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Can you do a whole year’s worth of traveling in one vacation? Some folks will try.
I don’t know for certain what the world’s going to look like when we finally get the all-clear on the COVID-19 pandemic, but I do have a hunch. When it’s safe to go out again, there’s probably going to be parties out the wazoo, shopping like you’ve never seen before, and assuming the airlines don’t all go under, a whole lot of global travel. Travel experts have coined a new term for the explosion in travel that is likely to come about when the pandemic lifts: “revenge travel.”
A spoof on the 1980s concept of “revenge spending,” revenge travel will arise when those with a severe case of cabin fever begin booking flights and making plans in mildly crazy quantities. If there’s vacation time available, these restless souls intend to stretch it to its absolute limit if only to be away from their routines for a little while. Travel analysts have already noted the beginnings of such behavior in China, which has begun reopening some of its tourism sectors. According to these analysts, Chinese confidence in domestic travel is up 60% compared to the lows of the pandemic’s worst.

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Even before the all-clear is caused, we may start seeing a miniature travel boom here in the states. Regular travelers, despite being relegated to domestic travel exclusively, have begun to adapt to pandemic health requirements with more research, more flexible planning, and favoring car travel over air travel. If the need to travel is already this intense, it’s going to be like popping a cork on a bottle of champagne once things are safe again. Interestingly, some travel analysts believe that global tourism industries will experience a “corona hangover” in which less ambitious tourists don’t immediately flock to the hot spots. It’ll be then that the savvy travelers swoop in to get the best experiences before the crowds return.