What will post COVID-19 travel look like? Here’s what we’ve heard from our travel industry partners, along with some of our ideas too.

Changes to Planes post COVID-19

Airlines are typically a place with little to no personal space. Some airlines have hinted at the possible changes their seating layouts could undergo for post COVID-19 travel. These vary from limiting how many passengers can board and taking out middle seats, to these recently shared designs by Italian company Avio Interiors.

Whether your country is calling it lockdown or quarantine, one thing has been ever so prevalent during this time of social distancing; the lack of planes in the sky. As a traveller who lives close to an international airport, the empty and quiet skies has been a welcome change. You too may have seen the reports of happier neighbours on previously busy flight paths.

Surely, we are all aware of the negative impacts airplanes have on the environment. It was just last year that we published this ‘green’ travel blog, The Unexpected Benefits of Avoiding Planes, to encourage travellers to consider what they can gain from a journey that doesn’t involve flying.

When it comes to the future of travel, wouldn’t it be wonderful for the long term environmental impact if there were actually fewer planes in our skies?

A New Focus on Local Travel

Each country across the world changed their travel restrictions at different times and in different ways, both prior to and during COVID-19. We are already starting to see that individual countries will likely emerge in different ways at different times too.

This puts big question marks over the international post COVID-19 travel situation and in most cases, it seems highly likely that whether your holiday can go ahead will largely depend on the agreement reached between your home country and your destination country.

Although we don’t know for sure yet, in the foreseeable future the focus is likely to be on local travel. There are many incredible benefits to travelling locally. Here are our favourites:

• Fewer hours spent travelling and more time spent enjoying
• Local travel is better for the environment
• Local travel helps support local businesses

Over the past two years, we’ve found that exploring our own country has opened our eyes to the history, cuisine and experiences that have always been right on our doorstep but that we often overlooked.

Are you looking for local travel inspiration in your country of residence?

• For local travel inspiration in Australia, choose from these Australia Road Trips.
• If you are looking for local travel inspiration in the U.K., discover our favourite Rural Retreats in the U.K.
• For local travel inspiration in Europe, see our most recent European Holiday Destinations.

Do you have a local travel idea for your home country that you can share with our readers?

Our readership is made up of people from all over the world, many of whom reside in America, Australia, the U.K. and Europe. But we also see regular visitors from China, Thailand, Canada, Israel and many more destinations.

Want to help a fellow traveller discover something wonderful?
Recommend your favourite place to visit using the comments section.

Can we expect fewer to no crowds post COVID-19?

With social distancing guidelines apparently here to stay for a while, cities and towns all over the world are ingeniously looking at ways to help people avoid, well, people. Look at these current suggestions for wider pedestrian and cycle paths in these popular cities:

• New York City will convert over 40 miles of streets into pedestrian zones next month according to Matador.
• World Cities turn their streets over to walkers and cyclists according to The Guardian.

What changes are being made in your city?
Let us know in the comments below.

A few months back, crowds would have definitely made most travellers’ top ten bugbears list. The inconveniences of crowds include other people’s heads in your once in a lifetime photos, queues to the most popular worldwide sites and damage to areas with well trodden paths, like littering or far reaching consequences to eco systems.

When it comes to the future of travel, we imagine guidelines for social distancing will keep crowds to a minimum, especially in popular places and large cities. As travellers, this can help enrich the experience, not necessarily take away from it.

Much needed regeneration for our planet

One of the most trending topics since the global suspension of movement is natural regeneration. And that, surely, can only be a positive thing. Stories include clearer waters in the canals of Venice, mountain range views from the cities of India and lions lazing on quiet roads in Africa.

Although many travellers, myself included, are mourning our passports and wings, the degree to which travel was impacting our planet was not sustainable. Isn’t it wonderful to know that even though we can’t see these places in person right now, locations we love and have fond memories of are thriving in our absence?

Would you try transformative travel from your couch?

The transformative travel trend was already well underway before COVID-19 put a stop to all but essential journeys. Now, as we move gradually into a post COVID world, the focus on transformative experiences has never been greater.

Companies and independent businesses around the globe are pulling together to create wonderful online travel experiences for those of us who desire to stay connected to the world. Choose from online food courses and yoga teacher training, all brought to you via a laptop or phone from specialists in far flung destinations.

There is already an array of travel experiences available to start enjoying from your couch today. And as this new trend grows, more businesses are using this innovative way to connect to their travel communities.

We’ve taken a peak at the options available and decided to share our favourites with you in the section below.

By purchasing an online travel experience, you are contributing to a small business and family that relies heavily on tourism.

‘Giving Back’ Online Travel Experiences you can buy today

Try something you’ve always wanted to do before you book the BIG trip, whilst also supporting local communities who have little to no income right now. Choose from:

1. 8 sessions of online Tai Chi and Meditation Training from China.
2. 3 day online Cooking, Yoga and Meditation from Bali.
3. These popular online cooking classes from Italy, India and more.

What’s the Top Selling Online Travel Experience right now?

Stay connected to the world from your home. According to Tripaneer, the hottest online travel experience right now is online yoga teacher training.

Tripaneer have worked hard with their travel providers around the globe to bring yoga teacher training courses to your living room. These fully certified online Yoga Teacher Training Courses are taught by experienced teachers who live-stream their yoga classes via a conference call. 

It’s an excellent and affordable option for everyone involved. Tripaneer also says “Yoga Alliance recently approved that students participating in selected Online YTT courses are accepted for registering for Yoga Alliance, when students finish their course before June 30th 2020.“

Top selling Online Yoga Teacher Trainings

Tempted to learn whilst staying connected to the outside world? Other travellers are loving these online yoga teacher training courses:

• Self Paced 300-Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training with Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin and Aerial Yoga from Thailand
• Self-Paced Online 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training with 6-Hour Ayurveda Massage Therapy Course from Portugal

Did you know?

By purchasing an online travel experience from the section above, you are directly helping a local business that has suffered financial loss due to the coronavirus pandemic.

You can also let travel books take you there … for now

Another great way to enjoy travel from your couch is through books. We love reading about travel in the destinations we visit and like you, feel disappointed about the trips that may or may not go ahead this year.

Our current reads include Lonely Planet’s In Her Footsteps, where trailblazing women changed the world, and Kaizen; the Japanese method for transforming habits, one small step at a time.

By making a purchase from one of the links in this blog, a small portion of the money you spend goes to Transform Me Travel. Thank you for supporting small business.

When will it be safe to travel?

The only thing that’s certain at the moment is that no one really knows exactly when we will be travelling again. For now, the best thing to do is to stay informed on the global travel situation.

You can do this by visiting your country’s government website. In the travel section, you will find useful information about their current position on travel, plus information on foreign travel from your country of origin.

• For the latest U.K. travel advice, see gov.uk
• The latest Australia travel advice can be found at gov.au
• For the latest America travel advice, see travel.state.gov

Most airlines have started releasing very early travel dates for 2021. You’ll find ridiculously low priced seats in order to entice you to book now. Whilst we urge everyone to consider cutting their international travel footprint post COVID-19, you can easily search for and compare these low flight prices here.

There are many ways that post COVID-19 travel could take shape. Right now, no one really knows what will come when, or where.

But when we’re talking about the future of travel, surely the most important question to be asking ourselves as travellers, and of our travel providers, is what type of travel communities do we want to create?

It would appear, we have an opportunity to take a moment and create something better than we had before.

At Transform Me Travel, we support green travel solutions, transformative travel for mental health and putting money into locally run projects and experiences.

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