We’re three months into 2021 and beyond ready to start vacationing again. As the travel industry is among the hardest hit due to the coronavirus pandemic, airlines, travel agencies, and hotels have already seen drastic changes as more countries are willing to let Americans in. The biggest change may be the amount of people traveling in general– will our year of quarantine inspire people to fly anywhere and everywhere, or are people wary to leave their houses for such a public (and germ ridden) setting? Travel is no longer a hobby or something to do, but rather of a qualitative experience. People are more frequently asking themselves why they want to go somewhere– they’re trading their plane tickets for road trips, and adventuring to much shorter destinations.
As ecological health has become a trending topic of concern, it has moved travel agencies and countries to prioritize sustainable ‘traveling practices.’ This means the adaptation of “fly-free” days, prioritizing earth-health over profit margins, and the promotion of staying in certified-green hotels. Perhaps one of the silver linings of 2020 is that there has been a greater consciousness to reduce our carbon footprint, and traveling agencies are following suit. Another silver lining: social activism has grown exponentially. The travel industry is expected to now make greater efforts to obtain and maintain trust of BIPOC people, especially after countless airlines were called out for misrepresentation.