Travel Update – What to expect now and in the near future.

When can I safely travel internationally again?

I hear this question or variations of it a lot in my business. The answer is not so simple, it depends, is how I answer. Because the answer is determined by a lot of variables. When do you want to go? How to you want to travel? Where do you want to go? That is the start of our conversation. Some things people should know up front is that the rules change often. Often without any advance notice and it is every country’s authorities who decide on their restrictions and enforcement of the same. This then often drills down even more into that country’s State/Territory/Province or region and even into counties or cities.

When should I start planning my next trip?

The sooner the better, is a quick answer, but really it once again depends when and where you want to go. Sooner is a good bet, because once travel is off and running again, there is so much pent-up demand it is hard to say how easy that process will be. Remember, most areas of the world have effectively closed down their hospitality industries and laid people off, who may in turn have found other work. Getting staffing levels back up to meet demand will likely have a lag time. We are seeing that beginning now. More demand, with staffing reduced which results in longer waits for answers and assistance. 

Shouldn’t I be able to get an amazing deal, pricing-wise? 

Yes, and no. A couple of things to keep in mind is that places that are open to foreign visitors have had to step up their cleaning protocols and reduce their occupancy rates, for social distancing requirements. Their guest numbers and revenue have dropped but their staff is working harder than ever. Flights have been consolidated or eliminated, which can increase demand for remaining options and keep costs up – which is what the airlines need to operate. Some resorts are still closed or have opened and closed again in full or in part. In the case of resorts, especially large ones that are open, this has prompted them to have fewer restaurants open at one time, usually rotating the restaurant opening days or times to accommodate fewer guests. There are also perks that go along with this, such as more space on the resort, no bumping up to your neighbor’s lounge chair by the pool. While a quieter resort is attractive to many, some prefer a busy atmosphere. All things to consider when looking for a deal. 

My friends have posted pictures on social media from beaches in the Caribbean, how are they able to travel there?

There are a number of countries accepting foreign visitors. Each country has its own entry requirements and as noted above these can and do change. Keeping clients informed is something that is now a part of our services.  Some places do not require a pre-arrival test, some do, even within the US. ALL return travel by air into the US from a foreign location does require a negative COVID test prior to boarding your plane home. We help inform clients of this process, too. It is hard to stress how important it is to be informed well in advance of what to expect. Some destinations require permission to travel, specific tests, usually with very specific timing and from pre-approved testing facilities. 

What about cruising, can I go for a cruise? Again, yes and no. The Canadian travel restrictions have caused the cancellation of most Alaska cruises this summer. The CDC has not approved cruise ships to sail from US ports and they are still under a Conditional Sail Order. Cruise lines have been working diligently with the CDC and all governments around the world to safely resume cruise travel. There are cruises beginning to sail with embarkation posts outside of the US, including Bahamas, Bermuda, Mexico, Greece, and more. You can book cruises for the future and cruise lines have updated change and cancellation policies in place to help make this a good option. Your travel agent should be up to date on this.

What about Travel Insurance?

Yes, yes, yes! Always, yes! It should always be a part of your travel budget and never considered optional or a luxury. It can quite literally be your “911” overseas. Beyond the obvious worst-case scenarios that go through your mind, it is often the minor issues that prompt its use. A need for stitches from a fall in a country where you need help speaking the language, things like that.

I am now fully vaccinated or plan to be, can I skip all these protocols and testing in and out of the US?

In short, no, not yet. There is talk of this moving forward and is a very recent topic of discussion in many places. As for now, all current testing, masking and social distancing protocols currently in place remain there – of course this could change before you read this.

How do you keep up with all these changes?

Like everyone else over the past year, we have had to make huge changes in our lives and business operations, in the beginning travel was one of the first industries seeing shut-downs and effects from the virus, we were a bit blind-sided and things quickly spiraled from there. It was not unusual to receive dozens up updates in a day from countries around the world and personally I worked 18-20 hours a day for weeks on end to take care of my clients and their reservations and plans. Travel suppliers (cruise lines, resorts, airlines, hotels, transfer companies, tour companies, travel insurance, etc.) all had their standard cancellation policies in place. These are the policies that they followed as cancellations starting taking place. Many of these companies realized that this was going to have to change because the cause was not your typical situation. Buried in many polices was exclusions for “epidemic or pandemic” – but seriously who reads that and thinks that is even a possibility? Most suppliers quickly shifted policies to best take care of their guests and do what they could to help. As a travel agent, I always first and foremost have my client’s best interest in mind when handling any situation coming their way and do my best to take the greatest care of them.

What are your top tips for my next vacation?

1)     Decide what you want and what you are willing to accept as far as travel. Are you OK with testing, masking on flights, and in public areas, being vaccinated? What policies does your employer have if any? That type of thing.

2)     Use a professional travel agent, we have your best interest in mind and keep up to date with world travel restrictions and protocols. This is our career and do this every day, week, month and year. We make it easy by becoming your one point of contact and our professional services are usually free (mine are).

3)     Purchase travel insurance. Most travel agencies can sell travel insurance, even if you did not book your trip through them. Some policies are better than others, review the policies for coverage that best meets your needs. 

About the author: 

Lori Visser is a full-time, full-service, award-winning Travel Agent. She can be reached at 616-263-1777 or [email protected]