02 Apr 2020  |   03:59am IST

Wanderlust lost?

Post COVID 19,travel aficionados will no doubt be eager to explore the world and relax on a beach again,although it may take some time and with redefined travel rules
Wanderlust lost?

Mini Ribeiro

Travel is always exhilarating. The power of

travel in broadening horizons and drawing unique perspectives on life is undebatable.

But travel also teaches you to be resilient and how to overcome adversity. And the latter could never be more relevant than

now, especially for the travel and tourismindustry that has been hit by the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

   In current times, the prospect of travel is daunting to many of us, but will people stop travelling or cease to disengage themselves from the grind by taking off? The answer is perhaps, no. But it will certainly be a matter of time before we resume.

   A nomad knows no boundaries when it comes to  travel, but caution has to be exercised now and restraint practised. Himanshu Joshi, an enthusiastic regular traveller from Delhi and a travel writer, avers, “The urge to travel only gets stronger each day I spend cooped up in the house. The question is when one should give in? If after 21 days the lockdown is lifted, should I go to the market, meet friends, have a party? But is that responsible? Does a mere announcement mean that the threat of COVID 19 is over? I don’t think so. The dilemma is when to start travelling. On the positive side, travelling will be easier financially. Hotel and transport rates will be cut so as to kickstart the demand.

On the negative side, there will be shortage of food and many such items. Also, there is a distinct possibility that all outsiders-travellers, will be seen with prejudice wherever they go. They could be carriers of the disease. It thus boils down to when does one feels safe enough to travel and, more importantly, when do people in general feel safe to welcome an outsider?”

   Caution will clearly be the buzzword when it comes to travel. Goa based hospitality sales professional, Siddhant Salgaonkar, states, “COVID has already adversely impacted travel to an unprecedented level. As soon as the lockdown ends, we should see some movement. However, demand will remain subdued at least for the next quarter. Goa being a leisure market and owing to its distance from Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune, is expected to rebound sooner than others. I will get back to travelling as soon as restrictions are relaxed, but after a few months. I will definitely be a lot more careful and take precautions while travelling in or to crowded places.

   Bucket lists may have to be changed, travel may have to be postponed, but surely one does not need to curb the urge for wanderlust post COVID 19. Optimists would like to believe that it is travel again that will enable us to get over this phase. It is perhaps the perfect time to research and plan your next trip.

  Sujata Chakraborty, a Mumbai-based avid solo traveller,says, “I had to cancel my holiday to Nagaland, scheduled for this month, because of the restrictions caused by the pandemic. Travel agents and airlines, which are hit quite hard, have issued credit notes to most travellers. I agree it is best to stay put in familiar surroundings at a time of such crisis. On the other hand, I’m also sure that I’ll soon be craving for a travel high. I already find myself surfing through pictures of prior holidays.”

   The tourism industry accounts for 10% of the world’s GDP. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), currently, 186 countries around the world have been affected by the coronavirus. This list includes popular tourist destinations like Italy, Switzerland, China, South Korea,

Azerbaijan, Australia, France, USA, Germany, Hong Kong, Russia, Japan, Indonesia and Spain.

   Anju Tandon, CEO, Ark Travels, acquiesces that the travel and tourism industry is badly affected, but is optimistic too. “Once the situation gets normal, domestic travel will pick up, as it is easier to assess things in your home-ground and people may travel in their own cars and may not use public transport. They may visit family and friends and stay with them. They are also likely to use only reputed chain properties where they are assured of hygiene and quality. Leisure will be the last sector to revive as there is a fear factor. Also, the economy will take a turn for the worse, thus less disposable income and less leisure travel. There are a lot of question marks for the whole tourism sector.”

  Pritika and Mudit Todi, Founders, One Ninety Five Holidays, reiterate, “Many of our clients are clear they won’t travel until about the last quarter of 2020. That also, only if everything settles down completely. Other clients will only travel to countries which were not heavily infected by COVID and that too without transit flights. Lastly, a few of them want to do only domestic travel and avoid anything international in 2020.”

   Clearly, COVID 19 will change the dynamics of travel. Aseem Hattangadi, Founder, The Travel Therapist, feels,“Many affected destinations will have to come out with very attractive offers and incentives to lure travellers and also make sure that they are totally COVID free. People when

travelling will have to be extra careful and cautious, when it comes to their hygiene and sanitation standards. People may indulge in solo travel, couples travelling together or families of 4-5 members. No group travels would happen for some time.”

   You clearly cannot tie down an explorer. Goa based Jason Fernandes, Founder, TokenJay.TV, who is an incorrigible traveller, states, “The COVID-19 situation is not going to stop me from travelling. I expect the virus to have a permanent effect on how we live and work and that includes travel. People will have to get used to being hyper aware of hygiene during travel and take precautions the same way people are vigilant about terrorism. After all this time indoors, you can bet that when air travel is finally resumed, I will be one of the first ones on that plane.”

That is true, after all travel makes you forget everything, so put COVID 19 behind you when it is all over and travel again. For the time being, allow your mind to travel and continue to feed your wanderlust.

IDhar UDHAR

Idhar Udhar