Wanderlust has taken on a new meaning with the return of travel as the COVID vaccine begins to be administered worldwide.
By ARIEL SHAPIRATourists wear protective masks in Saint Mark's Square in Venice as Italy battles a coronavirus outbreak, Venice, Italy, February 27, 2020(photo credit: REUTERS/MANUEL SILVESTRI)
The lifting of restrictions is unleashing a caged beast among many who have developed a strong desire to travel – wanderlust.Restrictions have taken their toll on people who have been forced to adhere to social distancing, lockdowns and mandatory quarantine.One thing is certain: if the pandemic had hit us in 2000, it would have been significantly more disastrous than what we experienced.Cabin fever aside, we have been fortunate to be blessed with many technological advances that have helped us cope so much more efficiently.The travel industry was among the first to be hit. It managed to stay afloat through March 2020 as people rushed to get to their chosen place to endure the period of uncertainty as lockdowns took hold.Flights quickly sold out as airlines reduced capacity and soon enough, every country imposed entry restrictions. Even if they were permitted to fly, most were too nervous to be couped up in a plane with hundreds of others, and for those with the cash there were private flights.The closure of Israel’s skies led to a jump in the number of private flights, which continued into early 2021. In February, the Civil Aviation Authority reported a 72% leap in private jets flying to and from Israel..In recent months, Israir operated over 140 private flights, most of which were ambulance flights, transporting sports teams and for commercial enterprises.Israel has decided to reopen its borders for vaccinated tourists far sooner than most other countries thanks to its advanced vaccination program.AdvertisementAll arriving passengers must show a negative PCR test before boarding their flight to Israel taken no more than 72 hours before departure and they must take another test upon arrival. Talks are still ongoing whether a vaccine passport will be accepted as a means to eliminate the need for antibody tests.In Israel, as in most other countries that are gradually reopening their borders, all travelers must show a negative corona test taken within 72 hours of their flight, or have proof of vaccination, and they must still quarantine after arrival.Travel for pleasure is rolling out a little more slowly elsewhere. At one extreme are countries such as India, while at the other are countries such as Australia and New Zealand, who have been praised for their success in containing the virus. For the travel-starved, the answer to the question when they can go back to freely exploring the world is more a “wait and see.”Behind the scenes, the travel industry is coming up with ways to move forward in the post-pandemic world and adapt to evolving industry demands. From airlines to hotels, and especially the travel booking infrastructure, applications and programs are being developed and deployed to ease processes while remaining compliant.Couchbase, the creator of the enterprise-class, multi-cloud to edge NoSQL database, for instance, is powering a number of Amadeus applications across search, shopping, and merchandising for airline and hotel customers.With dozens of regulations and restrictions still in place around the world, Couchbase aims to maximize the user experience on popular travel sites, giving travelers and travel providers one less thing to worry about.Efforts to simplify the travel booking experience can also be seen among companies such as Gamitee, which allows two or more people to share their travel preferences and book trips online together through sharable wish lists.For friend groups and families who since 2020 have been dreaming of the perfect vacation, a collaborative platform is an effective option, especially as lockdowns persist in some parts of the world and planning is done remotely.Hyperguest directly connects hoteliers with travel companies at no cost to the hotels. These Israeli companies are among many that are working to reduce friction during the travel booking process.The world has been wearied by quarantine fatigue and people are beginning to feel optimistic about venturing out and traveling again, although many wonder whether some of the pandemic-related precautions are here to stay – this is a very real possibility.There may also be other changes, such as a surge in the purchase of travel insurance to eliminate worry about the possible need to be airlifted to a trusted medical facility. In any event, people are still hopeful and more than ready to spread their wings.A Vrbo survey of over 8,000 people found 65% of Americans plan to travel more in 2021 than they did even before the pandemic.That dream will become an even bigger reality with increased vaccination rates, and with this in mind, Israel may become the country to set the global standard on how to handle reopening and tourism, just as it demonstrated how vaccinations should be disseminated.
