Will Travel Ever Be the Same After Covid-19?

Here’s the latest movie trailer (in my best cinematic trailer voice): Imagine a world post Covid-19. A world in which the basic practices of travel have been altered to reflect a new reality. The new reality that comes with the recognition that people in close proximity (i.e., without “social distancing”) will always be capable of spreading illness. Will travel ever be the same?

The Travel Industry Will Change

Airplanes, boats, trains, cars, buses, helicopters, cable cars, cruise lines, submarines, and any other form of traveling vehicle do not offer the physical space for social distancing. Any time a novel virus emerges into the world population, the ease in which we take these socially condensed means of travel will be removed (either by personal choice or upon authority of health organizations and government; see current recommendations by WHO and government officials). It’s not just the vehicles by which we travel that are not suited to social distancing, but many of the actual travel destinations we seek. Hotels, restaurants, theaters, museums, casinos, and the local coffee shop have been shown to fail when it comes to total safety from viral threats.

The travel industry will make attempts to adjust based on the experience and wisdom gained during the coronavirus pandemic. Here the psychology of business meets the psychology of travel. We can reasonably conclude that there’s not an element of the industry that has not been affected, much like seemingly every industry on the entire planet.

Following Covid-19, efforts from the industry will likely be to place more restrictions on traveling in close proximity, or at least provide quick protocols for limiting travel in groups whenever public health risks arise. There will be a sustained increase in sanitation efforts as the public will come to expect this as a necessity rather than convenience. Travel and tourism prices are likely to rise, at least temporarily, while travel and hospitality industries face the economic recovery and changed landscape of travel costs. The nature of the the travel industry will never be the same.

Attitudes About Travel Will Change

We travel to exotic parts of the world for the specific purpose of finding the newness in life, the unexplored thought-provoking geographic and cultural pieces that inspire us to grow from having witnessed them. We’re in a moment of social distancing that is at odds with the common travel goal of social connection (see here for more info on how people make health-related decisions during travel). Can that be re-captured, or is it true that the nature of travel will never be the same?

And what do we do when the essence of our leisure travel comes with inherent peril? Frankly, that has always been the case. It’s nothing new to have viruses carried by traveling to other lands (bubonic plague rats, I’m talking to you!). We don’t tend to think of the risks of leisure travel, or perhaps we simply don’t want to think of them. We focus instead on the adventure, relaxation, or business productivity of our travels, not the health risks. However, in the brave new post Covid-19 world, travel may be equal part benefits and risks. That shifted balance in our attitudes about travel means that the nature of travel will never be the same.

So if you find yourself wondering how you’ll feel about traveling after the Covid-19 settles down, you’re not alone. The industry will have changed, and for each instance that you notice any of these changes, you will have encountered Covid-19’s enduring impact on both the industry of travel and your psychology of travel.

Adjusting to Change after Covid-19

The key for better adjustment to this scenario is to make that enduring impact meaningful to you in a positive way. Let the changes you notice represent to you the benefits of safety. At each airport checkpoint, increased ticket price, or any other way that the industry changes following Covid-19, seek and appreciate the safety and personal space it allows.

At first, this may take some effort to identify benefits when your first inclination is annoyance or frustration. With time and consistency, your mind will actually adjust to scanning for the benefits and it will become more and more natural for you (see here from the University of Pennsylvania for more on the neuroscience of this effect).

Social connection is still possible. Productivity is still possible. Relaxation is still possible. Adventure is still possible. Awe is still possible. But there’s a catch. You have to optimize your mental adjustment to these lingering Covid-19 impacts. Choose to find balance between frustration and gratitude.

You see, the nature of travel will never be the same, but it doesn’t have to be in order to enjoy every experience that comes with it.

What do you think about these changes? How will it affect your next vacation? Feel free to comment below, check the travel resources section, and subscribe to the Psychology of Travel Newsletter for more travel insights like this!

Happy Travels,

Dr. L, Psychology of Travel

This content may include affiliate links from advertisers.  It may earn a commission from actions readers take on these links (at no cost to you), such as a click, purchase, or subscribe.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.