How the Travel Industry Adapted and Changed Throughout 2021

While 2020 was a year of shutting down, this year was a year of reopening. We are still wearing face masks but we are no longer staying home or staying apart.

We have left behind some parts of the pandemic. We can once again touch stuff without sanitizing everything, and there are no longer empty middle seats on airplanes.

Travelers in 2021 realized a new era--one in which some pre-pandemic comforts have returned but where safety protocols still exist.

At the close of 2020, COVID-19 vaccines made their debut and by June of 2021, they were widely available to everyone 12 years old and up and are now available to all those age 5 and older.

With the safety of guests in mind, many cruise lines, river cruise companies and tour operators have started requiring all passengers be vaccinated to travel with them. Many countries require vaccines to enter and it's becoming increasingly more important when traveling in the U.S.

Cruising was slow to come back and despite hope at the end of 2020 that the CDC had protocols for cruise ships, cruise lines were not able to sail again in earnest until July of this year.

Now, however, cruising is back and travelers are not holding back. There is a surge for long sailings and world cruises after a year of shutdowns and lockdowns.

Another reason cruising remains popular is that, after the shutdown and during the pandemic, the experience remains largely unchanged. Buffets have been altered and there are some mask requirements for indoor venues but, overall, travelers looking to experience some old-school fun are going to find it onboard.

Travelers are taking longer vacations. After a year of not going anywhere, travelers are going everywhere they can and staying awhile. It helps that they can bring their work along with them so they don't have to take too much time off, too.

Along the lines of the trend in longer trips is the workcation. Many people who began working from home are now finding the situation permanent and they have realized that they can work from anywhere--and that's just what they are doing.

After more than a year of closed borders, it began to feel like the world would never open up again. While Australia, New Zealand and other popular international travel destinations are still off limits, many more have reopened up and Americans are beginning to venture beyond the homeland once again.

Caribbean destinations and Mexico remains the most popular but more and more Americans are once again visiting Europe.

Not being able to go wherever people wanted during the pandemic has led to a newfound desire to discover the fabulous places in their own backyard. Americans seem to be liking what they are finding because domestic travel and national parks trips continue to be all the rage even though international travel is back.

More people than ever are purchasing travel insurance in light of the pandemic. Some destinations even require proof of insurance in order to enter, and some travel companies require it for customers to purchase their trips.

Now that there are a number of policies that include coverage due to COVID-19, people feel safer traveling knowing that they are covered in case something goes wrong.

A not-so-great remnant of the pandemic is the myriad of travel restrictions that travelers are left to figure out. Many international destinations have reopened to visitors, but each one has its own entry requirements. No longer do you just grab your passport and head to the airport. These days, travelers need COVID-19 tests available within hours of their departure abroad and their return to the U.S. Some destinations require a quarantine upon arrival--and some don't. Many require travelers be fully vaccinated--but some only need a negative test to enter. It's so complicated, there are now apps like Sherpa that help travelers figure out what the requirements are for the country they are visiting.

In 2020, just your basic COVID-19 was scary enough. In 2021, we have welcomed variants. First it was the Delta wave. Now, at the close of the year, we are bracing ourselves for Omicron.

While variants aren't necessarily travel-related, every time the status quo changes with this pandemic, travel is the first to be affected. So people who have planned vacations are bracing themselves for the worst when they hear of the next variant emerging.

In 2020, travel agents were every travelers' savior when trips were canceled but they were the last people on anyone's speed dial while the world was shut down.

Travel agents survived though, with hard work and creative solutions, they are still here and they are now more necessary than ever.

It's now more important than ever to plan a trip with an expert and someone who will be the on-the-ground advocate during the trip. And when that next variant emerges, and the status of a trip changes, a travel agent will be there with a solution.