As the news become more positive, I think the mindset for future travel will improve—especially for the drive-leisure market. Sadly, I fear international travel is gone for this summer and perhaps for the rest of 2020. For those of us in the travel business, the good news is 2021 is looking really strong!
I also believe once the corporate traveler takes to the air again, everything will change for the better as leisure travelers will follow their lead. Still, this may not happen until early fall and that is really a shame because airlines, cruises and tour companies have put some excellent deals in the marketplace to get the ball rolling. Keep in mind these incentives apply for future travel so you might want to give us a call.
Historically, any time we have come out of a crisis or a recession, everyone expects great deals and enticing offers, but what may be different this time is the reality that we may not have as many airlines, ships, wholesalers, and hotels left standing after this crisis. Competition and supply drives pricing, so, right now, when the struggle for every dollar is so very real, is when the deals are happening. This may not be so when the pent-up demand for travel is raging.
Q: How will we know it is safe to travel again?
A: Not to worry, social media, twitter, instagram, etc, will tell you. At Monroe Travel Service and agencies all over the world, we all have our intrepid travelers, who make up about 20% of our client base. These are the travelers who will take off in the midst of a crisis or as soon as the airlines and other travel suppliers have relaxed their policies in terms of cancellations and rebookings about the corona virus. (FYI: They are the ones grabbing the deals and rebooking the primo space for next year right now!)
I have one intrepid traveler who bemoaned the fact that he has had 3 trips cancelled due to COVID-19 yet, there is not a doubt in my mind, that he and his wife are already thinking of ways to re-use those future travel credits. Travelers like these are massive influencers in terms of tipping the scale in relation to what other people’s behavior should be, but, to be honest, the most influential client for most of us in the travel business would be the young adults between 25-45 years of age.
They would be like my kids: an age group, usually with younger kids, who feel so very stressed out. COVID-19 has interrupted the busy components of their family’s routine, and, since most of them have not been touched by the virus, they still feel indestructible. You probably see them in your neighborhoods; they may practice social distancing , but they still gather in groups.
Lucky for us travel agents, they are suffering from cabin fever. No school for the kids, excessive cleaning, extra meals, daily online classes, closed restaurants, and all the new rules have been a lot to handle nowadays. Wine just does not do the trick anymore.
I think the dam is about to break, and, if I am right (and I pray I am), these young adults will lead the charge out of our COVID-19 crisis. Thanks to their confidence in themselves, their innate fear of missing out and strong competitive drive, not to mention the joy of travel we have instilled in them through the years, they are ready to get away from the house and enjoy their world again.
These travelers are the best, because they so love to show everyone where and how much fun they are having. God Bless social media! These wonderful young adults may just be the lubricant we need to oil the wheels of prosperity for our travel industry.
Naturally, when “those of us of a certain age,” who have seen enough of the world to be a little cautious, see our kids having fun, we inevitably respond by booking Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and spring break trips for everyone–and, in short, that is how I see the cycle of travel returning to normal in my dreams.
If my theory about returning to normalcy seems plausible to you, then, once again, I repeat: plan and book now. Not only are the prices and availability good, but the cancellation penalties are exceptionally lenient, so call us now and use some of that stimulus money to have some fun.
Q: Will cruising survive the coronavirus?
A: Even though most of the megaliners have ceased operation for the summer season and do seem down for the count right now, I must remind you that the cruise industry has some of the most loyal customer bases of any travel segment we sell at Monroe Travel Service. Their passengers sail year after year, and, surprisingly, even in the midst of this crisis, some cruise lines are seeing bookings at record levels for the fall and even into 2022. This tells you how much their fans believe in the product!
Undoubtedly, their will be some changes, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but, just this week, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line announced they will no longer offer buffet service! I feel sure the other majors will follow them. This will be just one of the many changes designed to win customers back and to assure the safety and success of cruising.
I really do believe we must be at the bottom of this pandemic. Why, in one week alone, we saw Warren Buffett dump his airline stocks, United Airline’s president resign, Carnival Cruise Line mortgage their ships to raise money, and a few more ocean and river cruise lines announce the suspension of operations through the summer season. Where could we go but up?
The effects of this virus have been global–and it all happened in the blink of an eye. At this point, the best we can do is to stay lean and mean, count our blessings, hope for the best, and start making plans. COVID-19 taught us how everything can change on a dime, so we must stop putting off our dreams.
Travel is not a luxury. It is something we want–and must– do, so call call me when we are on the other side!
