More than two and a half years have passed since the outbreak of COVID-19. Needless to say, in some way or another everyone was affected by this pandemic. Most countries have now returned to what was once normality or an adapted version of it. This summer, travelling had a big boost with some countries such as Greece experiencing significant growth in their economy derived from tourism.
Due to COVID-19 and the several restrictions that were imposed by countries, many were sceptical to travel and preferred to wait before resuming their travels. If you are one of those people who opted to wait, the following are some tips that can help you prepare for travelling post pandemic.
Paperwork
A lot of countries have now removed travel restrictions however, when booking a trip, do check what the requirements are. This may include vaccination status, passenger locator forms or any quarantine rules. Check if the criteria being imposed fit your travel requirements and have all the paperwork sorted before your trip. Once you get to the destination, checking any required paperwork is usually quite smooth and not a cause of stress. The key is to do your homework before or if you are making use of a travel agent, you can ask them to provide you with this type of information.
Insurance
Several insurance companies offer COVID coverage. It may be something you want to invest in just to put your mind at rest that if you are positive for COVID before your trip or whilst you are on your vacation, costs will be covered. Of course, if this happens it is far from ideal, but it is one less thing to worry about.
Waiting times
Due to lack of personnel at airports, this summer there were several disturbances to flying schedules and long waiting times for security checks. Plan ahead and allow sufficient time to be at the airport. If you do not need checked-in luggage, try to take a carry-on bag/hand luggage only. Some airports have been having issues with delivering the luggage and therefore if your bag is in the cabin, you do not need to worry if it will arrive or not. Prepare something to keep you occupied just in case you have delays. Also, if you are travelling for a particular event, do not fly on the same day so that you have room for rescheduling if a flight is cancelled.
Anxiety
As you would in your home country, take the precautions that make you feel safer. This may include frequent sanitization of hands, wearing a face mask, and maintaining social distance. Keep in mind that several countries have removed restrictions and therefore people are no longer obliged to follow them. Thus, do not expect others to be practising such precautions. If this is a concern, choose countries that consider better overall safety and cleanliness. There is only so much you can control, so try to be safe as much as you can but otherwise, enjoy the moment and your holiday!
If you think that you can benefit from professional support on this issue you can reach out here.
Dr Marilyn Muscat is registered as an Educational Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council in the United Kingdom where she trained. She works with children, adolescents and their families to understand more about educational, social and emotional well-being concerns that they have and to help them improve upon their difficulties. She can be contacted on marilyn@willingness.com.mt or call us on 79291817.