What Travel Companies Will Need to Know About Consumer Mindset Post-Crisis


Skift Take

A new world order for travel lies ahead. How quickly travelers adapt, and more importantly how quickly travel companies adapt to the changing behaviors, will be key.

Series: Viewpoint

For our Viewpoint series, Skift invites thought leaders, some from the less obvious corners of travel, to join in the conversation. We know that these independent voices are important to the dialogue within the industry. Our guest columnists will identify and shape what global trends and through lines will define the future of travel.
Will travelers think and behave the same post-Covid-19 as before? Some degree of change is likely, certainly in the short term and likely for some time to come. We might expect to see greater concern for personal health, fear of getting stranded, newfound focus on payment and cancellation policies, reduced travel budgets, and who knows what other attitudes may form — “is that product really right for me after what I’ve seen on TV?” Tourism is resilient. All of us say it because it’s true. Sometimes we say it three weeks after a volcano resumes its normal slumber. Other times we say it three years after a massive earthquake or a terrorist attack. The timelines vary, but resilience prevails. But once-in-102-year pandemics are different. Travelers will travel again because they always do, but the industry has much to adjust for. T