With the COVID-19 vaccination drives in full swing, the tourism sector is ready to bask in the tiny ray of sunshine of revenge travel, says Dinesh Kumar Kotha
After being boxed in for more than a year, travellers can’t wait to satisfy their wanderlust, just like a bird yearning to escape its cage. Having said that, a new trend of ‘Revenge Travel’ has become the talk of the nation since a few months ago.
So, what exactly is ‘Revenge Travel’? To put it simply, it means that avid travellers plan elongated and more expensive vacations to beat the ones undertaken in pre-COVID times. The name is given as a nod to retaliate against the long-winded quarantines. Let’s see how this bottled-up need for travel will continue to dominate in the post-COVID period.
Hygienic travelling will play first fiddle
Protocols related to health and hygiene will be a matter of concern and priority for travellers and travel companies. As a heightened level of health standards will be expected from the hospitality service providers, travelling will now come with all safety modules.
Travel terminals such as railway stations and bus terminals will overcome this hiccup with thermal check-ups, regular staff health check-ups, and hand sanitisers at the entrance. To ensure hygienic intra-state and inter-state movement, the travel companies are more likely to make vaccination certificates mandatory, especially for entering a hotel. Moreover, another trend of solo travelling or travelling in small groups will rule the roost because people will not prefer travelling in large groups due to safety issues.
Booking requests will spiral
There is no denying that the number of bookings will increase rapidly, in line with travel demands. And an upswing of vaccine drives from place to place means more destinations will be added to the bucket list. This increase in travel demand will lead to more ticket and hotel bookings.
People will prioritise rejuvenation
Serene holiday destinations will turn out to be heaven for a lot of travellers. People are more likely to choose spiritual and leisure spots for relaxing and spending quality time with their friends and family members. Paradisiacal getaways to beaches, lakes, plunge pools, deserts, and mountains will witness a significant influx of crowds once the COVID-19 pandemic has abated.
Moreover, travellers will opt for adventure activities like paragliding, skydiving, river rafting, swimming, diving, etc. Thus, escaping from the bustling city life and the Coronavirus anxiety will become the ‘need of the hour’ to attain introspection, tranquillity, and inner peace.
Travellers will splurge more than ever
The trauma and frustration teeming among people due to the pandemic is significant and cannot be downplayed. There has been an increasing urge to satisfy ‘wanderlust’ to overcome the quarantine effects. Therefore, people will spend lavishly when leisure travel recommences. They might pay out more to hire their vehicle, stay at luxurious hotels, indulge in thrilling activities, take a peaceful break at beaches, or simply walk down the buzzing streets of a hill station. All to compensate for lost time spent locked down indoors, replaying fond memories of past vacations.
Being locked down for months is quite contrary to the basic human nature of communicating with one another, exploring new places, and enjoying life. With the discovery and intake of vaccines, travellers and travel companies are taking a sigh of relief. As the COVID-19 outbreak will start fading away with time, a wave of ‘Revenge Travel’ will soon reach the shore and revive the travel industry in the coming months.
(The writer is the co-founder & CEO of Confirmtkt.)