zone could provide huge advantages to both nations, who have shown strong records for containing the virus. Currently, they impose a 14-day quarantine on international arrivals.

So how will this affect you in Canada?

A wider scheme is planned with Canada and other Asian economies creating travel bubble agreements to help supply chains and business travel and I am waiting on further news of this with eagerness, but don't be afraid to start booking your late summer or fall trips.

Travel has never been cleaner nor safer. Even at the airports and through security you will notice a difference in the standards of cleanliness and this in my opinion is not at all a bad thing. The airlines have been forced to implement new sanitation measures and temperature checks to protect passengers. Some airlines have taken to blocking middle seats—something JetBlue says it will continue to do into July—and others, including American Airlines, are requiring passengers to wear face masks. Emirates is pioneering a rapid coronavirus blood test, which it's giving to passengers before they board.

Across the board, hotel brands are implementing new safety measures for when travel opens up again, from reconfiguring lobbies for social distancing to multiple daily cleanings, to increased time buffers between guests. Hotel guests can expect a greater emphasis on active programming (think hikes, rock climbing excursions), and grab-and-go happy hour offerings designed to reduce crowds. 

Group travel will be sold in smaller numbers and I for one will be limiting my groups to between 12 and 18 maximum.

Travel is coming back people and it is time to dust off that passport because unless you are planning on heading straight to an current epi-centre at it's height of their worst without any personal protection and plan to throw a party then with common sense and respect for your fellow travellers no-one is going to burst your #TravelBubble

Lorraine Simpson www.LorraineSimpson.com @lorrainesimpsontravels

Cityline TV Travel Expert and Travel Entrepreneur