TravTalk India Online Magazine
The pandemic and its second wave have had a huge impact on the travel and hospitality industry. From social distancing in flights, localised lockdowns to contact tracing Apps, COVID-19 has indeed transformed the world of travel. Yatra.com enlists some of these trends.
Over the years, the reasons for travel have evolved and are now an integral part of our lives. Travel is no longer considered a luxury, but a necessity. It allows people to experience new cultures and traditions, discover new places, lifestyles, cuisines, etc. It is a stress buster for some, a recreational activity for others, and a self-discovery trip for many.
The pandemic and its second wave, though, had a huge impact on the travel and hospitality industry. People around the globe were advised to stay home, and airline operations came to a complete standstill. Hotels, too, were turned into hospitals. With domestic operations opening up due to a decrease in the number of cases coupled with easing of lockdowns and introduction of vaccines, the confidence among travellers in the country has improved. Several initiatives introduced by the government and key stakeholders have further boosted this confidence, and travellers are making informed decisions leading to an uptick in travel demand in the past weeks.
At the moment, travel is recovering in stages — first locally, then domestically between regions, and international travel is surely going to be the last. In addition, there are multiple factors that will influence travel, such as differing quarantine and entry requirements from country to country, vaccine roll-outs, and the recognition of different brands of vaccine, to name a few.
The coming in of vaccines, shift in consumer behaviour, stringent safety measures, digital boost, innovative communication strategies, government intervention to create ‘travel bubbles’, and measures to contain the virus will drive the travel and tourism demand in the post-pandemic era. There is absolute and utmost confidence that the love and passion for travel will reignite among people. Though this will be a steady progress, the transformational changes will set the path for the future of the tourism industry. The possibilities are endless, and all brands and industry stakeholders need to listen to consumers, embrace spontaneity and secure confidence.
Pandemic-induced travel trends
- Trips and getaways being planned in an attempt to ‘revenge’ travel
- Saturdays are peak days for staycations followed by Fridays and Sundays
- Occupancy patterns have reversed between weekends and weekdays for premium 5-star hotels in metros
- Rise in workcations
- Shorter booking windows, closer to travel date
- Travel to drivable distances being preferred
- Consumer preference for hotels with stringent safety and sanitisation processes has increased
- Businesses are exploring new technologies, both to drive bookings and to facilitate safe travel
- The desire to travel more sustainably has become more prevalent
- Travel to and from tier-II cities has seen an uptick in demand
