“From hand sanitizers in hotel lobbies to cabin crew in masks, localized lockdowns to contact tracing apps, Covid-19 has transformed the world of travel. Amid closed borders and canceled flights, travel came to a virtual standstill, with the United Nations’ World Tourism Organisation declaring 100% of global destinations had implemented travel restrictions at the peak of the pandemic.” – Source

Travel is still the center of commercial activity in the west, however, with many cities around the world still trying to overcome the ravages of coronavirus, a journey to the Caribbean will mean putting up with a whole new array of travel risks. For a brief moment this winter,amba-schools haven’t been idle.

Despite the coverage of the virus in the press, tourism in West Africa and the Caribbean had taken a backseat in the months following September. Market crashes and lower than expected holiday numbers in the traditional sun-favored regions such as Egypt and Morocco cancellation were soon followed by the word that the industry was in terminal decline.

Despite the risk of holiday travel being high in the immediate and short-term, experts in the travel industry have repeatedly said that holiday travel is set to be a growth industry in the near and long term. In fact, they trace this growth all the way back to changes in the way holidays are being purchased and booked, to cultural and social acceptance of the travel industry, and more recently, the emanate of travel advertising.

According to services specialist Deloitte, the growth of ad-based travel will be in the range of 8 to 12 percent in the next decade, with particularly strong growth in the Asia Pacific region. Deloitte forecasted that ad spending on travel and related services will reach a market value of US$250 billion a year by 2025.

However, these figures are highly optimistic and do not include the potential long-term benefits of massive expenditures on travel infrastructure. Also, these estimates do not incorporate the savings that could be made in improving air quality rather than simply reducing exposure to pollution.

The steady rise in the cost of jet airfares and a plunge in the number of travelers making travel arrangements through the traditional agencies has created a need for new types of travel services. Innovatively packaged, mass tourism destinations are run by providers of packaged holidays to the developing world and other destinations, with Deloitte’s recent research revealing that such trips could see total tourism arrivals double by 2020-2021.

In addition to the traditional package tours, more adventurous travelers are exploring the world independently, and often combining short holidays with extended visits to a particular destination.

The market for these types of long-term, independent travel is growing by the day, and it is likely that the independent traveler will become a permanent fixture within the budget holiday brochures.

Holidays for seniors

Elder-friendly holidays have really gained ground in recent years, and with the help of boutique hotels and specific travel agencies dedicated to senior travelers, the deal is sealed. More and more seniors are choosing to stay in small, connected homes rather than in hotel rooms, and making their own meals rather than going to expensive restaurants. A break in the countryside or on a lakeside cottage is just the beginning of a whole new way of life for many – and with dedicated care by home care professionals, the years to come look promising.

Temporary holidays

Those with a sense of emergency and a strong desire to see the world on their own terms are turning to holidays of a temporary nature. Jet-setting executives taking cruises to Arctic destinations, or tent-camping in Thailand are becoming more and more common.

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