Riding it out, part 2

 
This post is by Sue Tindell.

   Wow, it's been over a month since my last blog entry! Things have been picking up at our office, as travel restrictions both in the U.S. and abroad begin to loosen. Our clients are anxious to get back out there, and we're just as anxious to help them!
   Let's continue with our look back at our weekly travel newsletters, picking up with the April 27 edition, and carrying us through May.

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April 27

   With the month of May around the corner, most of us have experienced six weeks or more of quarantines, lockdowns and other reactions to the coronavirus pandemic. We’ve been busy at our office, helping clients sort out the often-confusing paths toward resolving the problems of canceled vacations, vouchers and more. As we all wait for a resolution of our particular issue, we also start thinking of the future. We are starting to hear this from clients: “When things get back to normal, I’m anxious to travel again.”

   We’re all anxious to have things get back to normal, and surely we all want to travel again. And we probably don’t know it, but there’s a chemical at work inside all our brains, helping to ramp up that sense of anticipation. It’s called dopamine.

   Dopamine is the neurochemical of anticipation. It’s released when we start thinking about things that we want to make happen, things that will bring us pleasure and fun. Why is it that when we start thinking about traveling again, we get excited? There’s an extra spring in our step, and we start looking at our calendar a little more frequently. Yep, that’s dopamine at work.

   Experts are telling us that one of the ways to cope with all the virus-related lockdowns is to plan for the future. Sometimes that means just jotting down what you’d like to get done on any particular day this week: mow the lawn, plant the garden, start that book, cook that special meal. And the activity in mind doesn’t have to be inherently pleasurable; uncertainty releases dopamine, too, because our brain starts thinking that this activity it’s considering could turn out to be a good thing, after all. Mowing the lawn may not exactly be fun, but looking at that neatly-trimmed lawn afterwards sure is. (And the smell of newly-mowed grass is a rush, too!)

   Planning the little things helps us to get through the day. We’re all used to thinking on Monday about what we’re going to do on Saturday, but these days we might have to focus more closely on today and tomorrow, in addition to weekends, when traditionally we have planned our more pleasurable activities. We can still think of those, though, especially those of us who are fortunate enough to still be working. And for everyone, thinking of very pleasurable things farther down the road, like that trip we wanted to take this spring but couldn’t, gets that dopamine rush going. And when the time comes to start really putting those dreams into action, we’ll be here for you. Maybe that time is this week. Whenever the time is right for you, we’ll be ready to share that dopamine rush with you! 

May 4

   One of the many great reasons to travel is to see exotic wildlife in their natural habitat. We’ve sent many clients on safari to Africa and to parts of Asia and Australia, where they can observe many species that most Americans will see only in zoos back home. But while most international travel is virtually shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic, Mother Nature is getting ready to welcome us back.

   In fact, she is rather quickly repairing much of the damage caused by human pollution and greenhouse gases. The canals of Venice are cleaner than they have been in years; many cities in Europe and Asia have reported air-quality improvements of as much as 40 percent; and in spite of falling gasoline prices, some areas of the U.S. and Europe have seen road traffic fall by more than 80 percent. What’s been bad news for humanity, both from health and economic perspectives, has been good news for the environment—particularly many species that have been endangered.

   In Thailand, one such species is the dugong. The travel magazine Afar reports that off the Southeast Asian country’s southern coast, with beaches nearly devoid now of humans, the dugong has returned. A close relative of the manatee, which is found in Florida and is also known as the sea cow, the dugong is a mammal that can grow up to 11 feet in length. Although they are not legally hunted, the dugong population there has been ravaged in recent years by human pollution, in particular the presence of plastic trash in both inland and coastal waters.

   The Thai government estimated that its dugong population was down to perhaps only 250 animals, yet they may be coming back. A herd of some 30 dugongs was spotted in late April near an offshore island, feeding on seagrass. Other marine animals, such as dolphins and sea turtles, are also taking advantage of the human retreat from the beaches by coming closer to shore.

   According to the British newspaper The Guardian, UK wildlife has been thriving. Peacocks have been seen strutting through Welsh streets and sheep have been filmed in deserted playgrounds. Wild boar are rooting through towns in Italy and Spain. Over here, deer have been grazing near homes not far from the White House, and coyotes have been trotting over the Golden Gate Bridge. One cartoonist, illustrating that tourism has been reversed, drew a picture of wild animal “tourists” gazing through the windows of houses, looking at the humans locked down inside!

   There might be a downside to the human pullback, temporary as it is. In Africa and South America, cash-strapped governments have been scaling back their environmental protection efforts. Local populations might turn to illegal poaching, mining and logging to support themselves.

   Overall, though, this “pause,” as painful as it has been for us humans, has been a net gain for nature. Eventually, travel to Thailand and Africa and Australia, and all the places where Americans want to see exotic animals in the wild, will return, and we’ll be there to help our clients realize those dreams. Hopefully, we will all go there and be newly reminded of how fragile our environment, with its non-human denizens, really is, and when we come home we will be more willing to help with efforts to preserve it.

            

May 11

   If you had a travel event planned for 2020 that has now been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, you’re certainly not alone. But if you’re feeling more optimistic lately that you’ll be able to reschedule your trip soon, you’re not alone, either.

   MMGY Global released its third Travel Intentions Pulse Survey on May 1, and some encouraging trends can be found in the results. The survey queried some 1,200 Americans who consider themselves frequent travelers, and 90% of them had plans that were altered or canceled due to the pandemic. And 59% say they are eager to embark on leisure travel as soon as they can, when the pandemic has passed or, perhaps earlier, once restrictions are eased.

   Many of these eager travelers are planning to start slowly, with a trip by car to someplace within a day’s drive or so. That’s understandable; a lot of us are eager to hop in the car and head to Grandma’s house, welcome our adult kids from downstate, or maybe just get together with friends. Looking farther down the travel road, the survey found that nearly four out of ten travelers are likely to take a domestic leisure trip by plane or train.

   The MMGY surveys, going back to late March, when pandemic lockdowns began across the nation, showed a dip in optimism as of mid-April, but rebounding numbers at month’s end. The surveys also are telling us that overall concern about contracting COVID-19 are starting to go down. Overall, respondents said that the biggest factor in determining when they’ll travel again is a further slowing of the spread of the virus, both in the U.S. and worldwide.

   As travel advisors, we’re certainly making every effort to be in tune with your concerns and stand ready to help when you feel comfortable to travel again. We’re confident that travel will rebound, and to find out the reasons, we did a survey ourselves, conducted by the trade industry publication Travel Market Report. Here’s why we’re still bullish on travel:

·       Travel has an intrinsic value that will never go away. It’s one of life’s great pleasures, and in the past, natural calamities like hurricanes, earthquakes, blizzards and even other epidemics have not slowed travel for long.

·       Canceled bookings are coming back, and new bookings are still coming in. Clients who had to cancel their plans when the pandemic lockdown settled in are now starting to contact us about re-scheduling for later this year, or early in 2021.

·       What have people been thinking about during quarantine? Certainly not staying home any longer than necessary! It’s called wanderlust, and that feeling has only been growing.

·       Travel has become a necessity for many. We’ve all had to give up things we like to do as we quarantine. For some, it’s going to a concert or a ballgame or even just a movie. For many others, it’s travel, and many of us didn’t realize how much we liked it until it was no longer there. How we spend our leisure time is an important part of our lives; it helps us keep things in proper balance. Traveling is a vital part of that.

·       Travel is the best escape, because that’s what it literally is: getting out of our homes and our daily lives, if only for a week or two. If you want to “get away from it all,” recharge and revitalize yourself, that’s what you need to do: get away. And once you’ve discovered all the wonderful places you can get away to, the desire to return to favorite places, or get out there and discover new ones, is strong indeed.

   All across the nation, pandemic-related restrictions are being eased, and it won’t be long before it becomes easier to travel as well. And when it does, we’ll be here to help you get away, again.

May 18

   For many weeks now, we’ve been bombarded with numbers about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, and all of the numbers seemed to be bad. We were all wondering when, or even if, we’d start to see good numbers, or even good news of any kind.

   Well, it’s finally happening!

   Last week, statewide restrictions in Wisconsin were lifted, and while many communities maintain some, businesses are re-opening at a rapid rate, albeit usually with some restrictions still in place: wearing face masks inside, limits on seating capacity, and so forth. Wisconsin isn’t the only state; even those hardest-hit, like New York and New Jersey, are re-opening. It’s a cautious time, to be sure, but also joyous.

   One of the first big restrictions that hit as a result of the virus was a travel ban. Nations closed their borders to incoming travelers, except their own citizens hurrying to get home. Many of these closures go back to early February, but they’re starting to be lifted now, which bodes well for the travel industry, and for your plans to get back out there.

   The industry magazine Travel Weekly notes in its May 17 issue that many European countries are starting to re-open their borders. Slovenia was the first, opening up to regional travelers, but requiring non-European Union visitors to quarantine for two weeks upon entry. Austria and Germany have opened border crossings with each other and also with France and Switzerland. Two of the major European travel destinations for Americans are Italy and Greece, and those nations will be open to international tourism by July.

   Closer to home, many Mexican beach destinations plan to open in June. Southwest Airlines is resuming flights to Cancun from several U.S. Cities. Some other destinations around the world are re-opening first with what are being termed “travel bubbles.” Australia and New Zealand are planning one of those, in which residents of those two countries will be able to travel back and forth without restrictions. Another “bubble” contains the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

   It’s important to beware of “fake news” regarding travel. One such instance was in regard to Italy; there was a news report in late April that the Italian government had declared the nation closed to international visitors for the remainder of 2020. The president of the Italian National Tourist Board had to issue a statement debunking the report. As with all news, we should be careful to blindly trust sensational headlines. News organizations love calamity, disaster and controversy; good news, not so much.

   As travel professionals, we have our collective ear to the ground on your behalf, ready to advise you about where it’s safe to go, what restrictions might still be in place there, and what you’ll actually be able to do when you get there. We’ll do our best to give you the facts and help you shape your travel plans accordingly. Travel will come back in 2020, and it’s coming back soon!

May 25

   As businesses around Wisconsin and the country re-open their doors, we’re getting calls from clients about when other countries will be re-opening theirs. People are anxious to travel, and we’re just as eager to help them, so we’re doing our best to stay on top of the news as it develops. Here’s the latest about traveling abroad in 2020:

   --Our closest neighbors, Canada and Mexico, are popular destinations for Americans. It might be easier to go south than north, at least in June. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced last week that his country’s border with the U.S. would remain closed until at least June 23. But the closure does not apply to air, rail or sea travel. Visitors should still anticipate restrictions: many Canadian businesses and hotels could still require visitors to wear masks and practice social distancing. To the south, the border with Mexico will stay closed until at least June 23, but like Canada, Mexico makes an exception for travelers arriving by plane, train or ship. Mexico anticipates having its entire economy re-opened by June 1.

   --In the Caribbean, restrictions and re-opening dates vary by country. Aruba will re-open by July 1, which is also the tentative date set by the Bahamas. Jamaica plans to be ready for visitors a month earlier, by June 1. Puerto Rico is still requiring all visitors to arrive via San Juan and self-quarantine for 14 days. Things aren’t as bad in another U.S. territory, the Virgin Islands, which plans to open by June 1. Restrictions and re-opening dates vary throughout the Caribbean, and we’ll always be able to give our clients the very latest information about their chosen destinations.

   --For those going farther abroad, Europe won’t be open again until June 15, and non-E.U. residents may not be allowed in until well past that date. Australia may not welcome foreign visitors (except from New Zealand) until July or August. As for China, a popular destination for Americans, including our clients, the country where the pandemic began is not allowing any foreign visitors and hasn’t said when it will open its borders.

   --Several of our clients have already booked cruises to Alaska or have inquired about them. Alaska has had relatively little trouble with the virus and will be fully re-opened by the end of this week, but since many of our cruise itineraries include stops in Canada, clients should understand that the cruise itself may not be able to go until Canadian ports are fully open. As for Hawaii, all incoming travelers are subject to a 14-day quarantine until at least July 1.

   

   Foreign travel is exciting but can be daunting, even for those experienced in going abroad. You can always count on us to have the latest information available about your chosen destination. We want you to travel as much as you want to, but we all want everybody to be able to travel safely. It will happen again, and perhaps soon, and we’ll help you get there and back.

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   Well, we're almost up to date! Next, our newsletters carry us through June and into July, as travel restrictions continue lifting and the travel industry begins to ramp up...with some changes.