It’s easy to look at the unpredictability of the past year and think that planning anything ahead is a fool’s errand. But we’re here to tell you that booking ahead is essential when thinking about a post-pandemic vacation.
We know that if you’re anything like us, this past year has left you feeling isolated and champing at the bit to get back on the open road. The thing is, most other people are thinking just like you. The world is a big place, but there are only so many hotel rooms, airplane seats, and tour spots to go round. Don’t be the one to get the short end of the stick.
Thus, we thought it’d be useful to break down some of the reasons you should book your post-pandemic vacation as soon as possible.
What are the reasons to book your post-pandemic vacation as soon as possible?
Demand is rising fast
As we said off the top, everyone else is thinking the same as you. Over a year of not travelling has made people realize just how important travel is in their lives. A recent poll found that 65% of Americans want to travel more after the pandemic than they did prior to it. Some people are even missing airplane food—airplane food! That should tell you everything you need to know about how much people want to travel again.
Because demand is high, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get exactly what you want if you wait too long. We’re already seeing limited spots for African safaris, island tours through Greece, and overwater bungalow stays in The Islands of Tahiti. So if you have a specific destination or travel experience in mind, you should take concrete steps to plan it today.
Rely on travel professionals to reserve you a spot or at least inquire about a post-pandemic vacation and see whether you should book as soon as you can (we bet the answer will be “yes”). There’s no downside to planning ahead and making sure you get to fly on the dates you want, stay in your chosen hotel, and see all the landmarks that you’ve dreamed about over the past year. Everyone has a serious case of FOMO, so don’t let present uncertainty preclude you from future fun.
Prices have nowhere to go but up
It’s also no secret that travel costs have plummeted. We’re likely at the bottom of the valley in terms of airfare and hotel prices, as companies are desperate to attract travellers with competitive pricing. But as travel demand returns and things move back to normal, prices are going to go up. That means this is the best time to take advantage of great prices and lock in those savings. Soon enough, demand is going to exceed supply and prices will balloon.
As well, many people had funds set aside for a 2020 vacation that never happened. To make up for the loss of travel last year, they want to splurge on their first post-pandemic vacation. Luckily for them, prices for private touring and luxury accommodations are very competitive right now, so their funds that were meant to go towards moderate hotels or group tours may be able to cover first-class hotels and private tours during the current moment. There’s a lot of opportunity right now to lock in great prices on exceptional trips. But good prices never last forever, so there’s no use delaying.
The most popular destinations are more popular than ever
Few activities inspire wanderlust quite like isolation. And while in the past many travellers preferred to avoid the tried and true landmarks for spots off the beaten path, a year or more stuck at home has made people reconsider whether they can afford to pass up the chance to see the world’s greatest landmarks.
The fact of the matter is that after a year without travel, travel has never seemed more precious. People have realized just how special a vacation is and so they want to cross all the world’s greatest landmarks off their bucket lists at the earliest chance they get. People who may have considered avoiding the Colosseum in Rome, skipping Machu Picchu on a Peruvian adventure, or not seeing Sydney on a trip to Australia in the past in order to focus on “less touristy” spots are not thinking the same thing today.
You need to jump at the chance to see the world’s most famous sites and that means wholeheartedly embracing the fact that other people are going to want to see these spots as well. The world is too big to have to yourself and sharing the world’s great sites with others will never seem more special.
After waiting over a year to travel, why do you want to wait any longer?
This is what it all comes down to: why wait? If you’ve spent over a year stranded at home, bored of your bedroom and the view outside your living room window, you probably aren’t excited to sit on the couch an extra few months while all your friends and neighbours are off seeing all the sites they’ve missed at the first chance they get.
So don’t delay planning your triumphant return to travel. Pull out all the stops for a vacation you’ve always dreamed about. Put all those fantastic ideas you’ve come up with over the past 14 months to good use. Finally see the sites you’ve always wanted to and check all the items off your bucket list.
It all starts with that first inquiry, that first phone call, that reservation email that proves that, “Yes, this is all real. I am going to be travelling, and soon!” Don’t wait to book your post-pandemic vacation. There’s no time like the present to make sure the future is fantastic.
3 May 2021, 3:02 p.m.
