Sounds crazy, right? With travel restricted between states, let alone internationally, you would think planning for a trip right now would be the last thing you should be doing. After all, we are living during times where you can barely plan for the next day, let alone for months ahead. However, if travel opens up in 2021, and we are all hopeful and optimistic that it will, then planning your next getaway sooner than later can be very beneficial for several reasons.
Now, more than ever, we all need something to look forward to. Planning a vacation—whether it’s a local driving escape for a couple of days or a big dream trip abroad—can be just the thing to lift our spirits. Because of the obvious concerns for would-be travelers, cancellation policies have become significantly more relaxed for future reservations. In addition, a good travel advisor would ensure that anything you reserve would be refundable or able to be modified.
What I have been hearing the most from colleagues and those in the travel industry is that there is an enormous pent up demand for travel. What that means is that when travel does open up, demand may be greater than supply. The last thing you would want to happen is to finally be able to go somewhere and there is no availability!
Reserving a hotel room now really has no downside, only an upside. Chances are you will get the room category that is right for your taste and budget, hotels have very good cancellation policies and, rarely does a hotel require any sort of deposit. There are destinations where, even in a “normal” season, hotel rooms can be hard to come by during popular travel times. So, when travel does eventually become a reality, it will be that much harder to get what you want when you want it.
As a travel planner specializing in Italy and Europe, I have clients who reached out to me as early as September to reschedule trips they had to cancel this year. They asked me if it was crazy to do so and my response was, absolutely not, for all the above reasons. Planning the details of a vacation—whether it is a once in a lifetime trip or something you do several times a year-—is often as fun and exciting as the trip itself. Although the words “fun” and “exciting” aren’t being used much these days, we are all looking towards the time where they will be.
Rachelle Stepner is the owner of Five Star Italy, a luxury travel planner. If you would like to start planning a dream trip to Italy, or anywhere in Europe, you can email her at [email protected] or follow her on Instagram @Five.Star.Italy
