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Traveling Amid COVID-19 as of 11.19.20

 

Health Protocals

• The CDC’s replacement of the ‘No-Sail Order’ with a framework for a phased resumption of cruise ship operations is a welcome development and a key milestone in the restart of the travel industry. 
• There is plenty of work to do between now and when cruises start sailing again next year, and more will be learned about the virus and technology will advance. 
• There have been more than 200 sailings since the beginning of July, mostly in Europe, and it looks like when enhanced protocols rigorously followed, they are working as intended to effectively mitigate the risks associated with introduction and transmission of the virus onboard. 

Vaccine

• While we all wait with great anticipation for a vaccine, we can’t realistically expect that one will be widely available until well into next year. Until then, people can and will travel while following the latest public health guidance, testing, health and safety protocols.  
• No setting is immune from this virus, but from everything I know the cruise lines are fully committed to implementing enhanced mitigation and response measures to minimize risk and protect public health.  

Managing Risk

• There’s a difference between risk management and risk elimination, and every traveler has their own individual level of risk tolerance.  
• Travel advisors will make their clients fully aware of the risks related to traveling but in every case the decision to travel, or not to travel, is the client’s alone.  

According to the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) & the Back-to-Normal Barometer study: 

• 77% of past year cruise vacationers would be "ready to go" on a cruise vacation absent any further assurances.  This is an eight month/all-time Barometer high; up from a low of 39% in mid-June. 
• 70% of “hesitant” travelers would return to a cruise in 3 months if they had the necessary assurances that it was safe to resume travel.  
• An eight-month high 48% of Americans strongly agree that taking a vacation of over 500 miles or more is a priority for them and their family over the next twelve months…up from 31% in early August.