5 considerations for discerning travelers during the COVID-19 pandemic

With the indications that the COVID-19 pandemic will be in our lives for many months to come, we may find ourselves reflecting on the trips we’ve done in the last couple months and wondering if the trips were worth the risk.  We may also be considering if it is wise to plan any additional vacations in the next months.

For those that enjoy and find deep meaning from travel and but whom also want to be respectful to destination communities, we propose the following considerations:

 

1. Do the desired benefits of a trip outweigh the likely costs to you and society?

Leisure travel can bring families together, enable people to release pent-up stress from life’s demands, allow healthy physical activity, and improve overall emotional well-being.  During this pandemic however, travel away from one’s trusted people and trusted spaces may create anxiety and exposure to virus infections.  Therefore, discerning travelers should contrast the benefits they seek from a leisure trip with the probable emotional stress and physical danger that the trip may bring to them, their social network, and their host community.

2. Do the residents of the host destination welcome visitors at this time?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many rural and coastal areas have registered a rise in visitation by urbanites seeking temporary escape from the stressors of life in densely populated areas.  While this trend has helped alleviate the economic toil of the pandemic in small tourism-dependent communities, many residents are afraid for their health and are calling for a closure to tourists.  Fortunately, competent tourism management teams that involve their local residents in destination management can carefully open for tourism and minimize public health risks.  Indeed, there are ample examples of destination best practices that ensure quality visitor experiences, generate important local economic benefits, and safeguard public health.  Therefore, discerning travelers should research resident attitudes towards tourists in their intended destination to determine if visitors are welcomed at this time, or if they should plan their vacation elsewhere.

 3. Are businesses at the destination ready to receive visitors safely?

The COVID-19 quarantine posed a double burden on tourism businesses by drastically reducing revenues and demanding significant investments for reopening.  Support organizations scrambled to glean advice from the health system to recommend practices that minimize the risk of infection of tourists and staff. In addition, government agencies created financial relief programs for businesses to buy equipment and maintain and train employees on new COVID19 management processes.  Yet, some businesses were heavier hit than others, and some businesses have been more resilient and adaptable than others. Accordingly, when planning a trip, discerning travelers should favor businesses showing a clear commitment to keeping visitors and themselves safe and healthy (e.g., businesses participating in Count on me NC).

4. Is it ok to interact with the locals?

Impromptu interactions with locals in the places where they work, live, and play are often the most rewarding experiences of a vacation because they help us gain awareness of different cultures and lifestyles.  During this pandemic, however, visitors should understand that staff working in the front stage of a destination have personal protective equipment and are trained on how to be hospitable to visitors while maintaining social distancing.  Local residents in small communities with low infection rates, on the other hand, may be less careful about social distancing and may feel compelled to interact with visitors much like they would with family and friends.  Therefore, discerning travelers should avoid contact with local residents to minimize the risk for transmission of infections.

 5. What are the safest modes of transportation?

According to the CDC, your ability to control your travel group’s exposure to the virus in the air and on surfaces greatly defines our chances of getting and spreading COVID19.  Airports, stations and rest stops tend to constrain social distancing, and public transportation may cause prolonged proximity to people outside one’s familiar travel group.  Therefore travel in a personal vehicle with familiar people is generally considered the safest option, and public transportation should be avoided when possible.  Nevertheless, with appropriate precautions and personal protective equipment, public transportation can be used safely.  In turn, making poorly planned stops in a personal vehicle for gas, food and bathroom breaks can create exposure to infected people, unventilated air and unsanitized surfaces.  Therefore, discerning travelers should carefully plan their trip to use safer modes of transportation and adopt CDC-recommended transportation practices.

Written by:

Duarte B. Morais, Associate Professor of Equitable and Sustainable Tourism, NC State

Gene L. Brothers, Associate Professor of Equitable and Sustainable Tourism, NC State