Coronavirus: Should I Still Travel? Some Things to Consider

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By now, you’ve probably seen many stories in the news and across social media regarding the Coronavirus and the disruptions it has caused to the travel industry. But are you getting the full story and all the facts? Today I wanted to share some credible sources to find facts, and debunk some myths that continue to be shared.

SAFETY FIRST

First of all, as the owner of Premier Custom Travel, I can assure you that our first priority is your safety and health while traveling, and I am quite certain I can speak for our supplier partners as well. The companies that we work with have entire teams that evaluate the safety and security of the destinations they visit, and sometimes they will make adjustments to itineraries when they feel that there is any chance of trouble. They always tend to err on the side of caution and will sometimes make changes that wind up being unnecessary, but they would rather be “safe than sorry.”

CREDIBLE SOURCES OF INFORMATION

In a previous blog post, I shared some frequently asked questions about the Coronavirus and sources that provide factual information. Here again are those sources:

Here are a list of CREDIBLE sources for more information on the medical side:

And here are some CREDIBLE resources for travelers:

You can trust completely anything posted on the above websites.

VERIFY BEFORE YOU SHARE

There is a lot of mis-information in the media, including social, broadcast, and print. Some of the incorrect stories/rumors being shared include a worldwide ban on travel (not true) and other reports of outbreaks on various cruise ships. These inaccurate or completely false stories are shared repeatedly on social media but nobody takes the time to verify their authenticity. By sharing these, you are inadvertently damaging an entire industry and the perception of that industry in the eyes of your friends and family.

I kindly request that if you are going to share anything related to travel, especially when it comes to the Coronavirus, you only do so if you have personally verified the story through one of the sources above. Do not trust a post that says, “This was on TV/verified already.” Anyone can write that in a post but it may not be true.

Let me be clear: I am not suggesting you do not share verified info, even if it is negative in nature. I just hope you will take the time to make sure what you are posting is, in fact, complete and true information.

SHOULD I STILL TRAVEL?

We have been getting this question a lot. Here is my answer:

First, the choice to travel or not should be a decision made by you and your family. You should only do so if you feel comfortable about your decision. The last thing anyone needs is to spend their entire vacation worrying about illness.

Having said that, I will share with you that I have several vacations booked for myself in the coming months and I plan to take all of them. I do not expect any significant impact to my travel plans, with the exception of some enhanced health screening when boarding my cruise and perhaps some enhanced hygienic measures onboard.

I personally do not feel that anyone should cancel their plans at this time, but I do recognize that it is a decision to be made by each family traveling and what is right for some may not be right for others.

Here are some things to consider when making the decision to travel or not:

  • How is your health?
  • Does your travel involve the China region?
  • Have you traveled through the China region in the last 30 days?
  • Did you purchase travel insurance? (Note that insurance may not cover the virus specifically but does offer many other features)

If none of the questions above raise red flags, you should have no difficulty enjoying your vacation. If you do choose to travel, I would recommend reading our last blog post. It has some great tips for any time you travel, but especially now.

HOW IS THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY REACTING?

The travel industry is working hard to stay up-to-date on the Coronavirus and its impact around the world. As of this writing, the only major cancellations or itinerary changes have primarily been in China and the surrounding regions. Through today, we have not had a single customer’s travel directly impacted by the virus.

We have not received any indication from any of our suppliers that they plan to change or cancel any itineraries at this time beyond those that have already been impacted in the affected Asian regions.

Most suppliers are now offering more flexible final payment dates, cancellation fees, and fee-free changes. If you have a vacation booked with us, please contact us directly if you would like to know the current policies for your vacation.

As of today, most suppliers will not allow anyone to travel with them if they are from the affected regions or if they have traveled in/through those regions in the last 30 days. A few suppliers have also started to restrict travelers who recently visited certain regions of Italy, but this is not yet as widespread as the ban to/from China.

Much of this is “wait and see.” It is always a difficult decision to make these changes/cancellations. If a company cancels too soon and then there was no need, they will be criticized. If they wait too long, the same thing happens. So they do their best to find the middle ground and give customers enough time to make decisions and yet not cancel their vacations until absolutely necessary. This is why many are now temporarily allowing changes much closer to the actual departure date.

ONE FINAL THOUGHT

It is smart to be concerned, but there is no reason for panic at this time. I encourage you to consider your decisions carefully and rationally and not to buy into the hype or media frenzy.

Should you have questions or comments, I always welcome them. My email is chris@premiercustomtravel.com