They aren’t flying or sailing, and short of rides in the car there isn’t very much travel going on anywhere in the world.
“The industry is definitely hurting right now,” says Daniel McCarthy, Editor of Travel Market Report.
The losses suffered by the airline industry is staggering, United and Delta reporting a 90% decline in demand during pandemic months, and other airlines waiting to report their numbers and how many people will lose their jobs.
It’s bleak all around.
The cruise industry, so much of the focus of the dawning days of the coronavirus pandemic, have had to delay and delay and delay again plans to resume business. Those who had already booked and paid for excursion on the high seas have transferred their reservations to 2021. “My advice to travelers would be to look now. If you want to book something before inventory [for 2021] is closed up I would start looking right now,” suggests McCarthy, adding that travelers need to be flexible, check the insurance and get assurance that if something arises you’ll be able to change to another date without penalty.
As with every industry, the financial impact is hurting more than stockholders and executives. The hotels, motels, restaurants, car rental and tangential businesses are suffering as well.
McCarthy thinks when we come out on the other side, whether it be with a vaccine or otherwise, travel will look a little different. “The traditional vacation routes that Americans have flocked to over the last several decades, the theme parks and the big casinos and the big resorts, aren’t going to come right back. People are going to have to get more creative.”
He says beaches will be a top choice, good news for Galveston and coastal towns. Rather than places where large groups of people congregate more remote rentals will have an appeal. There is pent up demand frustrated by a start-again, stop-again path through the pandemic that will eventually return life to travel destinations.
In the meantime, only our dreams are taking reservations.