Travel
What will your post-Covid-19 business trip look like?
April 24, 2020
The first predictions on the future of tourism are slowly emerging. Business trips are already being tipped as the first category of travel that will kick-start the travel industry, mainly because of their essential and indispensable nature. Strict measures are still in place worldwide and travel is more or less impossible but governments are gradually starting to think about how to ease restrictions.
One day we will board planes again but don’t expect business as usual just yet. We have summarised the most likely consequences as if they were already in place and we’ve taken the liberty of adding some explanatory comment.
More travel documents
In addition to your passport you need some extra documents. At first a distinction is still made between essential and non-essential travel. You need certain documents to motivate your travel destination. A health certificate proves that you are either immune to Covid-19 or have been vaccinated.
Uniglobe’s opinion:
At first this may cause delays and some additional red tape but in a digitalised world this should go smoothly and efficiently. Some countries may reinstate some sort of visa procedure, which takes care of all formalities in advance.
Longer queues
There are longer queues at border crossings and airport customs. Your documents and temperature are checked. Waiting times increase. Within the Shengen zone new temporary borders are introduced.
Uniglobe’s opinion:
At first longer waiting times are partly offset by the lower number of travellers. Airports are geared to processing large numbers of passengers and many checks are already automated (body scan, passport check...) For instance, China uses scanners that can measure the body temperature of 200 people per minute.
Aviation adapts
Mouth masks are mandatory at the airport and aboard your plane. Boarding is subject to strict safety regulations. There is always an empty seat in between passengers to maintain a safe distance or other creative solutions are implemented. Catering services are limited or suspended altogether to avoid unnecessary contact.
Foto: sommige bedrijven denken nu al na over creatieve oplossingen
Uniglobe’s opinion:
Wearing mouth masks will become the new normal so you won’t notice the difference anymore. Everyone will welcome the added space and alternatives for the traditional catering are also available. It is rumoured the pandemic may herald the demise of oversized jumbo jets such as the Airbus A380.
Visible hygiene measures
Airlines, taxi services, hotels... are very clear about the hygiene measures they implement. Information on cleaning procedures and air quality is readily available. Sanitising gels and mouth masks are for sale and strict social distancing rules are in place.
Picture: screenshot IATA.org (International Air Transport Association)
Uniglobe opinion:
By that time most of these measures will also apply in our everyday environment. The extra attention for hygiene and safety can only be applauded.
Impact on air fares
The precise impact on air fares is anyone’s guess right now. Everything depends on a complex interplay of supply and demand. For many actors this will require a balancing act between stimulating consumers on the one hand and an economic survival strategy on the other.
Uniglobe opinion:
At present we can only speculate about air fares. However, odds are airlines will temporarily implement a more flexible policy in terms of cancelling or rebooking. There may also be a shift in peak periods, depending on which countries open their borders first.
Tourism is one of the leading employers worldwide so the sector must and will recover before too long. In the past, the travel industry has always rebounded after such crises as 9/11 and the 2008 bank bailout and that will also be the case now.
Here at Uniglobe we are champing at the bit to help you on your way again. For instance, we keep investing in our online booking tool to organise your business trips even more efficiently in the future.
