How will we travel when we travel again? Here are the 10 ways things will change | April - 2020
CNT Editor Divia Thani spoke with top leaders from India’s travel industry for a peek into the future of travel in a post-COVID world
Divia Thani | Published: Apr 23, 2020 | 13:22:32 IST
Travel, as we know it, has changed.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought travel to a standstill. Now that we’re playing the Will They, Won’t They game with airlines on a daily basis, the question is, Will We or Won’t We travel again? And if we do, when? And how? We asked India’s top travel experts for their opinions. Here’s what we predict will be the 10 new travel trends to look for:
1. India will be more incredible than ever
COVID-19 has affected almost every country on the planet, and each one is likely to recover at a different rate. In this climate of uncertainty, people are also more likely to choose destinations close to home, so that they can rush back if necessary. All the travel experts we spoke to agree that for the next few months, we are far more likely to choose Indian destinations to travel to. While things are constantly changing, it’s promising that Goa had reported only seven confirmed cases, all of whom are said to have fully recovered. Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, both tourist hotspots, have reported under 50 cases, while Ladakh, Andaman & Nicobar, Meghalaya and Puducherry have far fewer than that. Sikkim, incredibly, hasn’t had a single case yet.
Industry view: “We strongly believe that it is the return of the domestic traveller because international travel will probably take six months to start recovering, and really kick in only once a medical treatment or a vaccine for coronavirus is in place. Moreover, International travel, when it happens, will be regional, and between corona-free destinations. Both Bhutan and Sri Lanka may benefit as both are close to India and their main cities (Thimphu and Galle) are coronavirus-free. Holidays to Europe and to the US are completely out for the next 12 months. All international travel will get diverted to domestic destinations.” – Kapil Chopra; Founder and CEO, Postcard Hotels and Resorts
“Travel will definitely shift from no travel to necessary travel and then to all travel.” – Priya Paul; Chairperson; Apeejay Surendra Park Hotels
2. But you will choose your hotels differently
There’s no denying it—you can’t wait for things to get back to normal—whatever that’s going to look like. But the truth is that things have changed. And you’ll change, too. Experts predict that you’re going to choose your accommodation differently. First, you’ll book with brands you know and trust to have hygiene systems in place to keep you safe and secure. You’ll also search for smaller properties that are centrally located, so that you spend less time in public transportation getting from one place to the next. Hotels that offer minimum ‘touchpoints’ will also fare well—hopefully no more long lines at check-in and check-out. You should be able to do it all digitally. Key cards might also become a thing of the past. As for crowded buffet breakfasts? No chance.
When it comes to your weekend breaks or long summer breaks, you’re more likely to choose secluded, boutique properties that are out in nature, away from crowded cities. You’ll also look to rent out private homes, bungalows and villas but only those that come with verifications and very high reviews pertaining to cleanliness and sanitation. Extra points if they grow their own organic veggies. But that’s not all. Perhaps this time has made you pause to reconsider your lifestyle? You’re more likely to choose a hotel that values sustainability, takes care of its workers and gives back to its local community. And if it offers wellness features that go beyond spa treatments to practices like meditation, sound healing, even better.
Industry view: “There’s going to be a lot of innovation in hospitality towards sustainability, and exclusivity, creating safe havens for slow travel. There will be a shift towards more conscious travel, with a sensitivity towards the impact of a hotel’s impact on both its environment and community. We will see people hop from one place to another less. You’ll stay longer in each destination. You’ll look at more offbeat places. To start with, you’ll fly less and self-drive more.” – Shobha Mohan; Founder, RARE India
3. Sanitisation will be the new security
In Goa, there are talks of foreign tourists requiring a health certificate to visit. Even Yuval Noah Harari, author of Sapiens, argues for a global agreement on pre-screening travellers in their home countries before they actually board their international flights. “If you know that only carefully screened travellers were allowed on a plane, you would be more willing to accept them into your country,” he wrote recently in the Financial Times. Airlines like Emirates and Etihad are already experimenting with new procedures like mandatory blood tests for all passengers and staff.
You’d also be way more willing to stay in accommodation that you’re confident is extremely clean and hygienic. You’ll want to know that the staff in a hotel is following strict guidelines, both at work and at home. And you’ll want to know exactly how your hotel or villa owner is ensuring that. You’ll demand total transparency—and odds are, you’ll get it. If it seems ludicrous, just remember until 9/11, we never walked through security scanners to enter hotels in India. Now we do so without batting an eyelid, even handing over our purses and phones as we are electronically scanned. Health, hygiene and sanitisation will become de rigueur. The next time you walk into your favourite hotel or restaurant, don’t be surprised to see only half as many tables and chairs as you’d normally find. Social distancing will continue until a vaccine is found, say many experts.
Industry view: “There will be a sharper focus on hygiene and cleanliness, as guests will be more likely to check on a hotel’s standards across both these parameters before booking or visiting. This pandemic will bring about newer hygiene standards, changes in the reservation processes, lesser movement in common areas, and on-ground health checks for guests and team members.” – Rattan Keswani; Deputy Managing Director, Lemon Tree Hotels
4. Your flight ticket prices might go up
So you want to continue with social distancing, but it does get tricky on an airplane. Right now, airlines across the world are grappling with how they’re going to reconfigure seating so as to give you more room. (One likely solution will be to leave middle seats empty.) The good news is that you’re likely to have way more space in your Economy seat. The bad news is that you should expect a hike in prices. If airlines have to allow more space between passengers, their seat inventory will go down to 65 percent. That’s just about a break-even point for a flight.
So how is an airline going to make any money at all? They have little choice but to increase ticket prices. Plus, airlines have to invest in training and a number of new measures to keep you safe in the air, plus additional customer service staff to address the massive volume of queries concerning cancellations, refunds, etc.
Going forward, you can also expect aircraft to be equipped with things like surgical gloves, sanitising wipes, contact-less infrared thermometers, etc. What are you going to see less of? In-flight reading material like magazines in your seatback pockets, and less chit-chat with friendly flight attendants.
Industry view: “This crisis will result in transformation of the entire aviation ecosystem, which will impact all stakeholders including airlines, airports, travel agents and, most importantly, the customers. Additional health screening, social distancing and a high sense of alertness during air travel are some of the new dynamics that will come into play and will demand a change in the travel behaviour of customers.
The crisis will most certainly result in a restructuring of network and fleet as well as services across airlines. There will be a natural focus on health and hygiene measures to be stepped up across touchpoints of air travel, as social distancing becomes the new normal, at least for some time. Airlines will introduce many initiatives and make special efforts in building passenger confidence in flying. We will be implementing some very important, stringent preventive measures to ensure passenger and staff health safety. These include temporary fleet-wide removal of all reading material from seat-back pockets; cleaning of all aircraft at the turnaround of every single flight with approved disinfectants; deep-cleaning of all aircraft every 24 hours using approved higher concentration of disinfectant; PPEs such as hand gloves and face masks, as required, will be worn by our teams to perform the cleaning procedures. All our aircraft will be equipped with surgical masks, gloves, sanitising wipes and contact-less infrared thermometers. Any passenger showing symptoms of fever and/or respiratory illness will undergo a precautionary check-up with the Airport Medical Support Team. Adjustment in some of the aspects of our onboard service purely in the interest of passengers’ health and wellbeing and minimising of interaction between cabin crew and customers. We will ensure to maintain social distancing across all touchpoints.” – Leslie Thng; CEO, Vistara
5. The classic road trip will make a comeback
Experts also predict that we’ll start travelling with short trips to destinations to which we can drive in our own private vehicles. An open road, your favourite tracks playing and a blue sky up above doesn’t sound too bad right now, does it? Car rental companies will likely offer great rates post-lockdown, with assurances of each vehicle having been deep-cleaned after each use. In the short-term, there might still be restrictions on crossing state borders for leisure travel, so look for options within your own state. Major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata have a host of wonderful options. Staycations will also emerge as a popular first choice, as it offers you some much-needed space and quality time in a beautiful setting—without any hassle of travelling at all.
Industry view: “Driving holidays, as well as home-stays and boutique hotels in remote locations, will be very popular to start with [once restrictions are eased]. Air travel will come back in full force only when a vaccine/antidote is available.” – Deep Kalra; Founder and Group Executive Chairman, MakeMyTrip
6. A return to nature and wildlife—and a demand for responsible travel
No surprises here. As we lockdown in our apartments, grateful for our balconies, terraces, plants, even windows, we’re dreaming of things like wide-open skies, cool breeze, an expanse of ocean, acres of lush green forest, snow-capped mountains and just being in the wild outdoors. We’re marvelling at the birds we can hear chirping outside, and wondering how our elephants and tigers are doing this summer—April and May being the best time to spot them in our national parks. All of this signifies that what we’re really craving is a return to nature in its most pristine forms. That means we will likely look towards secluded places of incredible natural beauty when planning our first vacation post the pandemic. But it also means that we are more likely than ever to select those destinations and hotels that practise responsible tourism.
Industry view: “Over-tourism is seen to be an important factor behind the spread of the coronavirus in popular tourist destinations in countries like Italy and Spain. Eco-tourism is the need of the hour. All must work together to bring a movement towards the protection of nature.” – Amit Sankhala; Owner, Jamtara Wilderness Camp
7. The Big Fat Indian Wedding will go on a diet
You can’t impose a lockdown on love, and even if you try, love will find a way—straight to the happy ending. New York City is now officially allowing couples to marry via Zoom. But us desis are likely to postpone the deed until we can get back out there and have a sangeet. But large gatherings are likely to still be frowned upon and make guests nervous. The solution? A series of several intimate events (50-100 people each) leading to the actual ceremony, and much smaller reception than normal. And once restrictions on travel are eased, destination weddings will be extremely popular. They naturally attract only those closest to you, and you’ll be able to take over a small hotel completely for your party, or then a wing or floor of a larger hotel.
Industry view: “Human beings need to travel (especially after lockdowns) so it’s just a matter of time and a question of feeling safe. In the short-term, we will travel more within India. Luxury travel is bound to be more affordable—which isn’t a bad thing. I see smaller destination weddings, landmark birthdays and other celebrations taking place at smaller hotels, so boutique hotels might benefit. In the long term, I see things going back to normal. Why shouldn’t they?” – Nikhilendra Singh; Managing Director, RAAS
8. Luxury will become more affordable
Another reality we’re all being forced to confront is that the economy has slowed down drastically, millions of jobs are on the line, the stock markets and the INR are plummeting. We are going to have to think hard about the money we are spending—and what we’re spending it on. Similarly, the travel industry is going to think about how they can provide us better value for our money. For luxury hotels and other services, that could mean anything from dropping their room rates to throwing in a host of perks, such as airport transfers or letting kids eat for free. If you’re looking at other accommodation options, such as Airbnbs or other rentals, chances are you’ll find them at better prices too, until things pick up. The general expectation is, the sooner you’re willing to travel, the better a deal you can expect to find once lockdown ends and restrictions are eased.
Industry view: “If people are willing to travel by buses and trains, they will also be willing to travel by planes and stay at hotels. In the near term, there may be some sluggishness in demand as either people postpone any non-essential travel or try to conserve cash. But I absolutely believe that the affordable segment of the market will most definitely lead the recovery as consumers look for affordable choices that help them meet their needs and save money. This has happened in the 90s in the US, in Europe and parts of Asia post 9/11, and in India after the last global recession around 2010. There will always be a smaller market at the high-end. I believe that businesses or operators who depend on high amounts of discretionary spending will definitely feel pressure. But there will be exceptions where there is a scarcity value or a compelling reason. For instance, there may be a tourist spot, where the only place to stay is a high-end hotel or a sector, which is served by only one or two flights.” – Aditya Ghosh; Member-Board of Directors, OYO; Former President and board member of IndiGo
9. You will have more flexibility
Another piece of good news for travellers is that the travel industry is going to make it as easy as possible for you to book your next trip—while relaxing their usual rules and conditions. In the short-term, it’s going to be much simpler for you to book a trip, postpone it, cancel it and get a full refund. You will also enjoy the benefits of your loyalty programmes for longer. You will likely not lose your existing status this year. Airlines and hotels realise that their biggest fans and most regular customers are the ones most likely to return the soonest, so they’ll ensure they keep you. Everybody wins! Take for instance, the world’s largest hotel company, Marriott International, whose Bonvoy programme provides a wealth of perks, such as late check-outs, free stays, upgrades, lounge access, etc. In the wake of the pandemic, Marriott has announced that it would extend members’ existing statuses from 2019 until February 2022! Plus, your points won’t expire until February 2021. Loyalty will be rewarded, so don’t go throwing those membership cards away.
Industry view: “We have been continuing to engage with our customers, travel partners and bookers through all of this, and we have adapted our cancellation policies to ensure that our customers are experiencing a degree of flexibility if they choose to make bookings—not only for now but also in the future. For our Marriott Bonvoy members, we understand that when they get back to travelling, their points and status will be extremely important to them. In response to that, we have announced a status extension as well as a freeze on the expiration of points. When we talk to the customers, their feedback will define how we further work through our recovery plan.” – Neeraj Govil; Senior Vice-president – South Asia, Marriott International
10. Experiences will trump products
This pandemic has sent shock waves and wreaked havoc across the world. But as you’re staying in lockdown, scrolling Instagram mindlessly, binge-watching Netflix shows, working from home, baking banana bread or trying to homeschool your kids, you’ve undoubtedly given some thought to your lifestyle. Hopefully, that means you’ve made a charitable contribution or made sure to take care of your employees and help out your neighbours. Perhaps you’ve decided to turn vegan, or buy fewer handbags, or exercise daily, or offset your carbon footprint. Maybe you’ve felt the pangs of missing your loved ones who are scattered across the world. Or sympathised with a friend who has lost someone to this disease. Whatever your state of mind, odds are you’ve realised you can do with much less than you imagined; you don’t need to buy as many things as you did; it takes very little to make you happy; and that the people in your life are the most important thing. You’re going to want to spend your time, money and energy on spending time with your favourite people, family and friends.
Industry view: “The COVID-19 pandemic has bruised several industries. Of course, there are certain sectors such as hospitality, travel and traditional retail that will see a more immediate shock while others will see a long-term impact. But there will not be a single industry or sector which will stay unaffected. The travel and hospitality industry is one of the worst hit, globally not just in India. But that is due to the lockdown. The fundamental need for people to travel hasn’t disappeared. The moment these restrictions are eased or lifted you will see that the necessary travel will come back. Industries such as travel, which are going through an immediate shock, will lead the recovery. Customers will make choices based on which product or service is able to meet their needs at an affordable price point.” – Aditya Ghosh; Member-Board of Directors, OYO; Former President and board member of IndiGo
