The news that several COVID vaccines will be rolled out worldwide has travellers everywhere rejoicing. Let’s face it, there’s plenty of pent-up enthusiasm to hit the road again after months of lockdown.
That said, I’m a bit apprehensive to see how travel will change post-pandemic. What will be the
new norms?
There are so many questions, like:
• Will countries require proof of vaccination before allowing you to enter?
Answer: Yes — at least for the foreseeable future.
• Will passengers, as suggested by IATA, the airline industry’s global watchdog, need to produce a "digital health pass,” proving they’ve never had the virus, to get on a plane? Answer: Probably.
• Will digital passports, where health information can be easily accessed by border officials, become standard? Answer: Perhaps.
• How many of us, though, will want to share our health information with foreign governments? Answer: Few.
• Oh, and what countries will you feel safest travelling in post-pandemic? The U.S.? Answer: Hell, NO!
Thanks to the fact Donald Trump turned a blind eye to the virus, our southern neighbour, and our most popular vacation escape, became the world’s largest COVID petri dish. And despite the arrival of a new president (Joe Biden), there’s still plenty of uncertainty in regards to the virus' long-term effects on America's health.
Trump’s ineptness and the “America first” policies he pushed during his four years in office have also damaged the perception of the U.S. among travellers. In fact, the U.S. just dropped from sixth to 10th — it’s worst showing ever — in a recent Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index (NBI), which gauges the perception of nations’ reputations among international travellers.
Meanwhile, in another survey, conducted by the Hong Kong financial firm Deep Knowledge Ventures to determine what will be the “100 safest countries” to travel to in 2021, the U.S. finished a dismal 58th, just behind Romania and two places ahead of Russia.
Canada faired much better in both surveys, finishing third in the Anholt-Ipsos NBI poll, behind Germany and Australia, respectively, and 12th, just ahead of Hong Kong, on Deep Knowledge’s massive 250-page report.
Not surprisingly, Switzerland topped the “100 safest countries” poll, with Germany finishing a close second.
China, where the coronavirus was first detected, has also seen its reputation take a beating among international travellers — it dropped from 23rd to 35th on NBI’s 2020 survey.
COVID-19 has certainly claimed many victims, and that includes the reputation of some countries. The way a country handles a situation that impacts global travellers determines how quickly its tourism sector recovers afterwards. America failed the COVID-19 test under Trump's leadership. Now that Biden is in charge, there’s hope the U.S. tourism market will rebound, but there’s still a long road ahead.
America certainly won't be first on the minds of most international travellers in 2021.