Some Countries Relaxing Travel Restrictions – Will Air Travelers Be On the Rise Again?

As the vaccine becomes more widely available, international travel is slowly starting to open up. While travel has not returned to pre-Covid levels, some countries have started to relax restrictions on travel. That said, lighter restrictions do not necessarily mean that travel will increase, especially travel of all types.

If your business is dependent on air travelers, you may find yourself wondering whether air travel will start to rise again. 

The United Kingdom Has Started to Relax Its Restrictions

For air travel numbers to rise again, not only do travelers need to be confident about their safety, but they also need to be confident that they’ll be allowed in.

One of the biggest challenges faced by air travel is quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated passengers – if a country requires fully vaccinated people to quarantine on arrival, there’s a lower chance that they’ll visit for vacation. 

Understanding this challenge, the UK government has started to simplify travel rules for passengers. This makes it easier for vaccinated passengers to enter the country. Additionally, as passengers will not have to take Covid-19 tests on entry, travel becomes cheaper as well. 

This change in travel rules helps increase the likelihood of air travel into the UK, especially from non-British passengers. 

Winter Vacations Will Lead to More Travelers

As Christmas and New Year’s approach, more travelers are looking to fly for the holidays, especially after spending so long in lockdown. This is only one of the factors that increase the likelihood of travel in the winter. 

As travel restrictions begin to relax in some countries, such as the UK, can we expect to see more holidays/vacations this winter?

Here are some comments taken from a recent article in the Sun News Paper by avi lasarow, CEO of Prenetics Europe. “It looks like more people will be traveling now than during the summer. This has been caused by a double boost of cheaper testing and more people being fully vaccinated. After a year of lockdowns, Brits deserve a break and we’re pleased to be helping them travel abroad safer and cheaper.”

So, as more people start to get their second vaccine doses and booster shots, you should expect to see an increase in air travel. Not only is it easier to visit other countries if you’re vaccinated, people who have gotten both jabs also feel safer when flying out of the country.

Returning to Pre-Covid Levels

However, it’s essential that people keep in mind that rising levels of air travel do not mean that they will return to pre-Covid levels anytime soon. Experts estimate that it will take until 2023 or 2024 for air travel levels to return to normal, especially in terms of international travel. However, domestic air travel should return to normal levels in 2022. 

The reason for this dichotomy is simple – international travel rules.

Every country has its own entry requirements for non-residents, making it much easier for residents to travel domestically. Getting a visa for another country can be challenging to start with, and many airlines require expensive Covid-19 tests before you board your flight. 

Not only does this make planning travel more time-consuming, and often more expensive, it can also take longer on the day of the flight, as you’ll have to go through greater levels of scrutiny both at your home airport and the destination airport. 

Finally, when you do reach your destination, there is a possibility that several businesses may be closed due to restrictions, and there will be fewer tourists than usual at the location. 

That said, some people may see this as a positive. If popular tourist destinations are not as crowded, you can enjoy sightseeing and relax much more than you would in a destination that’s bursting at the seams. Additionally, some people actually find that international travel has become more affordable – although Covid-19 tests add to the upfront cost, many resorts have lowered prices, and shopping while on holiday has also become more affordable. 

There are numerous considerations for people to keep in mind when it comes to air travel in a post-Covid-19 world. However, if you’re fully vaccinated, there are numerous countries you should be able to travel to without major problems. Furthermore, vaccines mean that travel is safer than it was at the height of the pandemic, and testing has become much more accessible. 

If you find that you’ve been missing traveling over the past year and a half, you shouldn’t worry – while overall air travel levels may not return to the same just yet, that doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to travel this winter.

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