Scenarios for What the Travel Industry Might Be Dealing with After Covid-19 - Travel Weekl

Smart Travel Lab, which is focused on sustainability in travel, has got together with Kantar, to put together four scenarios to depict what a post- Covid-19 travel industry might look like.

• Close Call: "The Surge for Survival" describes how companies taking drastic measures to survive will also need to be prepared for the pent-up demand as consumers are released from lockdowns. There will be a "short window of opportunity to recover from losses" but stresses companies need to have the resources to compete.

• Panic Attack: "Stay local, stay safe" predicts that consumer behavior, naturally more risk averse during the crisis will have changed habits for the longer term. This means travel companies will need to earn trust again.

• Recurring Nightmare: "Two seasons, two travelers" describes a scenario where the virus comes back for portions of the year. This leads to consumers able to travel for a part of the year and in lockdown for the remainder. In this scenario, more well-off segments of the population able to spend the year away from it all while others are unable to afford to travel. Brands would need to choose who they target in this model.

• Brave New Reality: "Travel Safety by fiat" envisages a world where Covid‐19 is a permanent feature but governments step in to manage it with regulation. The scenario would see borders close as and when infection emerges and would mean companies could operate in "a relatively stable and prosperous business environment" but be prepared for restrictions being put in place.