Travel After COVID-19: What to Expect When You Get Back Out on The Road

Over the past few years, we’ve learned to dip, dodge, and weave as we welcome our guests back to travel and emerge from the Covid-19 era. Traveling again has brought us joy, and also challenges, as we navigate the new landscape of travel while maintaining our high standard of operations, knowing that the “rules” continue to shift, and we shift with them.

In the forefront of these challenges is the airline ticketing landscape. Recently airline prices have soared due to airline staffing shortages and high customer demand according to Shannon Castillo, the Holiday Vacations Group Air Manager. This reinforces the value of the Holiday Advantage which guarantees that once you book, the price won’t change, no matter what changes occur in the airline industry. In order to adapt to continual challenges, help ease anxiety, and keep our travelers safe while on tour, Holiday Vacations has implemented some of their own changes. As you return to checking items off your bucket list, we thought it would be helpful to share answers to some popular questions.

1. Are the staff fully vaccinated? – All Holiday Vacations guests and Holiday Vacations tour staff are fully vaccinated. At this time, boosters are recommended but not required.
2. What is a legally attested Guest? – All guests are required to sign an attestation of vaccination prior to departure. This is a legal document allowing guests to attest that they are/will be fully vaccinated as defined by the CDC at the start of the tour.
3. How do I prove my vaccination status?– All guests must bring official proof of vaccination, such as a CDC vaccine card, and show it to their Tour Director on the first day. Guests are no longer required to send a copy of their vaccination card to Holiday Vacations prior to tour departure.
4. What is a Guest Participation Agreement? – All guests are also required to sign a Participation Agreement. The agreement reiterates information that has always been provided in the Holiday Vacations’ General Tour Information. Guests are asked to acknowledge they understand the inherent risks of travel during a pandemic, that even when taking proper precautions, there is still a risk of getting sick. Guests must acknowledge and assume this risk.
5. How will I know about changes to requirements and rules?– Holiday Vacations will help relay information about different rules, requirements, and border controls (testing) of the places we visit. These rules change frequently, and travelers must be diligent about trying to understand the rules of destinations. Ultimately, it is a guest’s responsibility to follow the rules of the places we visit.
6. What happens if I get sick on tour? – If a guest becomes sick on tour, they will be encouraged to stay masked and separated from the group until testing can be done. If negative, they may rejoin the group. If positive, they must part from the tour and follow the regulations of the destination, such as quarantine and/or isolation before traveling home.
7. Do I need travel insurance? – We cannot stress enough the value of travel insurance.  We offer Trawick Travel Insurance with a policy that treats COVID-19 like any other illness while on tour. A recent social media post in the HTC group reinforced the value of purchasing the travel protection plan when a guest solicited advise from the group about insurance. There were a resounding 120 comments made by fellow guests sharing stories from the road when the travel insurance was a godsend for themselves or someone on their tour.
8. What if things don’t go as planned? – With staffing shortages at many hotels and restaurants, there have been impacts to service that are outside of Holiday’s control.  We recommend going on tour with the understanding that Holiday partners with many local businesses that are struggling to find adequate staffing.

Forbes has predicted that travel prices will continue to rise over the summer. Book your next vacation now, and enjoy the security of knowing your tour price is guaranteed! Any subsequent price increases by our suppliers are absorbed by Holiday. You will incur no additional expense! We can’t wait to welcome you back to the exciting world of travel.