Kurt Kucera

Scuba Diver, Car Enthusiast, Outdoorsman

Post-Covid Travel Trends

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The coronavirus pandemic has brought huge changes to what people expect from their flights and travel companies. With the new possibility of travel bans as well as a reluctance to travel too far from home for a host of safety reasons, people are changing when and how they travel. Check out these four major travel trends affecting travel companies and the payment industry as a whole.

Local travel or staycations

More tourists are choosing nearby or local vacations rather than traveling to other countries. Alternative modes of travel like car rentals and train trips are increasing while crossing country borders is becoming less common. This trend has been in part caused by the recent pandemic, keeping families at home or only traveling to other nearby, safe communities. Alternative modes of travel often offer more flexibility in their booking schedules and adherence to safety concerns.

Sanitary, safe facilities

Tourists and leisure travelers are becoming more selective in which company they want to travel with and where they want to go. Safety, comfort, and cleanliness have become huge factors in whether or not a traveler will book tickets. Travelers are more likely to book with facilities they find clean and safe. Cost and schedule availability have only recently made a comeback in terms of importance, but safety is expected to continue to be important.

Booking flexibility

Since the beginning of the pandemic and flight bans, travelers have been looking for more flexibility in their travel dates. More flights are being booked closer to the departure date rather than weeks or months in the future. Flexible bookings with refund options have become key to travelers who aren’t sure when another travel ban will restrict their vacations out of the country. An easy dispute process, card protections, and zero traveler liability have become essential features to many travelers across the globe.

Travel sustainability

Sustainability in the travel industry was coming into focus before the pandemic and now has reached an all-time high in public concern. Travelers are looking for smaller travel times and local options rather than traditional mass tourism trends. Sustainability is a key feature that many consumers are considering when booking tickets or planning trips.

Travel Tips You’ve Never Heard

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There’s a lot of advice out there on being the best traveler someone can be. But if they are anything like others, it seems like they hear new travel tips every day. It can seem overwhelming and difficult to know where to start. This article has compiled some of the more obscure (yet helpful) tidbits that will help make their next trip even more enjoyable than before.

Invest in a VPN

When traveling to other countries, using a VPN is a good way to ensure privacy and security. By routing their traffic through a VPN server, they can keep their personal information hidden from public view. This is especially important when using open Wi-Fi connections in airports and other places where hackers may be looking to steal sensitive data.

Carry a pen

This one may seem a bit silly, but it’s always good to have a pen on hand. Whether they need to fill out a customs form or make a quick note, it’s always handy to have something to write with.

Develop your travel instincts

Another travel tip you have never heard is to trust your instincts. When faced with a decision while abroad, it is necessary to rely on one’s gut feeling. For example, if they feel uncomfortable about the person they are talking to or their area, it is best to walk away and find another path. Doing so can prevent their belongings from being stolen or them getting lost in an unsafe location.

Less planning, more spontaneity

While it is important to have a plan while traveling, it is also beneficial to allow spontaneity. This means being okay with not following their original itinerary and going with the flow. Flexibility is key when it comes to exploring a new place.

Always carry cash

For whatever reason, people today feel as though they don’t need to carry cash anymore. While it’s true that many stores and restaurants can now be paid for through credit cards or mobile apps, there is always the chance that something could happen which will leave them without access to those forms of payment. It has been proven time and again that carrying a certain amount of cash on their person will make a traveler feel more secure when they are in a new land.

Go with the flow

Nothing gets in the way of a good adventure like trying to plan everything in advance. The best travel experiences come when they are ready to take things as they come and be open to whatever situations present themselves. They can even put plans in place where they must surrender control over their itinerary, relying strictly on fate to direct the course of their day.

The Simple Path to a Perfect Road Trip

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The best vacations are often the most self-produced. Waiting in long lines, being enslaved to a rigid itinerary, or shelling out hundreds of dollars for a stuffy flight can feel more restricting than relaxing. It’s no wonder, then, that self-guided road trips are such an alluring vacation alternative. While there are dozens of phenomenal options when it comes to planning the perfect trip, picking a direction and just driving isn’t always the best course of action (no matter how tempting it may be). There are several key considerations that can make or break the elusive “perfect road trip.”

First, it never hurts to come up with a goal for the trip, no matter how vague. Is this particular road voyage about catching some spectacular natural views, or would it be more fun to focus on visiting several major cities? A drive up the West Coast and through the Rocky Mountains might be the perfect option for the former, while an East Coast urban crawl will satisfy the desires of the latter. Setting even a simple goal can determine the tone of the trip, and help make planning out the desired destinations that much easier.

After deciding on that general goal, the next step is picking a part of the country to visit. One of the spectacular things about the United States is that its diverse topography provides both natural wonders and metropolitan centers in almost any area of the country. So, whatever the purpose of the trip, it can be fulfilled almost anywhere. The Pacific Northwest is an iconic part of the country that’s on many people’s bucket list to visit. However, the often-overlooked Midwest has its trove of hidden gems worth exploring. Because of this rich diversity, the geography of the perfect road trip is a simple matter of preference.

With a goal and a (general) location decided upon, the amount of planning to be done next is entirely up to the discretion of the travelers. While some prefer more structure to their trip, with a day-by-day plan as to the sights and destinations, others are more apt to discover their path as it unfolds before them. Regardless of the nature of travel, having these two aspects of the journey decided, the goal and the geography can turn any trip into the perfect road trip.