While it's impossible to predict exactly when the coronavirus crisis will be over, what is clear is that our lives won't be the same again. We will discover that living through a global pandemic will and has already fundamentally changed humanity forever!

Travel will be a luxury more than ever and we will all be far more discerning in our choice of holidays with totally different priorities. We will always have a desire to explore, travel and discover new horizons but it will be with a great deal more caution.

Motivational factors will have changed profoundly and choices will be influenced by:

• impact on the environment
• supporting communities
• and more authentic. experiential travel.

What the pandemic has taught us is empathy, goodwill and a shared spirit of human kindness.

A primary concern will be the cost of travel, particularly leisure travel. This is where the expert travel agent, who lived through the crisis of the pandemic and survived, will play a pivotal role in advising clients as to post-pandemic travel, the pit-falls and reassuring travellers by weighing up the risks of health, safety and security when planning a vacation or specific tour of interest.

Here are some of our thoughts on the future of leisure travel:

• Many travellers may opt for trips that involve low impact travel such as cycling, hiking and train trips. Couldn't think of a better way to discover a destination such as Vietnam, Burgundy or Provence in France or Italy, Tuscany or around Lake Garda or on the island of Sardinia other than on a bicycle or walking!
• Train travel will require some social distancing but possibly more enjoyable and kinder to the environment than flying to your destination!
• Post pandemic travellers will also probably be looking for more authentic travel experiences with a desire to support community based tourism and experience first hand how their contribution inspires a particular community.

The travel industry is well acquainted with disasters, such as tsunami's, earth quakes, cyclones, volcanic ash clouds, volcanoes, terrorism, 9-11 and now a global pandemic, which requires extreme resilience against an avalanche of adversity. The adept and consummate travel agent has the knowledge and expertise to handle leisure travel with 'kid gloves' as travel is their passion and your peace of mind their pledge!