2020 – COVID-19: A YEAR FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS

2020 will be a year that the world will not soon forget. A lethal Coronavirus that infected tens of thousands in China, spread rapidly to many other countries in a matter of weeks. Infections worldwide jumped more than seven-fold, pushed health care systems beyond their limits and forced governments to close borders and announce nationwide lock downs in an attempt to contain the virus which causes Covid-19. The World Health Organisation officially declared a pandemic in March 2020. Case numbers continued to rise despite calls for people to self-isolate, and more strict government measures were implemented, changing the daily lives of millions of people for the foreseeable future.

In the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, few industries have fallen as hard and fast as tourism. The technological evolution that brought us closer together — an evolution that fueled one billion trips a year — is helpless in stopping a virus that demands we socially distance ourselves and stay home for an unknown period of time. The general message from the industry is “delay your travel plans, not cancel them completely”

Postponing that long awaited and well-deserved holiday could be the kindest thing to do right now. Rather than requesting a refund, simply postponing plans might be a greater help than you could imagine. The very thought of travel is probably the furthest thing from your mind, but hopefully there will come a time when those itchy feet return. Until then, there are a lot of people out there relying on you. Around 10 per cent of the world works in tourism and most of those people have more or less lost their jobs without notice. Not just the travel agents or flight attendants currently on unpaid leave – the game guides, the hotel porters, the airport ground staff, the list is endless …… they all rely on tourism and for them the future looks bleak.

When all the lock downs and travel bans are lifted, hosts will be more eager than ever to welcome you. As a lover of travel, the best thing you can do for small, independent establishments is show sensitivity and support. Or else they might not be there on the other side. It’s not just about businesses losing bookings, it’s about all the individuals throughout the supply chains set to suffer from a total loss of income.

All that being said, for The Savvy Traveller there is a silver lining amongst these very uncertain and devastating times. During our Covid-19 lock down, we have been working on the long overdue project of launching our much-needed website, something that we have been discussing for years but just never quite found the time. We hope that you will enjoy perusing through our website as much as we have enjoyed creating it and that you find much travel inspiration on our pages. We very much look forward to opening our doors again and seeing you all …. until then, please stay safe and healthy.