Why there’s optimism about travel this year

The Beijing-based World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) is offering five reasons to be optimistic about 2021. Ian Youngman examines this Asian-focused view of tourism in 2021 and considers how it may affect medical tourism.

The WTCF claims to be the world’s first international tourism organisation focusing on cities. Headquartered in Beijing, it has 223 members, covering 75 countries and regions, including 148 city members and 75 institutional members.

WTCF tends to be far more optimistic about global tourism than the World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC), which is UK-based, tends to have a European focus on the world, and whose members are in the tourist trade. In contrast, WTCF offers an Asian focus and several European organisations have chosen WTCF membership, instead of WTTC.

Being based in China, WTCF not only saw a regrowing economy in 2020 but also a rapidly recovering tourist trade, and has perhaps greater reason for optimism in 2021 than its European counterpart.

As more people come to the realisation that travelling is a privilege and not a right, says WTCF, the outlook on the future of travel is that of an optimistic one.

Reason to be cheerful #1: COVID vaccine is coming

The latest development on COVID-19 vaccine candidates has dominated the conversation on the pandemic and the future of travel. More companies are reporting high efficacy on their vaccine candidates, and more trials are underway. We are inching closer to providing a solution. We remain optimistic that the coming vaccine will allow us to once again safely traverse the world.

Reason to be cheerful #2 : Better testing procedures and policy making

While the RT-PCR test is still the gold-standard in terms of testing, rapid antigen testing has been proven to be accurate and is a lot quicker to administer than the RT-PCR test. The mass administration of rapid tests would eliminate the need for lockdowns and long periods of waiting for travellers.

With solid data and facts serving as the foundation, both rapid testing and vaccines will play major roles in formulating effective and efficient solutions to safeguard public health at minimal societal and economic costs.

Reason to be cheerful #3: The advent of digital COVID passport

The strict requirements of airlines and governments regarding tests and vaccinations mean that the method of verifying and validating requirements will evolve to become more efficient in 2021.

Digital COVID passports are apps that will allow us to upload our COVID credentials and forward them to the authorities in a quick and efficient way.

Digital passports will also enable travellers to avoid the on-arrival quarantine or further unnecessary testing.

It is possible that these COVID passports will eventually be adopted not just by airlines and border authorities, but also by hotels, restaurants and other venues where people tend to gather in large numbers.

Numerous groups are working on these apps which will possibly be ready for widespread use in the near future.

Reason to be cheerful #4: Travel agencies will make travel better and safer

Travel agencies are far from a thing of the past; today’s travellers place greater value on problem solving and support especially on longer trips, a role that we see growing in the coming years.

Travel agencies redesign the travel experiences for their customers in a way that’s mindful of the risks and anxieties posed by the pandemic. Given a number of persisting uncertainties, more travellers will rely on travel companies for their travel needs in the future.

Reason to be cheerful #5: The rise of conscious traveller

In 2021, the WTCF anticipates the rise of the conscious traveller: a traveller who is much more mindful and empathetic about the trips they take. A traveller who is truly concerned about the carbon footprint they leave behind, more respectful of the environment, the local population and are less reckless in their expenses.

While there’s nothing inherently wrong with taking trips on account of social prestige and Instagram likes, the WTCF predicts that the conscious traveller will, in the future, embark on meaningful journeys that truly warrant the efforts and the risks involved.

And what of medical tourism?

It may be harder and slower for medical tourism to recover, but the demand for treatment is still there. Hospitals and clinics in some countries will be coping with a backlog of treatment plus many will be involved in vaccination and pandemic treatment. There are still many reasons why patients will be pushed to visit other countries.

Several countries have reset their future tourism strategies, some are ramping up health tourism, but others are choosing to opt out of medical tourism. When IMTJ began, 14 years ago, the leading medical tourism promoters included Singapore, Panama, Brazil and Argentina – all of whom have effectively ceased promoting medical tourism. Others will certainly follow them out of the exit door.

Medical tourism will evolve with new ideas, better use of technology, better marketing and better understanding of customer needs. Those providers and countries that can do medical tourism well and safely will eventually thrive if they get away from the out-dated ‘we do it cheaper’ promotional strategy.

Medical travel destination survivors will offer customers what they really want, not what history shows or what destinations want to promote.