06.28.20
For months we have been wondering (at least I have) what the new travel world would look like. We also wondered when we WOULD be able to travel again. Slowly (very) some things are happening, even though there may be danger as the number of COVID cases spikes back up and people are worried about the so-called Second Wave. If you studied or read about the history of the Spanish flu pandemic from 100 years ago, which BTW lasted two years, they had a massive second wave which killed many more people than the first (It even had a third wave…). Granted, much of that was due to WWI which brought massive groups of people together, both troops and civilians, plus the level of hygiene was nothing like what we have today. Could it happen again? Everyone is frustrated and tired and even though we WANT things back to normal, it may still be an unfulfilled wish.
On to travel.
I’m an American and though many countries will be permitted access back into the EU on July 1, American citizens ARE NOT. Some EU countries worry that we (US) do NOT have the virus in check- and they may be right. Some states are on a tear, including Texas, Arizona, Florida and California. Most of them have not gone back to the Red Zone–yet–masks are now mandatory in public in California and Texas bars can no longer serve alcohol. Europe, which had the most cases first, went through their crisis phase and seem to be past it now. Italy and Spain, both hard hit, are mostly back and allowing EU travel within their borders from most of the Schengen countries and some OTHER non-EU countries are also permitted, including Canada and Australia, but the US is on the Black List along with Brazil and Russia.
All these random guidelines, though warranted, make planning very challenging and some are saying “screw it,” and deferring international travel till next year.
Meanwhile, in Cambodia, they are instituting something I have never seen; they are requiring a $3K deposit to enter the country to cover the costs of testing and quarantine if visitors have the Virus. That includes 14 days of hotel rooms and all the required testing and certification beyond that.
Every country in the world has been affected, and tourist magnet countries that rely heavily on visitors have felt it the most. Spain, the fourth most visited EU country by Americans, is bested only by Italy, France, and Germany. Considering that 15 percent of their economy is tourist driven and 3.3 million Americans were part of that wave in 2019, that is a huge hit. But there’s more.
The US investment and industrial community is also the largest overseas investor in the Spanish economy, to the tune of more than 10M €.
AirBNB, which was due to go public this year with a massive IPO, was a huge loser, and is recovering from a catastrophic loss from LAST year, before this all came down. They state that they lost just in 2019 EVERYTHING they earned over the past 16 years. Yikes! But they say that things are on the uptick as AirBNB usage is returning, and most notable in those staying close to home, usually 100 miles range, which makes sense since this may be the summer of the Road Trip.
What does all this mean to the Travel Younger family?
It means that its best to relax and chill for now, keep checking the prices and feasibility of places you DO wish to visit, and use your best judgment to feel comfortable with that decision. Check visa and passport changes especially, and of course, airline restrictions. Many no longer permit carry-on luggage, which is a real pain for us and many others who travel light. This year may be that blip on the Radar Screen of Life which we all remember, all wondered about, and questioned whether it would ever go away. It will…
#travel, #eu, europe, #europeanunion, #schengen, #roadtrip
