The clock hadn’t even beaten at noon on a recent sunny day in Copenhagen, but the hour didn’t stop Hannah Jackson and her friends from ordering a bottle of Champagne. After the waitress in one of the open-air restaurants overlooking the colorful harbor of the Danish capital spouted the cork, the four Texas women toasted happily for their European adventure. “This is my first trip in more than two years,” said Jackson, 32. “Let’s celebrate every moment we can.”
Because no phenomenon can be real until it can be hashtagged, the travel industry has been quick to mark the momentum that is driving Jackson and countless others this summer as “revenge trips”. Like the expense of revenge and also the revenge of bubble tea, the phrase refers to the increased willingness of consumers to cough money after 28 months of long blockages and restrictions. In the case of travel, this means a new unbridled demand for holidays that are more frequent, more lenient and, more than anything, away from home. This demand was boosted on June 13 when the United States stopped requesting a negative COVID-19 test for admission. But as it grows and even exceeds pre-pandemic levels, a host of challenges, from inflation to war to, yes, the persistent threat of COVID-19, cast a shadow over the rosy forecasts of a recovery. Is this the summer in which the travel industry is really suffering from the pandemic? Or will their hopes be dashed once?
Read more: Can Barcelona resolve its love-hate relationship with tourists after the pandemic?
“The truth is that tourism is reimbursed very, very quickly,” says Luís Araújo, president of the European Travel Commission (ETC), which represents the continent’s national tourism organization. “It’s pretty impressive.”
At this point, the journey of revenge seems to be off to a good start. Among Europeans, 70% plan holiday trips between now and November, according to an ETC survey. The numbers are nearly as strong among Americans, with 65% planning leisure trips in the next six months according to MMGY Travel Intelligence, a Kansas City-based global marketing and research company. According to Mastercard, bookings on short- and medium-haul flights have exceeded pre-pandemic levels. And travel searches for the first quarter of 2022 were above their 2019 levels, according to Google, while passport appointment searches jumped 300% in the first three months of this year.
Travelers are waiting in a long line to pass security at Heathrow in London on June 1, 2022.
“Demand is already growing rapidly,” says David Goodger, European director for the tourism economy, a UK company that provides forecasting and analysis to the travel industry. It is driven, he adds, “by the excess savings accumulated during the period when people could not pass through or travel as usual.”
Those extra savings affect not only the amount of travel that people make, but also the type of travel. After decades of appealing to budget travelers with low-cost flights and holiday buses, many European destinations are emerging from the pandemic with a new focus on high-quality travel. “A lot of companies, large and small, have spent the last two years renovating their facilities, upgrading, investing in their hospitality – adapting to the new needs of the customer,” says Araújo de l ‘ ETC. “We also see a lot of countries adding their communication to high-end travel.”
Of course, companies that specialize in high-end travel have experienced a boom. At Black Tomato, a London-based luxury tourism company, interest in itineraries that have invited guests to Greece or bottled their perfumes in Provence is at record levels. “The demand for Europe is crazy now,” said Brendan Drewniany, communications director. “We advise our customers that if they want to go to specific destinations in Europe at this point, they should be fairly open about alternatives.”
Visitors take pictures of the sunset in Chora, Mykonos, Greece, on June 11, 2022.
Nick Paleologos-Bloomberg / Getty Images
Drewniany says travelers have started planning for this summer before: the company had its best quarter ever at the end of 2021, and in the first quarter of 2022, its customers spent an average of 31% more. by reservation. “We see a lot more multi-destination travel, and a lot more multi-generation,” he says. “People are traveling to celebrate milestones, and they want to bring grandparents now.”
And after all that time stuck at home with nothing to do but streaming Netflix and tending to their pasta pasta beginners, travelers are eager to experience it. “I’d rather call it a ‘journey of liberation’ than a journey of revenge,” Araújo says with a laugh. “But there is an increase in the number of people who want to stay in independent hotels, in part because they care about sustainability. And they are looking for even more authentic experiences.”
Katie Parla can testify to that. The author of several books on Italian food, guides culinary tours in Rome, and has seen his bookings grow by 200% in recent months compared to the same period in 2019. “People are so grateful for have these experiences. ” Talk about rubbing salt in my wounds – d’oh! “They often make trips that they planned to do in 2020, so even then something is closed or things don’t go as planned, they are tolerant and understandable. I’m so happy to be here.”
Tourists visiting the interior of Rome’s Pantheon stand in the circle of light projected on the marble floor on June 17, 2022.
But we’ve been here before. In fact, the notion of a journey of revenge was born before the summer of 2021, when everyone thought the battle was over and the world would soon reopen. In many ways, he did. Domestic travel in many places has risen to nearly 90% of its 2019 rates this summer, and, like former MMGY analyst Leanne Hill, tourists have spent unusually high amounts that, she says, were ” largely oriented towards the journey of revenge ”. But slow implementation of vaccines and adoption rates, accompanied by a plethora of constantly evolving travel restrictions and emerging virus variants in recent times, have clouded expectations. International tourism fell by 67% in July 2021 above its taxes in the same month in 2019.
This time, the obstacles to the realization of travel fantasies, vengeful and otherwise, are less of the virus (all experts consulted by TIME agree that there was little tolerance for more blocks and restrictions) than other patients who are exposed to u so. wake up. “Inflation and staff shortages are the double-edged sword that threatens the recovery of travel this summer,” says Goodger of Tourism Economics.
Staff shortages are taking place throughout Europe. Many hotels have responded by automating certain aspects such as check-in, and once again cut routine benefits such as daily room cleaning. Restaurants from Copenhagen to Madrid have cut their opening hours and, in some cases, closed completely. But perhaps the impact of the shortage on passengers is no longer clear in scenes of chaos emerging from airports across Europe and the United States: flight cancellations, long waits for luggage that are often missing appear in all, atrocious lines through security. “Demand is growing much faster than companies, having laid off workers during the pandemic, were able to recruit,” Goodger says.
A couple sunbathing while tourists are seen in the background at Cais das Colunas in Lisbon, Portugal, on May 19, 2022.
Horacio Villalobos — Corbis / Getty Images
And even if U.S. travelers are, according to MMGY estimates, planning to spend an average of $ 600 more per trip than they did a year ago, it’s not clear, analyst Hill says, ” whether it’s because of rising costs or the general willingness to spend more. ” There are clear signs, she adds, that inflation is definitely starting to bite. “We’re starting to see travel intentions start to erode slightly, especially among travelers earning less than $ 100,000.” These concerns are raised among European travelers, according to the ETC, which found that while only 7% of travelers expressed concern about inflation and the costs affecting their holidays in 2021, 13% do so now. At the high end though, the price is “definitely a real challenge,” says Drewniany of Black Tomato. “Hotel properties are still recovering and it’s not that they’re looking for extortion, but the prices are definitely worse. So it’s a challenge to explain and translate to customers.”
The war in Ukraine is also expected to have an impact, at least in countries near the border that, although not major destinations, had experienced a growth in tourism before the pandemic. “These countries work as in any other country, but we have seen that they have had difficulty in conveying this message to travelers,” says Araújo, especially when compared to the rapidly recovering Mediterranean area. In Europe, he added, the recovery has “two speeds”.
A tourist stands in front of the glass pyramid of the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, on June 15, 2022.
All that, and the uncertainty of COVID-19 per boot. When the United States met the requirement of a negative test to enter the country on June 12, it spurred an immediate boomlet in the biggest boom in U.S. travel plans. A global tour operator Explore, saw a 12% increase in website traffic immediately after the news, according to MMGY. Within Europe, however, some countries still have some restrictions in place, and the lack of clarity has resulted, according to the ETC, in a weaker resurgence of long-haul flights to Europe, including the United States. ; these numbers are not expected to return to 2019 levels until 2024.
Even so, most industry insiders feel optimistic about the summer ahead of them. And even more revenge, which may be due to another emotion generated by the pandemic: resistance. “You’ve heard things like, oh, people value experiences over Rolex, and I think that’s the reality now: people put their money into experiences,” says Drewniany. But, he added, there is something else at stake. “After all that’s been going on, there’s a ton of fear for the unknown. People know that if they plan to go to London in October and for some reason, London closes or something, they know it. “What we see renewed now is this kind of inherent flexibility.”
However, this is bad enough to be carried with you when you travel. The guilt of the trip lingers on us like a fog, affecting our decision and obscuring the path that will lead us to Happyville, if only we could shake it.
Is guilt tripping toxic?
One of the reasons why guilt trips can poison relationships is because they can lead to lasting feelings of resentment. Just one occasion of someone using a guilt trip to change your behavior may not have a serious impact on your relationship. To see also : Women in Business: Amy Wenger. Repeated use of guilt trips can leave you feeling bitter.
Is guilt-tripping toxic in a relationship? While guilt can help people to make their way, at least in the short term, in the long run, it can cause serious damage to relationships. Examples of the journey of guilt above can result in a person feeling resentful for their partner over time.
Is guilt-tripping healthy?
If you feel guilty about their suffering, they are more likely to do what you can to help them. Intentional or not, guilt impedes healthy communication and conflict resolution, and often provokes feelings of resentment and frustration.
Is guilt-tripping a form of Gaslighting?
They can both be forms of emotional abuse. Read also : Science coverage of climate change could change minds – briefly. “Gaslighting differs from guilt-tripping in that the intention of gaslighting is to deny the reality of another person, while the intention of guilt-tripping is to induce feelings of guilt,” Gold explains.
What to do when someone is guilt-tripping you?
How To Respond When Someone Trying To Blame You To see also : As grocery prices soar, NY boosts food aid for the needy.
- Remember not to take it personally. …
- Express how their behavior makes you feel. …
- Put the ball in his court. …
- Practice Standing Up For Yourself. …
- Let yourself feel how you feel.
Why is travelling so addictive?
Travel promises unforgettable experiences and adventures. Every trip you grow more, and every time you get home, you probably want to go out again. It’s this freedom and feeling that anything is possible – so addictive! Each trip makes your desire to travel even stronger for your next trips.
Can travel become addictive? Yes, travel can be “addictive”. “Sometimes it can be limited to obsession. And while there is no doubt that some ‘target collectors’ have sacrificed love, safety and health for the sake of boasting that they have been everywhere, they can only truly deduce which motivates them to a deeper level.
Why travel is the healthiest addiction?
Being addicted to travel not only enriches the power of your brain, but can also boost the health of your heart. According to the Framingham Heart Study, people who skip their holidays are more likely to develop heart disease than frequent travelers.
Why are people addicted to traveling?
So much so that the trip is rewarding and special is because it is a physical and psychological escape from your routine. But once the journey becomes a routine, the less exciting you feel about each trip and the more you may long to return home, as Abbamonte did when we spoke.
Is Lisbon open to travel?
Non-essential travel (i.e., tourist travel) from the United States to Portugal is currently permitted. See “Entry and Exit Requirements” below for test details.
