Can we travel again safely?

I’ve become a professional traveler over the past 10 years, recently averaging about 100 nights on the road annually. Thanks to the thief, Mr. Covid, 2020 is devoid of life’s usual enjoyments. Most notable for me is the lack of travel; I’m down almost 50% for 2020 vs. 2019, and I imagine that’s true for most of you folks, too. As Tour Chief, and someone who promotes travel, I get many questions about how to travel safely. While my standard answers are virtually second nature today, I found I was missing a guide on pandemic travel–for others and myself. I’ve been suffering some stress over an upcoming February snowbird trip to Arizona, and I needed to do my research to make sure that trip can happen with appropriate precautions.

In the midst of a pandemic, questions about travel safety are especially important. Given public fatigue over being in cooped up in quarantine, I thought it made sense to search for reputable sources on guidelines for safe travel. Unfortunately Google did not return a concise answer. On one hand, my many travel sources all say “Yes, come travel today!” Every tour operator, resort, and hotel has special plans to protect you from the pandemic. Yet, this exuberance flies in the face of news about the sharp uptick in infections and hospitalizations across the country. Which story is correct? What conditions make it safe to travel?

This topic has been in flux for all of 2020. Experts are constantly learning new information, and those facts then undergo constant analysis. In public health, “harm reduction” means acknowledging that people are going to take risks while still trying to make their behavior as safe as possible (from Why the CDC changed its Covid-19 quarantine guidelines (msn.com). Two things are true: we’ve gotten more evidence on how the coronavirus spreads, and the public has become fatigued with the pandemic resulting in resistance to tougher measures and urges to stay home. Consequently, health officials have increasingly taken a harm reduction approach to fighting Covid-19 rather than applying stringent stay-at-home orders.

A guide for Safe Travel

If you’re looking for information on your seasonal winter travel plans, a good place to start is AARP’s answers to 8 questions focused on snowbird travel. This information will carry-over for my guests traveling to tour this coming summer.

8 Questions Every Snowbird Needs To Ask

Consider these questions one at a time as you prepare your checklist. Items #1 & #5 are self-evident- do you have pre-existing conditions which make travel risky? If so, it might be best to stay home. If no pre-existing conditions are present, it may be just as safe to self-isolate in the Arizona sunshine as it is indoors under the mantle of winter in the Great Lakes.

Do some research and examine current trends to see if there is a statistical difference between health activities at your destination vs. at home. If the rate of Covid-19 infections are similar and you’re going to self-isolate, there may not be increased risk associated with being away.

How you travel to your destination is an interesting topic. Air quality on commercial jets has never been better according to this article. Airbus, Boeing, and Embraer have each published data on improvements in cabin air quality due to the pandemic, as have the major airlines. Additionally, masks are required on all flights. This does not reduce your risk to zero; however, air travel is probably as safe as ever.

If you travel by car, be aware that your risk of Covid-19 infection comes from stopping along the way for gas, rest stops, and food. It’s appropriate to have face masks in use when you exit your car, along with disposable gloves if you’re handling a gas pump handle. Also use sanitizing hand wipes and an alcohol-based sanitizer when you return to your vehicle. For safety, we recommend drive-through dining along your route, to limit contact with strangers.

Are you staying overnight along the way? Every hotelier worth his or her salt has upgraded their cleaning practices to protect their staff and you. The good ones will share this information with you ahead of time, and if they won’t, find a different hotel.

Remember that when you arrive at your destination after travel, you represent a bigger threat to the locals than they do to you. Do not drop your guard simply because you’ve reached your condo. Keep on with appropriate masking, hand washing, etc. If you’re visiting friends, consider meeting outdoors for a meal, and save the hugging & kissing for another time. This is a big change from our previously acceptable social norms, but no one should risk getting sick over a quick visit from you.

Due Diligence

If traveling isn’t out of the question for you, there are a few non-negotiable items you need be certain to take care of. You’ll want to know about hospitals and clinics when you arrive at your destination, just in case–and honestly, it’s not a bad idea to know this information whenever you travel, pandemic or not. For snowbird travel, this information should be easily available at your destination resort or hotel. If you’re traveling on an organized tour, have a discussion with the tour operator to be sure they know what to do in case of a health emergency. Checking in with your health insurance carrier about travel advisories and available coverage at your destination is another must-do prior to your trip.

Collateral Damage

There are more considerations for pandemic travel than personal safety precautions. Do you provide primary care and support for other family members? If yes, who will cover for you when you’re out of town? Will you be required to isolate or quarantine upon return home? Does travel impact your employment with a mandatory quarantine when you return? There are no easy answers here, but you’re wise to have answers before you finalize plans. If you’re uncomfortable with any of your answers, your trip will probably need to wait.

Send in the Cavalry

Yes, bring on the vaccinations, but don’t fall into the trap of expecting Covid-19 to disappear in the blink of an eye. The hype over the vaccine is largely positive, but the public underestimates the timeline for rollout. It is also naive to expect universal compliance–how many times have you seen friends post on Facebook about letting the eager ones go first? There is noticeable “let them test it before I take it” attitude present on social media. Anti-vaxers will stay away, as will those ultra-partisan folks who associate the vaccine with the opposite party. All of these conditions make for slow herd immunity, which will draw out the length of time before life is normal again.

Keep your Guard Up

My neighbor is a Colonel in the Army National Guard, on active duty helping manage Covid-19 response across a wide region of the country. His advice on casual travel is simple–don’t do it. This is based largely on a belief that people let their guard down while traveling. Think of sitting unmasked for an extra drink or cup of coffee at a restaurant, or mingling too close to others who don’t observe good social distancing. Traveling inherently brings out a person’s laissez faire attitude toward life, but the unfortunate reality is that this moment in time calls for diligence.

How to decide

No one can tell you with certainty when travel will be safe again. Please check out our cheat sheet of a dozen or so questions about travel. Keep track of how many questions you answer ‘yes’ to, vs. how many ‘nos’ you generate. We like all Yes answers, so your discernment will have to come about if you have more than a few No answers on the quiz.