What’s on the horizon for cruise lines. The importance of travel insurance. And perhaps an end to over-tourism.
I listened in on a pair of travel webinars on Thursday, trying to glean some words of wisdom from people smarter than I am. I came away with some pretty interesting observations for my now regular FUTURE OF TRAVEL blog series.
The second webinar of the day was put on by my friends at TravMedia (full disclosure, I’m on the advisory board for their IMM USA yearly event) and featured a number of top names, including Los Angeles Times Travel Editor Catharine Hamm, Travel Weekly editor in chief Arnie Weissmann and Laura Davidson, president of Laura Davidson Public Relations.
Weissmann had one of the best lines of the day, saying that cruise lines have historically been happy to police themselves but that, given the COVID-19 pandemic, will be “running to the CDC and seeking the equivalent of the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.”
It’s a good line and an important point. If they’re going to restore the public’s faith in cruising, the cruise industry will definitely have to show they’ve taken extraordinary measures to keep their ships clean. They can’t just buy cans of Lysol (sorry, can’t resist a Trump reference) and open their doors. I agree that some sort of declaration from health authorities would, if possible, go a long way.
Marriott International this week unveiled a detailed plan to keep their hotels clean, and it would behoove the cruise lines to do something similar.
Hamm spoke about the important of travel insurance. Noting that many folks bought insurance that didn’t cover cancelled trips due to COVID-19, Hamm said that buying “Cancel For Any Reason” insurance might be a trend for the future. Such policies are expensive, she said, and they usually only let you recover 75% of your costs, or less. But that’s way better than the less expensive packages, she said.
Elizabeth Harryman, Travel Editor at Westways and six other American Automobile Association publications, said her company’s travel agents are already booking trips for 2021, but not many for this year.
Davidson said she expects a lot of demand but not a full amount of inventory once travel restrictions are limited, and that could mean higher prices.
Will COVID-19 put an end to over-tourism in cities such as Amsterdam? JIM BYERS PHOTO
The panel also kicked around the idea of over-tourism, which was a big problem for cities such as Venice and Amsterdam six months ago but now seems like a quaint relic from another time. If there’s a silver lining to this virus, it could be that some of our favourite cities will actually be manageable for the foreseeable future; meaning that lineups to see the Louvre might only last six hours instead of nine.
Speaking near the end of the webinar, Hamm noted that travel is a very healing experience, something it seems we could all us in a troubled time. But it’s also a privilege, she noted, and a responsibility.
Earlier in the day, I watched a webinar from Boca Raton, Florida with hoteliers, destination marketing folks and Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association.
Dow said he’s positive about the future.
“After 9-11, people said, ‘I’ll never get on a plane again.’ After the financial crisis, travel had the best ten years ever. So, I hope we get back.”
One panelist said he works with two major hotels in the Cayman Islands and that bookings are only 10% lower than the second half of last year.
This isn’t from a webinar, but a travel friend of mine, Chris Mitchell, pointed out today that more flights on Thursday of this week took off from Albuquerque, New Mexico than from Newark, New Jersey.
Strange times……
