How to travel after the Coronavirus?

​​As more and more countries are slowly emerging from the battle with the Coronavirus epidemic we are all longing to regain some sort of normality. Leaving the “safe four walls” of our house or apartment for the first time, going back to work or school, the first visit to a restaurant, the hair dresser or the local swimming pool – these are certainly small steps but surprisingly memorable ones in these unprecedented times. For some of us it is simply enough to know that we made it through the last weeks without infection but others are already longing for bigger steps. Sooner or later we will make the highly individual decision that we feel ready to travel again. 

But what will travel look like after the Coronavirus?
Surveys regarding future travel plans reveal that for now many people are happy to stay close to their home and to travel solely within their own country. But at some point we will have to enlarge the circle of our journeys for various reasons: to be reunited with loved ones abroad, for the purpose of study or business travel and even for pleasure travel daring to explore new and intriguing destinations we have always wanted to visit.
Airlines face several challenges to get their planes airborne again and we might see a range of new procedures and equipment whose sole purpose is to make us feel safe on board. Temperature checks, health certificates, more space and physical barriers like dividers in between seats are something that we are likely to see in the weeks and months to come. Some people say this will make flights more expensive, others disagree because airlines need to make extremely good offers to tempt potential customers to fly again.

Most likely people will avoid traveling in large groups of unknown passengers such as in large coach buses even though they are often cheaper than smaller group tours. Private travel with a designated driver and guide for a family or private group of friends might feel more attractive to us because it is the only way to determine who we are travelling with in close proximity.
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Self-drive tours where you are exploring your destination on your own might be booming in the years to come because this way of traveling will give you the advantage of complete privacy in transport and accommodation. 

​The big questions when it comes to future top destinations remains uncertain but the overall feeling is that the image of a country may play a big role. Countries such as Iceland and most of the other Nordic countries that have done well in containing and crushing the virus and have been able to loosen daily life restrictions already may have an important head start. Overall their image of wide open spaces and a low population density make us feel safer when it comes to social distancing. The feeling of hiking or horseback riding in beautiful nature far away from crowds will for many of us seem much more alluring than a busy and cramped market in an Asian town.
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At Exploring Iceland we look towards the future with optimism as we prepare to welcome old and new friends again who want to travel and explore our beautiful island with breathtaking nature, an endless variety of landscapes and numerous exciting activities and secluded cultural sites.
If there ever was a good time to have Gullfoss waterfall for yourself it is in the weeks and months to come when tourism in Iceland will very slowly awaken again! 

Please do not hesitate to contact us for a competitive offer on private guided tours, your tailor made dream self-drive tour or one of our private or small group riding and hiking tours with wonderful hotel accommodation! When you travel with Exploring Iceland you will have your personal designated travel designer who will dedicate himself to you and your holiday dreams. You can email, skype or phone him and together you will design your trip – you bring your wishes and he brings his extensive location expertise - so you won´t be disappointed when you finally arrive!
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We look forward to welcoming you in Iceland! 

Text:  Meike Witt 
Photos:  Inspired by Iceland