Coronavirus and travel: The five lessons every traveller must learn from the pandemic

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Coronavirus and travel: The five lessons every traveller must learn from the pandemic

By Anthony Dennis
The only solution for many stranded passengers is to board exorbitantly-priced charter flights.

The only solution for many stranded passengers is to board exorbitantly-priced charter flights.Credit: iStock

The first pandemic in more than a century has sent shockwaves throughout the world with no one more vulnerable than the international traveller. The events of recent weeks have emphasised the fragility of travel and how exposed travellers can be in a major crisis.

When travel resumes, as it must for the future health of the global economy, the way we travel will be irrevocably altered following the drastic consequences of the coronavirus. Already several lessons for travellers have emerged which we'll all be wise to consider when international tourism eventually resumes.

LESSON ONE: THE WORLD IS AN EVEN BIGGER PLACE THAN YOU THOUGHT

The relative ease of air travel and modern communications has shrunk the world for travellers but when something goes wrong, badly wrong, such as, say, a pandemic, home can suddenly feel much further away than it did when you left. And things can change quickly. The Federal Government Smart Traveller advisory service recently dropped its "register just in case" plea to Australian travellers in favour of a "crisis page" on its website. In the future, it'll be even more important that those closest to you know your whereabouts at any time and that they have your itinerary handy, not just for their peace of mind but for your own.

LESSON TWO: IT'S YOUR HOLIDAY BUT DON'T SWITCH OFF COMPLETELY

Credit: Getty Images

It's tempting to switch off from world events overseas when you're on holiday. But, as recent events have underscored, it's vital you stay in touch with the news for sudden or developing local or international crises. Don't rely on gossip-riddled social media alone as a news source as it can lead you badly astray and potentially into danger but trusted services and titles such as the BBC, CNN, The New York Times and, of course, our own The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Global shocks don't come in tidy intervals. Aside from the coronavirus crisis which has seen the sudden closure of borders by countries and the cancellation of flights, terrorism remains a future prospect (see lesson three) as do,of course, natural disasters.

LESSON THREE: IF IN DOUBT, GET OUT

When something serious occurs in a destination on your itinerary don't delay your decision to leave safely if you can. So many Australian travellers have been trapped in places like India, running up huge hotel accounts, with little prospect of returning home after flight after flight has been cancelled. Even more Australians have chosen to ignore, or been unaware of, the Federal Government's entreaties to return home as soon as possible following the declaration of a pandemic. As COVID-19 has proven, it's important i to always have a plan if something goes seriously wrong or if your travel insurance policy suddenly becomes not worth the fine print written on it. Travellers who hang around also risk being caught up in civil unrest or becoming a target for crime. Remember, too, that while we may defeat or contain COVID-19, terrorists, for instance, will be noting how easily societies and economies have been disrupted these past weeks.

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LESSON FOUR: DON'T RELY ON YOUR GOVERNMENT TO RESCUE YOU ...

"Ask not what you can do for your government, but what it can do for you in a crisis or disaster overseas". This type of thinking has been shown to be misguided both on this and other occasions. Although the Federal Government has been able to co-ordinate some repatriation flight missions, it is not always logistically possible for it to do so, and many travellers may be unable to reach the points of departure in time. Airlines have suspended flights with a rapidity unrivalled even by September 11, with the only solution for many stranded passengers being to board exorbitantly-priced charter flights. One specially-equipped flight returning Australian cruise passengers from Uruguay, many of whom tested positive for COVID-19, cost $15,000 per person.

LESSON FIVE: ...AND DEFINITELY DON'T RELY ON ANY OTHER GOVERNMENT TO RESCUE YOU

Foreign governments, even those that depend on tourists to fuel their economies, have closed their borders with little or no notice to travellers. India declared a national lockdown and closed its borders virtually overnight, causing chaos for its citizens, let alone foreign travellers caught out by the sudden news or even completely unaware of it. Even worse, COVID-19 foreign governments, particularly those in South America such as Argentina and Chile, have shamefully refused permission for cruise ships to disembark and for their passengers to be repatriated. This has led to the stranding of many cruise ship passengers around the world including Australians who found themselves hopelessly in search of a port that would accept them. The lesson here is that while you may receive a warm welcome when you arrive, when events take a turn for the worse, governments will always favour the welfare of their own citizens first.

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