04 February 2021

As the largest vaccination campaign in history begins, global crisis committees reconvene to explore safe travel prospects. Industry experts explore how our attitudes will accelerate or delay the industry’s restart. Here are three elements to consider.

2:00 Min

1. Awareness of herd immunity

Herd immunity is “a concept used for vaccination, in which a population can be protected from a certain virus if a threshold of vaccination is reached”. Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, states that citizens must continue to prevent further spread of the virus and protect at-risk groups. With regards to travel, guaranteeing health and safety remain a challenge as public sentiment leans towards caution.

2. Fear cannot be cured overnight

After nearly a year of living through a pandemic, most people remain anxious about the risks of being in public spaces and around others, such as airports. Experts claim that these fears will likely outlive the virus even as new test and trace technologies emerge, delaying a strong rebound to the travel sector.

3. Building a more sustainable and resilient industry

The stark decline of travel revealed the sector’s weak points and less sustainable practices. Public and private institutions are now taking the opportunity to re-examine ways to deliver a more resilient industry. This means understanding the long-term implications of the pandemic and promoting structural transformations and greener solutions. The effort requires a multilateral commitment, which may further delay the restart.