Impacts of Covid-19 on Tourism

The ongoing, and ever-changing situation with Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is having a significant impact on travel, dining, and exploration around the globe. The speed with which this Covid-19 outbreak is unfolding has created an atmosphere of uncertainty for travellers around the world.

People are being asked by local and federal governments and the World Health Organization to avoid unnecessary travel, to stay home, and do not gather in groups of 5 or more. Many people have already made plans for travel that they have had to cancel. Festivals and events around the world have been cancelled in advance to avoid spreading of the Covid-19 pandemic. Borders between countries and even provinces are closing for non-essential travel. Cruise lines have suspended sailings for the time being.  All of this is adding to the fear and uncertainty of the future of the Travel industry.

The Impact of the Covid-19 Travel Ban

The travel, tourism, and hospitality industries have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. Many tourism operators are small family-run businesses that rely on tourism dollars to keep them open. Restaurants, gift shops, tours, and many other companies depend on the Spring and Summer season to make their money, and they were gearing up for their tourism seasons when this pandemic hit.

The Future of Travel

We had plans for several trips this year, which we are now postponing. Our friends have had vacations booked that got cancelled. We are not taking any weekend road trips for the time being, and all of our plans that we were in the process of making for trips in 2020 are all now on hold.

We don’t know when, but we do believe life will return to some sense of normalcy. There will be a significant shift in how we travel in the future. There will be more precautions taken, but travel will come back. In the meantime, there are ways you can still enjoy the idea of travelling and support some tourism operators as you do. You have to be sensible about it, exercise strong caution, and practice social distancing. And don’t forget to wash your hands, disinfect, and avoid direct and close human contact.

Support Travel and Tourism related businesses during Covid-19 Pandemic:

• Follow tourism businesses and attractions on social media.
• Comment on, and like their posts to get them more engagement
• Check out “virtual tours to cure the pandemic blues” that they might be offering at various museums, aquariums, zoos, etc.

Check out this list of some museums offering virtual tours.

• Buy souvenirs and gifts from their online gift shops.
• If you went somewhere before the lockdowns and travel bans took place – write a positive review of the business on TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, or Yelp.
• Share photos of your past trips on social media and tag the destination’s tourism boards, the businesses you checked out, and the locations to inspire others to visit in the future.
• Buy gift certificates and vouchers for future travel, hotel stays, museum visits, various restaurants, etc.

Ways you can satisfy the travel bug:

• If you were planning a vacation before – continue planning (sort of). Planning a vacation can be a lot of fun, and the research that goes into that can be rather inspirational. Continue to plot out what you were going to do, where you were going to stay, etc. Follow various businesses in the area, or along the route, on social media. You can see what they are about, what they are currently doing, and learn a little more about the business when you can go on this trip in the future.
• Pick a destination you have always wanted to use Google Maps Street Scene to visit the city virtually. Take a virtual walking tour of the town to see what it is like, where things are located, and look for something that might pique your interest when you do get to visit finally.
• Take a day trip to somewhere you have never really been before. You can discover new things, learn something you never knew before about the area. Read those historical plaques and visit sites that you pass by but have ignored previously.
• Take a drive along the back roads, and roads less travelled in your own neck of the woods. Look for farmers’ markets, fruit shacks, small bakeries, or hidden gems that maybe you have never seen before. You can plan to support these businesses when life returns to normal.

If they are selling items on the honour system – support them by buying something and paying more than asking if you can. Many of these small family-run businesses are struggling financially during these uncertain times.

• Discover your own hometown. Most of us never really appreciate where we live as a possible tourism destination. Treat the town or city where you live as if you are a tourist visiting from afar. What would you do? Where would you go? Again, you might not be able to go into that museum, shop, or attraction, but this could be an excellent time to appreciate what you have where you live. Be a tourist in your own back yard.
• Look for unique and unusual roadside attractions you can visit.
• Visit state/provincial/national parks where you can – and ensure proper social distancing.
• Even though they may be closed, take a visit to various attractions and do some site seeing wherever you can. Enjoy them at a safe distance.
• Read a book about travel, or a destination that you have always wanted to visit.
• Watch travel shows on television, and get inspired to visit different destinations.
• Follow Roguetrippers and find inspiration for your own travel ideas.

What are RogueTrippers doing to support tourism in the time of Covid-19?

The ability to travel is a privilege. We understand that, and we appreciate that we are privileged that we can travel. The frequency with which we travel has been greatly affected by the travel restrictions of Covid-19 pandemic. We spend a fair bit of money on travel, including gas, meals, souvenirs, gifts, home décor, and much more. We take pride in supporting small businesses where we can, and we have no plans on changing that. Roguetrippers will spend our tourism dollars in a new way to help support local and small tourism-related businesses to help them stay afloat.

We will continue to provide travel inspiration through:

• Visiting small bakeries wherever we can, and we shall continue our butter tart quest.
• Posting photos and videos on our Instagram of attractions we have been to
• Writing blog articles on places where we have been, and the adventures we have had.
• Updating our Facebook page and sharing travel-related posts to continue to inspire other adventurers
• Writing reviews on Tripadvisor to support further the businesses we do check out.

How we travel in the future is going to change due to this global pandemic of Covid-19. There will be tighter restrictions at airports, train & bus depots. One day, this will be over, and you will be allowed to travel again. You will be able to book flights, visit attractions, enjoy a meal out, and visit a dream destination. Until then, you can still support the travel and tourism industry with your plans, where you spend your money, and through social media.

We are all in this together. Stay Safe. Continue to practice social distancing and Follow Us on Social Media for further travel inspiration. 

#TourismMatters