Like children making lists for Santa, anxious travelers are plotting vacations for the second half of 2021, hoping it will be safe to go by then. Many have already booked. Some are wondering if they’re already too late.
When the calendar changed to a new year, Jack Ezon, co-founder and managing partner of high-end New York travel advisory Embark Beyond, says a deluge of booking requests poured in for summertime trips to Europe. “It’s as if people are asking us for permission to get their lives back,” he says.
A study by home-rental firm Vrbo found 82% of customers already had travel plans for 2021. Even though coronavirus infections and deaths continue to escalate, luxury-travel firm Virtuoso says inquiries about trips started to climb as soon as vaccines were approved last year.
Demand is double-barreled. Many travelers rebooked canceled 2020 trips for dates in 2021 and 2022. In addition, there’s massive pent-up demand for travel.
But travel has changed. It will require more paperwork, preparation and patience. Surprises await those grounded for most of last year.
