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Virtual travel
The use of technology in tourism is becoming increasingly common, and virtual reality technology will be one of the important applications to help tourists explore the world from the comfort of their homes via their computer screens.
For example, you can take a virtual tour to Santa Claus's village in Finland, or to hundreds of the world's best museums and galleries, from MoMA in New York, USA, to the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. Many people have been excited about this new travel trend to satisfy their wanderlust.
Trips that lead nowhere.
In early October, hundreds of passengers crammed into an Eva Air flight at Taoyuan International Airport. They weren't aiming for any particular destination; the flight would land right where it departed.
It's a "flight to nowhere," taking hundreds of people sightseeing around the island. Many airlines in other places, such as Singapore and Australia, are also selling these "flights to nowhere." Not only airlines, but some cruise lines are also planning similar itineraries at sea.
These "trips to nowhere" are a desperate attempt by airlines and cruise lines to boost sales. The COVID-19 outbreak caused many companies to go bankrupt or face crises. Organizing these activities helps them generate additional income to survive the pandemic, as well as satisfy passengers' craving for travel.
Discounts on holidays
Before the pandemic, it was unthinkable for hotel and airfare prices to drop during holidays. But during Covid-19, when most tourists couldn't travel, many places around the world drastically reduced prices on their travel products to attract customers. Many travel agencies are selling travel packages with discounts of up to 40% to attract customers for holidays at the end of the year or the beginning of 2021. In addition, many 5-star hotels worldwide are also launching discount packages and promotions for customers, for example, resorts in the Maldives.
Go to remote places
To protect themselves from the pandemic while still satisfying their passion for travel, wealthy people around the world have spared no expense on luxurious travel packages to remote locations. This could be an island in a faraway place, where sprawling resorts welcome a limited number of guests.
People come here for vacation or to work remotely, isolating themselves from much of the world struggling with the pandemic. Some of the countries offering this service include Thailand and the Maldives.
Unprecedented flexibility in booking flights and tickets.
Travel agencies, transportation companies, and accommodation providers face a major threat from travel bans imposed by various countries. Therefore, 2020 was a year in which tourism businesses had to be extremely accommodating to customers, offering the highest level of flexibility for refunds, cancellations, or changes to bookings and tickets. Many companies unable to issue refunds offered vouchers with extended validity periods, allowing customers to use them for future travel.
