Our alarm went off at 2:55 a.m. this morning to be one of the first to snag lodging inside Yellowstone National Park. Lodging in the park fills up quickly once online reservations open and we didn’t want to leave anything to chance.
The future of travel is uncertain right now. Travel restrictions, quarantines and social distancing during a pandemic are like nothing our generation has experienced. While there are more serious things to concentrate on than travel, the truth is travel is an important part of many people’s lives.
Travel educates, strengthens relationships, reduces stress, and creates forever memories. As lockdown restrictions ease, travel will help reignite the economy and allow us to regain a sense of normalcy.
According to a recent survey by Skift Research, a research firm focusing on the travel industry, one-third of Americans said they would start to travel within three months after travel restrictions are lifted.
If you plan to resume travel after this crisis is over, there are things you could be doing now to save money, stay safe and prepare for future travel.
1. Re-visit your bucket list.
Obviously it’s not just travel that has been upended abruptly, but our entire lives. It will take a long time before things start to resemble “normal” again, and honestly, travel might never be the same.
Have your dreams and priorities shifted? Maybe what once seemed like an exciting travel destination for you doesn’t seem as important. Maybe a different place and reason for travel is now your focus.
Maybe you are prioritizing travel to see family, relatives or friends.
Maybe you have been working so hard saving up for ‘retirement travel’ and now you think, “Why wait?”
Whatever your situation, take the time to decide what is truly important to you in the wake of COVID-19.
2. Start planning and booking your next vacation well in advance.
Travel is at a relative standstill right now, but that doesn’t mean your travel planning should be.
If you’re thinking about a National Park vacation, know you’re not alone.
A recent survey by the market research firm, Longwoods International, found that 86 percent of Americans plan to stay stateside when they start traveling in the next six months. Post-pandemic travel will likely start with people testing the waters by visiting wide-open outdoor spaces, meaning National Parks could see an influx of visitors.
Use this time to research any upcoming trips, plan a detailed itinerary and reserve lodging. You will most likely be able to get discounted rates by booking at this time, too.
3. Review existing reservations for lower prices.
Many travelers had to cancel or postpone trips due to COVID-19. If you rescheduled a trip for a later date, you will want to regularly review the current rates on lodging and car rentals. The rates may have lowered.
We postponed a Spring Break trip to Utah and rescheduled it for late fall. We continue to check our hotel rates because we have seen the rate for our lodging in Salt Lake City go down three times since our original booking. We re-booked, saving $61 that we never would have known about had we not been checking.
We also added a stop in Arches National Park to our fall Utah itinerary that we did not have in our original Spring Break trip. By reviewing hotel rates, we found an extremely discounted rate in Moab, Utah right outside the Park. We booked it. Within days it went up $70 per night!
Many hotels are offering low rates – completely refundable – but are requiring the payment in advance as a way for them to get through this financially hard time. This is a great way to save money.
4. Look into travel insurance.
Many people swear by travel insurance while others have safely traveled without travel insurance for years. Well, times have changed. The future of travel is uncertain and travel insurance may very well be a safe bet going forward.
When evaluating a travel insurance policy, make sure it covers pandemic-type issues, in addition to other hazards and emergencies. If the current crisis has taught us anything about travel insurance, it’s always read the fine print.
Keep in mind, you may want to spend more on your policy in order for you to be able to cancel for any reason. Understanding all of this now will make you more prepared when it comes time to book your next trip.
5. Assess your travel essentials.
Being stuck at home gives you the opportunity to evaluate all of your travel gear so you will be prepared once you start to travel again.
- How is your luggage holding up?
- Any rips or tears in your backpack?
- Are you in need of new hiking shoes?
- Do your travel clothes still fit? (Or did you succumb to the “quarantine 15?”)
- Were you planning to upgrade your camera? Invest in a new lens?
- Packing cubes, travel pillow, ear buds, the list goes on.
6. Advance your photography skills.
If you want to improve your photography skills, now could be the perfect time. Grab your camera and head out to a local park, beach, or cityscape.
Catch the sunrise or sunset.
Practice capturing nature shots in your backyard.
Stay indoors and work on food photography.
Work on composition, framing, and flash photography.
Enroll in an online course.
Become a better photographer now so when you travel you will be able to capture priceless photo memories.
7. Organize photos and work on albums, scrapbooks or collages from previous travel.
Do you have a number of travel photos you have been meaning to frame, categorize or scrapbook? Clear your mental clutter of always having this on your to-do list.
Dig in and begin organizing your pictures. Finish any photo projects you have started… scrapbooks, framing, shadow boxes, etc. Perusing old pictures helps to relive your adventures and keeps travel memories alive. I’m guessing we could all use a little dose of fun memories to brighten our days.
8. Stay healthy.
Lastly, build your immune system with a healthy lifestyle. Exercise, eat nutritiously, spend time outside and get enough sleep so eventually you may realize your travel dreams – hopefully sooner rather than later.
What are you doing to prepare for future travel? Let us know in the comments.
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Travel is an incredibly enriching experience that opens your mind to new cultures, perspectives, and ways of living.
Agreed!