People are not traveling right now, and it is weird. People want to travel, but they know they can’t travel still. Everywhere I look, I see one question pop up: will travel return in 2021? There is no easy answer to this question, and many people have differing opinions. CNN is saying travel could resume later this year. Bloomberg, however, says long-haul international travel may not restart until 2023.

So, who will be right on the prediction for when international travel returns? For all of us travelers, we are desperately hoping that CNN is correct. Many people see traveling as a way of life, and this extended travel ban is torture for us. For others, travel is a way to escape everyday life, and they are feeling the stress of not being able to get away. The sooner travel returns, the happier people will be.

Some Travel is currently allowed

Depending on what country you are in, some travel is currently allowed. Some countries allow for mostly unlimited domestic travel. The main problem in some countries is that the rules can change instantly if an outbreak occurs. Other countries are still facing lockdowns with minimal travel. Traveling to a different country is far more restrictive.

Some countries have made agreements to create a travel bubble with other countries. You might be wondering: what is a travel bubble? A travel bubble is an agreement between two or more countries (usually with low Covid rates) that allows for quarantine-free travel between the countries. These travel bubbles are excellent signs for future travel possibilities.

We should see more bubbles pop up as vaccine distribution continues to expand. The vaccine is making a difference to bring down cases. Daily cases are already dropping to levels that have not been since late last year. After reaching a high of around 750,000 new cases a day in early January, we are now down to about 400,000 new cases a day. The last time numbers were that low was in October 2020.

Travel Bubbles?

Decreasing numbers means more countries will be open to the idea of creating travel bubbles with others that are also doing well. Even if they do not create a bubble, they may open their borders to people who can prove they have received the vaccine. Governments may accomplish this through something called a vaccine passport. This “passport” would verify that you have received the vaccine and are safe to travel.

The vaccine passport idea is still new, and no one is certain how it will end up working. Are they going to be digital or physical? Will there be a way to prevent counterfeit “passports”? Will it even count toward international travel? These questions have no answers yet as governments work to decide what will work for their citizens. One thing is undeniable; this “passport” has the potential to bring a return to traveling.

International Travel to resume?

So, where do I think travel is heading this year? I believe we have a long way to go before travel returns to pre-pandemic levels. I also feel some travel will start to return this year. All of the signs point to the beginnings of a return to travel. Travel bubbles are the most likely opportunities this year. Some bubbles already exist, and I am sure many more will begin in the next few months.

If you are looking to travel this year, you will continually need to check the changing regulations. The vaccine passport is too much to expect right now, but it might be the only way to travel in the future. For now, your best chance of travel is to see what travel bubbles exist for you. The easiest way to do this is with a quick google search of travel bubble + ‘your country.’ You should retrieve many results telling you exactly where you can travel right now.

When do you think travel is going to return? If travel fully returns this year, will you take advantage and take a trip later this year? Or would you rather wait for a couple more years before you look into travel? Let me know in the comments.