Many people have found themselves struggling with their mental health in this pandemic, and this issue has impacted the travel industry in a multitude of ways. It is no secret how many altercations have taken place in airports throughout the country. Fear and anxiety while traveling has become the new normal.
The travel industry cannot ignore the psychological effects of the COVID-19 crisis. People are anxious about traveling still, and these anxieties are relevant based on what impacts the crisis has had on the traveling experience. New studies from global traveler experiences expert Collinson has shown that travelers are as worried about their mental wellbeing as they are their physical wellbeing.
Society has become increasingly aware of the topic of mental health and its impact on the wellbeing of a person within the past two years. This is no different when it comes to the discussion of whether people decide to travel. The pandemic has heightened the concerns.
Despite there being a demand for global travel to open back up, over two thirds (67%) of global travelers think travel post-pandemic will be more stressful in the current climate. This is for many reasons, but mainly because travelers feel unsafe in the midst of all of this uncertainty surrounding coronavirus and its variants. This anxiety and fear has also contributed to the many stories of altercations and arguments that have taken place throughout this pandemic. In airports all over the world, people are revealing physically the internal anxiety and fear which we are all battling during this difficult time.
This being said, passengers are saying that their desire for a seamless, stress-free experience, with social distancing measures in place from check-in to arrival, coupled with a quick and efficient journey is critical to the reboot of the travel industry. Currently, over a third (36%) were willing to pay for fast-track security, while nearly two fifths (38%) would pay more for a free seat next to them on the plane, and a third (30%) would pay more for extra legroom.
Airlines’ staff have also suffered a lot during this time of uncertainty in the pandemic, and according to BBC there is a project known as Resilient Pilot which offers mentoring and online workshops to everyone from those who have just gained their license to fly, as well as captains with thousands of flying hours under their wings. Participants are able to share their experiences and speak honestly about the effect the impact of the pandemic has had on flying.
Overall, research shows that this pandemic has taken away the joy of traveling for most, and that the only way for the travel industry to truly recover is to take into consideration the mental wellbeing of travelers, as well as the physical. By doing this, travelers’ confidence will increase and the travel industry will be able to recover in a collaborative and informed manner so that it can thrive again in the future.