The Future of Travel After COVID19

Many are asking, when can we travel again? What will the future of travel look like after COVID19? Will flights be cheap again after COVID19?

Just as the global lockdown brought unprecedented changes, on an almost daily basis, so too, the loosening of lockdown conditions has become just as confusing with different countries and states, applying different rules. However, even as many international borders remain closed, not all hope is lost.

I’ve read many articles and watched numerous ‘experts’ on news segments claiming to know what the future holds in regards to flight prices, destinations and when things will return to some semblance of normality, but the reality is, there will be a new normal.

No one knows exactly when global international travel will resume, not even airlines. Some, like Qantas, Etihad and Singapore are in a better position to come out the other side, whilst those without access to government handouts may not return.

The COVID19 saga has taught us:

• Many jobs are not essential
• Most jobs can be done from home, or anywhere
• Something happening in another country can impact every other country
• Without travellers and tourists, many livelihoods suffer

Contrary to social media posts, like the story about dolphins returning to the canals of Venice, nature did not take over. Sure there was less pollution from cars, planes and people, but how do we ensure tourism is sustainable when it starts up again?

I’ve always felt that Instagram was to blame for many beautiful destinations being ruined by tourists, (as discussed in my podcast episode, Jade Talks Travel #22), but actually, the ease of travel, the cheap cost of travel and the opening of borders has allowed that to happen. Instagram just made it cool.

So I feel conflicted. As a traveller and former tourism employee, and now travel writer, it’s in my blood to promote tourism, because everyone should experience everything the world has to offer, but not at the detriment to others or the environment.

It’s something I think about often. I know companies like Qantas are making efforts with waste reduction and fuel efficiency, but as traveller’s, there must be more we can push corporations to do, as well as partake in ourselves.

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I know I’ve been quiet lately; a combination of uncertainty about where travel was going, plus I’ve been really sick the past few weeks, so much that I actually got tested for COVID19. But thankfully my results came back negative.

However the downturn has meant I’ve finally finished my book of poetry (I first mentioned it months ago) and Drunk Love Sober Death (it’s also gone through a name change) is now available wherever you get your books from, including my website, Amazon, Apple Books, Kobo, and for the first time in print (distribution channels continue to grow but at the moment you can buy a print version from Amazon).

Having a lot of time in bed, meant I’ve been busy creating, including some unique designs and randomly I’ve launched a clothing line. One of the designs I came up with is:

The World Heart

The World Heart features 229 Countries (which I figured to be every country in the world) as a way to symbolise that tourism can not start, until every country has beaten COVID19, because we’re all connected.

My definition of a country may go against some other perceptions. But if you have a flag, a border, are culturally or linguistically different from other nations, and you have a unique name – you’re a country according to my calculations.

In a time of blame, the One World Heart is a reminder that, it doesn’t matter who’s to blame, we’re all part of the solution. We should be focussing on the future, not the past. Sure we need to make sure we don’t encounter the same issues again, but until every country is free from COVID19, the global tourism industry, can not resume.

There’s bubbles of safe zones, that have begun operating flights, and in the early days, as flights re-launch, there may be some cheap flight tickets to entice traveller’s, at first airlines will operate based on demand. As more flights become operational, then cheaper flights will come back over the long term. Remember though, airlines will also be looking to recuperate as much lost profits as possible due to COVID19, so there may not be ridiculously cheap airfares for a while.

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At the start of the coronavirus saga, I started a new podcast, Jade Talks Cheap Flights to showcase all the crazy cheap flights popping up due to the lessening demand in travel products.

In my podcast, I find cheap flights, mention available dates and city pairs, and I also provide the link to book them. Some of the cheap flight deals I found included New York to Paris fr $88 one way and Australia to Tokyo with Qantas fr $539 return.

Jade Talks Cheap Flights #3 – Paris, London, Vegas, Bogota, Havana, Tokyo, Santiago.

The podcast continued with information about flights operating to get stranded travellers home, and since then it’s been on a hiatus because literally, the only flights operating are for getting stranded travellers home, many of which are not commercially bookable, and international borders are closed. However, Jade Talks Cheap Flights will become the go-to podcast for finding the latest cheap flights, airline sales and useful information for travellers, along with links – ready to book available dates.

Of course, you can search your own cheap flights right here. Make sure you register to receive deals from your city:

Subscribe for free to get cool stuff like freebies, secret events and more.

Until borders open up, the future of travel may be online only. However, rather than just reading endless blogs, browsing Pinterest boards or flipping through instagram; you can explore many top notch exhibitions and attractions first-hand, with your own tour guide.

However, once travel becomes possible again, you can be sure to hear about it here, until then, happy travels of the mind 🙂

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Thanks for reading!
Happy travels
cheers,
Jade Jackson – Listen to my podcast Jade Talks Travel
Travel Writer | Podcaster | Photographer