How Things Will Change for Older Travellers in Asia
As a bruised world continues to fight Covid-19, older people who love seeing new places can be forgiven for dreaming of putting on their travelling shoes again.
The virus isn’t beaten yet and people over 60 know they’re at high risk. It’s likely to be months, or longer, before international travel resumes to any great extent. But slowly and hesitantly, with stumbles along the way, restrictions are being eased in most countries.
Travel may never be quite the same again. So, what awaits senior travellers in Asia? What will be different and what kind of decisions about their journeys will they need to make?
Here are some of the changes they’re likely to face.
Why travel at all?
First, the big question: why would anyone over 60 want to travel at all? It’s going to be more stressful than before: wearing a mask, navigating social distancing rules, repeatedly having your temperature taken, probably staying away from inviting places like hotel pools or popular bars. And perhaps no more hotel buffets.
Even a trip to one’s local supermarket is no longer a jaunt after a couple of months under lockdown. There are so many new rules to obey, so many people to stay away from. Why would anyone be thinking of a journey through Asia?
Fewer older people will be travelling for a while. Image: © Alan Williams
The answer, of course, is that there’s a pent-up wanderlust inside most of us. And we’re not getting any younger. If we’re going to travel again, we’d like to start doing it soon.
As Karishma Tulsidas, Editor-in-Chief of luxury lifestyle publication Robb Report Singapore, told a recent travel webinar: “There’s nothing like a pandemic to remind you of your mortality.”
Some older people will probably choose not to travel any time soon. Understandably, anxiety will deter them. They may prefer to wait until a vaccine against the virus is widely available. But others will be keen to make up for lost time.
Where should you go?
Everyone has their favourite Asian destinations. But countries that have had the greatest success in containing the virus will have a special appeal. Vietnam is a good example – at least for now.
It’s likely that for many older travellers, Asia’s large cities – exciting though they are – will have lost some of their attraction. After a long period of lockdown and isolation, many will have little appetite for crowded, bustling places.
Quiet spots will hold the greatest appeal for older travellers. Image: © Alan Williams
Some travel specialists believe that engaging with nature will be a priority when international travel resumes.
Many people now want more sustainable, meaningful travel, Kissa Castaneda, Tatler Asia’s Regional Editor – Travel & Design, told the same webinar. “Covid has brought about a profound change in our thinking,” she said.
Ecotourism destinations in Asia were surging in popularity long before Covid-19 and are likely to be in even greater demand now. If you’re looking for something upmarket, this list includes several enticing locations in Asia.
Upmarket resorts with fewer guests may hold more appeal. Image: pasja1000
At the same time, some Asian hotspots that were overrun with visitors are likely to be less crowded and more enjoyable in the next year or two. Angkor in Cambodia comes to mind.
Whether the crowds eventually return to their pre-coronavirus excess or are kept at more manageable levels depends on the decisions tourism authorities in Asia make as they plan ahead.
Which hotels do you choose?
Hotels in Asia want you back. The pandemic has had a devastating effect on tourism in Asian countries, costing millions of jobs. A travel revival can’t come soon enough for hoteliers and others in the travel industry.
It’s up to the hotels to lure you back by demonstrating they’re Covid-safe. Health and safety is what it’s all about. As Karishma Tulsidas puts it: “A hotel must be its own safety bubble.”
Hotel buffets may be a thing of the past. Image: © Alan Williams
The challenge for them is how to do this. Do they leave rooms empty for several days between one guest and the next? It would hit their occupancy rates but travellers, especially older ones, are entitled to expect this kind of precaution.
Senior travellers who want to avoid using public transport will want hotels to provide their own, reasonably priced, transport for excursions, and for trips from and to the airport. That bubble again.
Some travel specialists believe visitors to Asia will opt for fewer destinations on their trip but spend more time at each. Staying longer at a hotel or resort you trust makes good sense from a health point of view.
What about cruises?
Cruises have long been popular among senior travellers. But it’s widely agreed that cruising will take longer to recover than other forms of tourism, given the bad press it received during the pandemic. Who wants to be restricted to a confined, crowded space just at the moment?
Tara Loader Wilkinson, Hong Kong-based Editor-in-Chief of Billionaire Magazine, thinks there will always be diehard groups of cruise fans who keep on cruising. But many people will look for other options.
Cruise companies may have to rethink their business models. Image: Mustang Joe
Some travel experts believe chartered yachts will become more popular, especially if they can be made affordable for people other than just the super-rich.
With their smaller number of passengers, yacht cruises can be tailored to meet the needs of those interested in sustainable tourism and getting close to nature.
Ready for a long flight?
For many visitors to Asia, the trip involves a long-haul flight. It’s not really clear yet how air travel will change in the long term. But for the time being, it’s going to be more stressful than it was.
Airlines say that to break even, they need to fill at least 75 percent of seats. So the current practice of blocking off nearly half the seats to allow for social distancing can’t go on forever without a big increase in airfares.
“You’re going to definitely have to sit next to a stranger again, I’m afraid, on a plane,” Robin Hayes, CEO of US low cost airline JetBlue, told a recent Washington Post discussion. He was talking about domestic flights but the same surely holds true for international flights.
It’s going to be difficult to achieve physical distancing on aircraft. Image: © Alan Williams
Apart from wearing a mask and no longer being served meals, passengers will doubtless want to thoroughly clean and sanitise their personal space: seat, headrest, seatbelt buckle, tray, seat pocket.
They can expect airlines to do a better cleaning job too. The number of times I’ve found bits of food or grime stuck to a tray, or rubbish in a seat pocket, doesn’t bear thinking about.
The bottom line
Overall, travel in Asia is likely to be a challenging and often stressful experience for older visitors for a long time to come.
But the rewards will still be there. And there may well be fresh pleasures in terms of smaller crowds and a greater emphasis on protecting the environment and getting back to nature.
Header image: © Perfect Wave
