Post-COVID Business Travel: What’s Different and What to Expect in the Months Ahead by Josh Vignona

 

Now that COVID vaccinations are (gradually) becoming more widespread, and things are getting (somewhat) back to normal, it seems like as good a time as any to look at what that means for the world of global business travel.

This is particularly important for #bleisure travelers like myself, who must now learn to navigate these new changes and (gulp) adapt to this new (or rather, old) reality to ensure business gets handled and things stay on track.

As we venture into this new and somewhat uncertain post-COVID world, I predict a few key realities that will not only impact how I personally travel and do business overseas, but also how my fellow biz-travel adventurers hit the friendly skies for the foreseeable future.

Travel will increase, but it’ll be slow going at first

As COVID slowly loses its steam, many believe the floodgates will suddenly open on in-person meetings and overseas business deals, and that handshakes and in-person seminars will quickly continue as usual.

But with teleconferencing and video meetings becoming the COVID-era norm, I think it’d be wise to pump the brakes on that expectation, at least for the time being.

While I do anticipate that business travel will increase in the months ahead, I predict a more gradual transition back to pre-virus travel volume.

Replacing Zoom meetings with in-person negotiations won’t happen overnight or all-at-once, and it’ll take some time to return to the face-to-face interactions that were once so highly coveted throughout the business community.

Airports and hotels will be busier

And they will require extra time and planning to manage.

While professionals may not reenter the business travel arena in throngs after COVID, people who’ve been cooped up and isolated over the last year surely will.

And with larger numbers of personal travelers and families jumping back into the travel pool, I’m expecting longer lines, bigger delays, and far more competition for hotels, restaurants and other travel hotspots in popular destinations around the globe.

In turn, this will put myself and fellow biz travelers in a tougher spot when it comes to mapping out itineraries and getting the most from each new adventure.

As for myself, I’ve been slowly working extra minutes into travel plans for such things as security lines, cab rides and other travel-related minutiae to ensure I’m always where I need to be when I need to be there.

I’ve also been more aware of booking flights, hotels and things like one-off sightseeing tours weeks or even months more in advance. This is essential for avoiding the rock-and-a-hard-place travel snafus likely to impact so many in the new post-COVID reality.

Masks aren’t going away

As much as I’d like to see masks exit stage left (permanently), I’m pretty sure they aren’t going away any time soon – especially in many of the airports, hotels, cabs and restaurants biz travelers like myself depend on during each trip.

Most if not all airlines also require you to wear a mask throughout each flight, an inconvenience they’ll likely enforce well down the road.

Not only that, but masks were an automatic travel accessory for so long that even when they’re not required, they’ll likely be a fixture in many pockets and carry-ons simply out of habit.

And with the seeming unpredictability of virus variants around the world, I’m guessing it may not be too long before some countries bring back mask mandates to deal with oncoming trends.

Even on more casual business trips, I plan to continue lugging around two or three masks wherever I go, at least until mask countries and companies are a bit more confident that things are under control.

Local sights and attractions will likely open back up

A big part of the #bleisure lifestyle is getting to experience the local sights and little-known attractions that make each destination unique.

For me, this is what makes business travel so personally rewarding, turning an everyday business excursion into something truly special that I can tell my friends and family about for years to come (hopefully without putting them to sleep, lol).

In the post-COVID travel universe, it looks as though many of the distancing and appointment-only restrictions are likely to fade away, leaving far more room to improvise and make last-minute journeys to areas, restaurants and culturally important places wherever I happen to go.

While many destinations will likely remain restricted or even closed for some time, the reopening of others, particularly high-volume, public areas is something I very much look forward to.

Want more #bleisure tips for jazzing your next business trip – or for turning that next overseas journey into an unforgettable adventure? Follow me on Facebook or Twitter and transform your travel perspective today.