As we continue forward with social distancing guidelines in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have been forced to cancel planned vacations in the interests of keeping themselves and others healthy and safe. Still others are eyeing their vacations later this year, wondering if they will need to cancel. And of course, many are dreaming of the day that they can make travel plans again. So, when exactly will it be safe to travel again? Unfortunately, there’s no definitive answer to this, but this blog will help you to better understand the things that will need to happen before travel is deemed safe.
Organizations to Look to for Guidance
Currently, there are several organizations with advisories out against travel—particularly international travel. These include the State Department, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the World Health Organization (WHO). You should be watching these organizations for guidance on when it’s safe to resume traveling. Here’s what you should watch for:
- The State Department will lift its Level 4 travel advisory. This was put into place on March 19th, warning all US citizens to avoid international travel, and is the highest level of travel advisory that the State Department has. And while the advisory is technically only applied to international travel, you should avoid any unnecessary travel within the country as well until the advisory is lifted.
- The CDC will give an “all clear.” The CDC rarely issues advisories for travel within the US, but it did in the case of COVID-19. You should wait until they lift this advisory before planning your next trip.
- The WHO has been very clear on its advice to stay home and avoid traveling. If you’re hoping to travel this year, keep an eye on their website. If you see them beginning to ease their restrictions, it may be a good time to start looking at trips.
Of course, these three entities may not all lift their travel restrictions at the same time. It is best that you wait until all of the above travel advisories are lifted before you travel to ensure that it is safe to do so.
Other Signs to Watch For
Of course, there are other signs that you should be on the lookout for if you’re trying to determine if it’s safe enough to travel. Here are a few things to watch for that will signify it is likely safe to travel again:
- Schools and businesses are open again. Once these cornerstones of our everyday lives begin to get back to normal, it’s likely safe to travel.
- Your travel agent is willing to book you again. Of course, as travel agents we will do everything we can to ensure our clients have a wonderful trip. But above all, we want you to stay healthy and safe. When we and other travel agencies are willing to book your travel for you, without any hesitation, you can feel certain that we believe it is safe to travel.
- You can purchase travel insurance again. A great deal of travel insurance companies actually stopped offering policies once the outbreak hit the United States, while others put new restrictions on policies (especially those protecting “cancellation for any reason”). Once travel insurance companies begin offering policies again (particularly those unrestricted policies), you can probably feel comfortable traveling again.
While no one can say for certain when these things will happen, when all of the above begin to happen, it’s likely a good time to start planning your next trip.
The Best Choice for You
While all of the above are good signals that the pandemic has passed and travel is, once again, safe for the general public, the real question comes down to when you feel comfortable traveling again. Odds are, most people aren’t going to rush out and buy a plane ticket or book a cruise the moment the aforementioned events occur—nor should you.
The decision of when it is safe for you, personally, to travel will be based on numerous factors, including your personal health, the risk levels of your loved ones, and more. Nobody—not even the CDC or WHO—can determine when it is safe for you as an individual to travel. But, whenever you begin to feel comfortable with travel again, we will be here, ready to not only book your travel, but to offer input and advice on how to make your trip enjoyable, memorable, and above all, safe.
For now, we hope you stay home and stay safe. And when it’s safe to travel again, Cruise Elite will be here for you.
