What Are The New Travel Preferences In The New Normal?
“I’ve always vacationed before the pandemic. But I feel, only after the pandemic have I actually started traveling.”
This response by one of our followers beautifully captures the essence of everything you’re going to read next.
No one would contest this - the pandemic changed the way we think about life.
From the smaller aspects of our daily lives to the big picture, we relooked at every single thing. All those changed perspectives were bound to reflect in the habits of our post-pandemic lives and many agree that most of them have. It’s safe to say this includes travel, as we’ve seen it first-hand! Thanks to the trips we hosted since the last year when lockdown relaxations were introduced.
So, first, let’s cover the basic and expected changes (no prizes for guessing!).
Where there is hygiene, there is me!
Almost all travelers vouch for this today. The pandemic emphasized the need for cleanliness like never before and it’s going to stay. Accommodations that prioritize hygiene over everything else are preferred by most travelers. If hotels/restaurants/resorts do not have crystal clear answers to what they’re doing for customer safety, they’re going to have a tough time attracting new visitors.
That’s why when we select properties for our flappers, one of the top criteria we look for is hygiene. It was always a deal-breaker for us, and it continues to be so.
Keep me away from the crowd!
Yes, most of the places allow only vaccinated travelers, but this does not mean people are ready to be among a massive crowd anytime soon. Now a days, people like traveling in small groups where social distancing can be maintained easily. No wonder why beaches, forests, and wildlife reserves are gaining more popularity! They offer enriching experiences in isolation. The repulsion towards crowded places is so much that one of our followers said she would avoid crowded places even if that meant missing out on a popular tourist attraction!
Now we come to the more interesting part. Certain travel trends were predicted by travel experts in 2020, and after observing the recent travel patterns, we can conclude those predictions have come true.
Let’s see what they are.
Travel the world, not against it!
In the last two years, wellness and sustainable travel became quite popular. People found time to reflect on the effects of their choices on the environment and this included the negative consequences of mass tourism. 79% of travelers agreed they would opt for sustainable travel post-covid, and owners of huge travel companies attest to this fact. Now, along with inquiries about the destination, customers want to know how the brand takes initiatives to give back to the planet. People don’t want to just travel to offbeat destinations, but also prefer options that reduce their travel footprints and help the local communities.
To know more about the rise of eco-conscious travelers and the concept of sustainable travel, listen to episode 7 of our podcast Brewing Travel Shots Season 2 where Zinal Doshi, founder of The Flapper Life converses with Shobha Mohan, a sustainability patron and the founder partner of RARE India.