The year that altered the way we lived, changed the way we moved, and shutoff the travel industry, has finally gone, but can we celebrate its departure?

Will 2021 be the year traveling rise from its ashes? Perhaps not yet. We are still in the time of pandemic. 

Though vaccines to fight the disease that brought the world down to its knees in 2020 are already out, it's still not yet  safe to say we are finally out of the woods of horror from COVID-19.

It's still very much out there. The threat is still dangerous, thus, traveling in comfort this 2021 might still not be the norm. It may take a while before we can enjoy preparing travel itinerary and truly get back to adventure.

It's still uncertain when can we travel again without the fear of being infected with the virus. Plus there is a new variant of covid-19 quickly spreading everywhere.

Having vaccines is not an excuse to be lenient with health protocol. One thing is for sure, even if some countries will open its borders, life will never be the same again for travelers.

A lot of changes can take place. Apart from the complex travel requirements to be imposed, there would be a massive shift in accommodation arrangement and tour packages. Health protocol would still be in place by that time. 

These circumstances will shape the way people viewed traveling and planning a trip, reconsidering options that adhere to health guidelines.

There's going to be a major change in the travel perspective of many adventurers and the travel industry needs to adjust its services and approach to fit the demand of the new normal.

The Casualty of COVID-19

The year 2020 has brought so many catastrophes across the globe, but nothing more fatal than the way COVID-19 impacted to the whole travel and restaurant industries. Its devastation was so disastrous it bled profusely every facet of the travel and food sectors.

Apart from the death toll and number of infection around the world related to coronavirus, the year 2020 is a fatal roller-coaster ride of the food and travel businesses. Many were forced to halt its operations. And lots had lost their jobs. 

Airlines, even the biggest names, were forced to shut off globally, the luxury cruise trips and travel tours were abruptly stopped and visiting a restaurant, even local fast food. was prohibited. 

It's so hard to imagine how these industries absorbed the loss and the catastrophic ordeal but they needed to adhere to government regulations to curb the spread of the disease.

Eventually, service-oriented industries would soon to follow the list of coronavirus casualties. Hotels, tourist-inns, beach and nature resorts and amusement parks were also forced to cease its operations.

COVID-19 sounded like a death emissary that crawled to every doorstep of these industries. Along this devastation, came a bleeding economy as mobility of people and some industries like schools, shopping malls, and transportation were halted.

For nine months, the world watched itself tumbled in pain and misery as the infection and deaths rose to an alarming level in all six continents.

The year of being stranded abroad

As more countries closed its borders and issued a "do not travel" advisory, more travelers were stranded abroad in 2020 and could not come home. Many had to beg for help to put them on the next flight. Others were forced to sleep in the airport or terminals. 

The inconveniences of these unfortunate circumstances prompted travelers to make the most of what they only had, even sought the help of locals to let them stay during the duration of lockdown, making their travel experience truly a nightmare for the year.

The year of nightmare requesting a  travel refund

Being stranded somewhere was not the only agony most travelers experienced in 2020, getting refund from airlines and traveling agencies for cancelled flights and trips also became a traumatizing ordeal.

Due to shutdown of the operations many of these entities could not release refund right away and just offered travel funds or credits. 

Others were forced to agree with this arrangement but some travelers insisted to get the money back, making the situation unbearable to both parties. 

Towards November, some countries slowly open its border to travelers to revitalize its dying tourism industry, but the strict requirements of getting to places prevent travelers from planning a trip. 

Traveling supposed to be a time where we need to be comfortable exploring the environment but how can we do that if there are restrictions imposed? Clearly, not yet a time to pack our bags and go somewhere.

The year of travel inconveniences

The year also defined how we should travel in the new normal. The health protocol where wearing facemask is a must, the social distancing rule, the tons of requirements and documents we need to accomplish and present to authorities, the restrictions on many borders and places.

All of it sum up a punishing and strenuous year of traveling. Plus, the constant threat of catching the virus. Surely, no one wants a disastrous travel experience for the sake of just, uhmm, traveling.

Twenty-twenty has been a year where all things went crazy. From our job setup, daily activities, and the way we moved in public. Everything changed drastically. The feeling of being trapped at home was suffocating. We felt like being punished harshly from the mistakes we never did. 

People are socially-inclined creatures who are not meant to be shut off from the world. The pandemic altered this natural facet of a human existence. Suddenly, we were immobilized, controlled by authorities and scared all the time we might encounter the unseen enemy. 

Traveling in the future

No doubt, COVID-19 has transformed the way we live and travel in 2020. From tucking alcohol and sanitizers in our pocket all the time to wearing face mask and face shield. Everything was strange.

For long distance travel, there's swab testing requirements not to mention the complex travel documents needed to be presented to authorities. Everything really brought unprecedented discomfort and sufferings. The once liberating escape to beautiful destinations suddenly became a hideous ordeal we don't want to be in. 

So what would be traveling looked like in the year 2021 and beyond? Can we finally go back searching cheap flight rates again for a trip somewhere?

The new normal is here to stay. That's for sure. Though the year 2021 could be the start of slowly getting back to our feet and for travel and restaurant industries to bounce back, it is still not the best year to spread our wings and explore the world.

The world is not yet fully "cleanse" from the virus, despite the availability of vaccines. The environment has not fully recovered yet. Safety is not yet guaranteed. Vaccines are still in the infancy period and experts are still monitoring its long-term efficacy result. 

Though many are already vaccinated, it's not yet a full guarantee that we are finally free from getting infected this year. It's still a dangerous year to go on adventure. It is better safe than sorry.

However, in case we should decide to travel this year, for the sake of our soul recovering from stress, it would be surely a different scenario and experience. There would be some discomfort along the way.

Government protocol in traveling is still very much in place, though restrictions slowly ease, it is still not a completely free world to enjoy a trip. 

There would be changes, big changes in the travel requirements we need to accomplish should we decide to travel this year. And we will shell out a lot of money to accomplish additional requirements like swab testing. 

Budget wise, it would be an expensive adventure due to travel requirements. Reduced capacity in accommodation means high rates. 

Additional health services also means added financial burden to guests as businesses will pass through customers and clients the added cost of its specialized packages to ensure safety. 

New normal in traveling

As the world slowly reopens this year, there are some who are considering to push through with their travel plans. It's really been a stressful year and we need to breathe somewhere to get rid of tension.

But the question now: Is it really safe to start planning and booking a trip in 2021? The new normal of mobility gives a glimpse how the world of traveling and dining outside would look like this year. It would be an entirely different setup. 

Wearing facemask is here to stay and perhaps it would not be lifted until autumn this year. So we will be traveling and exploring the places in facemask, and worst, the inconvenient face shield in some countries like the Philippines.

The new normal also means a shift in travel accommodation. Vacation rentals will now be favored than hostels and hotels because it will provide a safer environment than staying in crowded places like tourist inns.

Dining outside poses a lot of inconveniences too as family or group of friends cannot stay close to each other in a table but will be required to spread across, making it a bit uncomfortable to engage in a conversation.

Whatever in store for us this year, we can only hope it is for everyone's advantage. It's quite uncertain to predict the future of travel at the opening of the year, but one thing is certain - traveling will surely change. The way we travel in the new normal will have its makeover. 

Here are some possible scenario the way we travel in 2021

• Strict security screening in the airports and terminals
• Tons of travel and health documents, like medical certificate, swab test result that you are negative from COVID-19, to be required in all establishments, airlines, hotels, resorts, etcetera.
• Long queues everywhere due to security scrutiny
• Facemask, face shield, PPE might be required.
• Expensive accommodations due to the level-up service they will provide to ensure safety.
• Flight ticket, even bus ticket might be more expensive.
• Restrictions and limited exposure in the destination to ensure everyone is safe during the trip.
• Reduced capacity per room or tour due to social distancing. Limited capacity means expensive packages to cover up the entire cost of the trip.

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