With the COVID-19 epidemic easing in some countries and regions, governments had hoped to restart tourism during the summer vacation. But recently, there are signs of a rebound in most countries, so the resumption has to be more cautious.
Some restrictions
European governments have imposed various travel restrictions in an effort to contain the rebound.
To better control the epidemic, the Swiss government began to strictly control the entry of people from countries outside the Schengen area from August 8.
Meanwhile, the Finnish government reinstated travel restrictions on the Netherlands, Belgium and Andorra from August 10 because the COVID-19 cases in those countries exceeded the previous open standard set by Finland.
Finland eased travel restrictions on tourists from 17 European countries in mid-July but reinstated restrictions on travel to Austria, Slovenia and Switzerland last week because of the outbreak.
Austria's Foreign Ministry has also demanded that from August 10, people from Spain must have a negative nucleic acid test to enter the country.
Germany has also made COVID-19 tests mandatory for everyone entering the country from high-risk areas. According to the new rules, passengers must be tested within 48 to 72 hours of arrival, and they will be quarantined until a negative test result is issued.
Some remedies
Spanish tourists are temporarily unable to travel abroad due to the epidemic, but the COVID-19 epidemic has also seriously affected local tourism in Spain. A total of 2,201 foreign tourists visited the Canary Islands in June, down 99.8 percent from a year earlier, according to Spain's National Statistics Institute.
Spain's local government on the Canary Islands has signed an insurance policy to ensure that travelers will have their expenses paid if they contract the COVID-19 pandemic during vacation.
Affected by the epidemic, the outbound travel of Chinese tourists has also been restricted. However, with the decrease of the COVID-19 epidemic in China, the domestic customized tourism market is becoming more and more popular, and many tourism companies are stepping up their domestic tourism business.
Data from several Chinese tourism platforms showed that customized tours aimed at middle and high-end tourists and meeting personalized travel needs are becoming increasingly popular. Experts told China Economic Net that tourism companies are stepping up efforts to customize travel services and that it is expected to become the first domestic tourism market recovery segment.
Chinese travel services provider Ctrip recently released a report saying that customized travel orders have doubled after the resumption of cross-province group travel, especially the demand for high-end customization business, which has doubled since last year.
Jia Jianqiang, CEO of custom travel company 6renyou, said that the enthusiasm for traveling abroad will shift to the domestic tourism market as people seek to act on their pent-up desire to get out of the house after the lockdown. Jia said the shift in consumer consciousness and the impact of the epidemic have accelerated the growth in demand for personalized travel.
"The epidemic has drawn the attention of both tourism professionals and consumers to China. We have found that in addition to the rich traditional culture and beautiful scenes, hotels, homestays, restaurants and services in China have been greatly upgraded in recent years," Jia said, adding that they provide a foundation for the pursuit of quality tourism consumption.
Jia said with the rise in consumer demand, the pursuit of quality tourism consumption has gradually become a trend – the previous sightseeing tour will gradually transform into vacation-type tourism and experiential tourism.
How will travel change?
"People are likely to be traveling less internationally, what used to be called a staycation will change, and could become the norm," Andy Rutherford, founder of UK-based tour operator Fresh Eyes, told the BBC.
In the face of a global pandemic, cruise ships, ski vacations, and long-distance flights are likely to lose their appeal, especially as the focus returns to green technology and ways to tackle the climate crisis, Rutherford said. "Our commitment to travel must be based on mutual respect, solidarity and responsibility."
"Domestic travel might make people realize that you don't always need to travel so far," said Ulf Sonntag of the Institute for Tourism Research in Northern Europe.
A recent survey by the International Air Transport Association found that 60 percent of respondents said they would wait two months after the COVID-19 was contained before booking a flight, and 40 percent said they would wait at least six months.
Boeing, which has already laid off 10 percent of its workforce worldwide, said it does not expect air travel to return to 2019 levels until at least 2023, according to the BBC.
IAG, the parent company of British Airways, said it could take "several years."
(Cover from CFP)