Wellness tourism may gain after pandemic ends: Anish Kumar

They say every crisis brings with it certain opportunities. The Coronavirus pandemic has impacted the travel and tourism sector to an unimaginable extent yet it throws open new possibilities. Once we see the back of this virus, many people would want to travel domestically to places like Kerala to reduce the stress that has piled on, says Anish Kumar P.K, CEO of The Travel Planners, in an interview. Excerpts:

Q: What Is the future of travel after Coronavirus?

A: The current coronavirus crisis is impacting everyone’s lives. We can no longer go out to the movies, see our friends, and in some cases, we can’t even leave our homes. However, it is having a significant impact on some key industries. The travel industry is struggling the most in the current crisis. No one can travel and people are cancelling trips. At the moment, no one knows how long this will last. We just need to take it day by day. It is important to remember that this won’t last forever, though. Soon we will be back to travelling the world and enjoying it even more after the travel ban.

Q: Why Is It hard to predict how long Coronavirus will Impact us?

No one knows how long coronavirus will continue to impact the world. Medical experts don’t know, neither do world leaders, bloggers, or conspiracy theorists. Different countries are progressing at different rates and are taking various measures to combat coronavirus. This means that even when your country is free of coronavirus, you might still not be able to travel internationally. Also, when travel bans are lifted, there might still be some countries you can’t travel to for a little while.

Many people have trips booked for later this year and are looking for guidance as to whether they should cancel them. Other people are wanting to plan a trip to look forward to but are unsure whether they will be able to travel. The truth is, no one knows. The world will feel the effects of coronavirus for a long time, especially the economy. What is uncertain is whether it will be for a year, or multiple years.

Why will people need to travel after Coronavirus?

Social distancing is hard; being stuck in your house all day for weeks on end is hard. People will be missing their friends and family, miss getting outdoors, and will want to go on holiday to forget about the whole thing. More than ever, people will want to get out and explore the world, especially if they had to cancel trips during coronavirus. Most of all, the world will be wanting to make up for all the art, history, sports, and culture they have missed out on during the coronavirus crisis. Besides, after eating non-perishable foods, you will need to eat all the garlicky pasta, tacos, and curries you can physically fit in!

What will travel look like once the Coronavirus lockdown is lifted?

International travel will not be possible for at least a few months after the lockdown is lifted. A lot of other countries will still be enforcing a lockdown, and the government won’t allow travel to countries where there are still coronavirus cases. However, local travel, such as road trips or interstate holidays, will be allowed. A lot of people will travel to nearby beaches or amusement parks so they can still enjoy a vacation. After weeks of self-isolation and the stress over their jobs or schooling, most people will need a holiday. They might not have seen their extended family for a while, so big groups renting villas will increase as well.

What types of travel will be possible?

Gradually people will be able to continue the sorts of holidays they like, but it will take a while for things to get back to normal. Unfortunately, even though governments around the world are doing all they can to protect the tourism industry, a lot of companies will go under. There will be travel agencies, hotels, airlines, cruise lines, and guided tour companies that won’t make it through the coronavirus crisis. Because of this is it hard to say exactly how long it will take for travel to return to normal. Even the companies that survive will take a while to get their business back to where it was before the pandemic.

Simple road trips, family villa holidays, and active holidays in your own country will be the first types of travel. Eventually, more hotels and tourist attractions will open, and tours will start running again. Wellness holidays and spa days will boom as people need some pampering and relaxation to recover from the stress of the coronavirus crisis. This will start off as domestic wellness holidays first, and then when we are able to travel internationally, we will look to wellness destinations such as Bali, India, and Thailand. Cruising will be one of the hardest-hit sectors of travel; unfortunately, they rely on the international market. People will also still be nervous about being trapped in a ship with strangers once coronavirus has cleared.

Why is wellness travel going to boom following Coronavirus?

The coronavirus crisis has forced people to take a serious look at their overall health. The truth is when a lot of the world’s population work in offices there is a struggle with stress, they then choose Netflix over being active, and many of us are not in peak condition. The virus is dangerous to those who are overweight, who don’t have a healthy heart or lungs, or who have poor immune systems, so a lot of people are worried about their health. Many people are already using their self-isolation to improve their health by working out or practising yoga or meditation. This trend is likely to continue with people looking for the escapism of a wellness holiday or looking to introduce more activity into their life.

Other people will be looking to relax and treat themselves to massages and treatments after the stress. Work and finances will be difficult for months or even a year after the illness, so having a relaxing escape will become more important to people. Whether this is simply finding a hotel with a great spa or enrolling in a yoga class, there will be plenty of options for wellness holidays following coronavirus. People are stressed, they need stress management, as they are worried about immunity. Ayurveda boosts immunity and can help people deal with stress.

Kerala in particular is a popular wellness destination, with a huge focus on herbal medicine. After a long period of self-isolation, a getaway to India will be a perfect way to banish any thoughts of coronavirus from your mind. Here you will find fitness and detox resorts, yoga retreats, and hotels set amid tea plantations with fantastic spa facilities.