The wanderlust itch is returning. I can feel it. But with most borders still closed, one can only dream. To curb that itch today, I got to scrolling through old photos on Instagram of my travels. If I can’t be there in body, maybe in mind…for a bit. But it also got me thinking about post-covid travel. Without a vaccine, will it ever be safe to travel again, ever? 

Short of an effective vaccine, what conditions need to be in place for me to feel safe to travel again?

Can I get there safely? Is the return journey safe?

• Compulsory swab testing/proof of covid negative health status for every passenger before the flight (because confined spaces = high risk)
• Safe distancing measures in place, for people, places and transport in destination country

When there, how safe is it? What can I do to inform and protect myself?

• Transparent data about how the destination country is managing COVID
• Ease of getting legitimate information
• Overall low infection rates and fatality rates in destination country
• Population density of the destination (the lesser the better)
• Overall adherence of safe distancing measures by the population
• Safety and sanitation measures taken by the hotel/accommodation
• Food preparation and hygiene standards

If I do get infected, will I die there?

• Quality and cost of healthcare system in destination country (what if I get it when I’m there?)
• Travel insurance that covers getting covid when there (this is a stretch, and might cost, but will be assuring)

Anything worth doing, even after I know it’s safe?

• Is everything still under lockdown, or has the key tourist sites, consumer venues opened?

In summary, it’ll be a tall order to travel anywhere post-covid. I suspect only the most successful countries at containing covid will check off everything on the list, to name a few – New Zealand, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam. 

And that’s also assuming they are willing to take travellers coming in from countries with less than stellar management in covid!