I recently returned from the Global Travel Marketplace (GTM) West conference held in Tucson, Ariz. (Note: GTM West is owned by Northstar Travel Group, TravelAge West’s parent company.) It’s always a great event attended by top travel advisors and suppliers. This year, there was a lot of excitement about the rebound in travel, including the recent ending of mask mandates.
While everyone is optimistic about the future of our industry, the changing rule about masks is not necessarily viewed as a game changer. As many advisors have told me, it may help clients feel like the world is getting back to normal, but the effect on bookings will most likely be minimal.
Research has shown that the majority of travelers are willing to wear masks if they have to — even if they don’t like doing it. Only a small number of travelers are so adamantly against masks that they refuse to travel if they have to wear one. These travelers are balanced by an equally small number of clients who will not travel if people are unmasked. In other words, the end of mandatory masking is mostly a wash, business-wise.
The current back and forth on the mask mandate pertaining to various forms of transportation misses the mark and overshadows very real policies deterring international travel.
Still, with this change regarding masking, one more barrier to travel has been removed. The remaining challenge — and the one that advisors are most looking forward to — is the end of the pre-departure test requirement for inbound travelers to the U.S. As many in our industry have noted, that change will finally eliminate one of the main fears of potential travelers.
“The current back and forth on the mask mandate pertaining to various forms of transportation misses the mark and overshadows very real policies deterring international travel,” said Zane Kerby, president and CEO of the American Society of Travel Advisors. “Requiring Americans to test negative prior to returning home from abroad is the public policy that needs immediate reversal.”
Hopefully, this change will come soon, at which point the travel boom will truly be ready for take-off.
