The Economist|The World in 2021|International| “On the road again”. “Holidays in 2021 will be fewer, longer and closer to home” by Leo Mirani. “Going abroad, although possible, will remain a hassle”.
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Kahala Beach, Honolulu County, Oahu, Hawaii
Article Summary
Global travel and travel by air within country was signficantly scaled-back in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions but edged up later in the year. After hitting bottom in April “by September 2020, 115 of 217 destinations tracked by the UN World Tourism Organization had loosened their travel restrictions.”
Global hotel-occupancy rates rose from a low of 22% in April to 47% in August. Internet searches about travel in Britain increased and in China, “where covid-19 cases are few, domestic air-travel approached pre-pandemic levels by August.”
What changes can we expect in 2021?
Crossing country borders may result in local quarantines keeping the traveler in-country longer than usual and restraining plans of venturing across multiple borderlines.
Generally experts are suggesting that most holidays will be closer to home. “Domestic tourism will boom in 2021”. Countries that have a large tourism industry are advocating more staycations. As examples, Singapore is giving incentive money that citizens can redeem at local attractions, Airbnb is encouraging customer to “go near” and America's “airlines are betting on Hawaii.”
Having experienced economic disruption more travelers might be having a working vacation. They will be focusing their planning on locations that readily facilitate work-from-vacation-office. Finding "an attractive alternative in working somewhere-a-lot-nicer-than-home…” will be key to keeping some work/life balance.
Many adjustments we made in living with COVID-19 will “persist long after a vaccine has been widely deployed...[but] international tourism will eventually recover" to pre-pandemic levels.
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