WHAT WILL TRAVEL LOOK LIKE IN 2021 AND BEYOND?

What will travel look like in 2021 and Beyond? Well, that is the million dollar question and it's a question no one has an answer to at this point. With that said there are some things that we do know about what travel may look like in the future and we have some ideas about other things that may be on the horizon. At Big Dreams Travel, we realize the current worldwide pandemic has hurt many industries and the travel industry is no different, but rest assured we will travel again. Personally, we have had two major family vacations cancelled at this point and later this summer we have new plans that we hope can happen and I know many of you are in the same boat. So at this point, let's just keep dreaming of our future travels and know that travel will be back and hopefully it will be better and safer than ever.

One of the biggest changes I hope we see is the implementation of better cleaning and sanitizing practices by the travel industry around the world. Certainly hotels, airplanes, cruise lines, theme parks, and other travel destinations are cleaning better now than ever in the past, but I would hope that standard becomes normal as we head into 2021 and beyond. I think everyone would love to see airplanes continue to get cleaned like they are now into the future. I think everyone would love to see enhanced cleaning practices in their hotel rooms or cruise ship staterooms. I think everyone would love to see hand sanitizer readily available after an attraction at Disney World, Six Flags, or other entertainment venues. So, if a positive can come from this pandemic, let's hope it means everywhere we may travel in the future will be cleaned better.

Another change I think we might see is how travel suppliers are going to implement technology to assist in a guest's visit. You have seen technology enhancements in recent years with the use of phone apps, planning websites, and RFID devices such as MagicBands at Disney World. We have already seen as these venues re-open that they appear as though they are going to use technology for even more in the future and I would not be surprised at all if those changes stayed around long after this pandemic. This may include online room check in, online food ordering, and in places such as theme parks online reservations for which day you want to visit which park. Of course, as processes change I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this is a great time to have a travel advisor, like Big Dreams Travel, on your side to help guide you through all of the changes so you have the best travel experience possible.

Finally, one final change I think we will see is in the area of food service. While I think buffet style restaurants will be seriously modified in the coming months as destinations reopen I do think we will have buffet dining options again at some point in the future. With that said, I also think we may see some major changes to how buffets operate on cruise ships or at resort destinations. For instance, we might see that as you move down a food line all food is served to you by an employee after you tell them what you want, or I can see that if you do get to serve yourself they have employees cleaning the utensils and serving area extremely often. Whichever of these changes happen I'm sure most of us would welcome the effort to keep the food service area cleaner than it ever has been in the past. 

Those are just a few of my personal thoughts on how travel might change as we start planning vacations again later this year and into 2021, but if you are like me I know you will just be happy to travel again and experience those fantastic destinations you have come to know and love. Best wishes to everyone and happy travels whenever they may come!