2020, COVID-19 & Traveling in 2021 — What to expect?

2020 will always be remembered as an atypical and challenging year due to the global pandemic caused by the Covid-19. But what now? In 2021, what to expect?

At the end of 2019, the first case of Covid-19 in Wuhan was known. Although it appeared on the Asian continent, not being an apparent problem for the others, it was only in a few months that this virus “traveled” to all the continents, with Europe being no exception.

Since March, most of the plans, from the simplest to the most sophisticated, have been postponed, left in the drawer, indefinitely. Also, the travels, long or short, on business or leisure, alone, with family or friends, have been substituted for books, movies, and series — the only ways to get out of the reality of home for a while.

Along with the millions of infected, significant, and uncontrollable numbers of deaths, occasional and temporary measures emerged that brought uncertainty to all sectors, causing changes that affect the economy and the organization’s cycle.

The tourism and hotel industry, where LUGGit belongs, is undoubtedly one of the most impacted and will have great difficulties getting back to the way it was. Air traffic has been stagnant, airports empty, borders with restrictions, hotels, hostels, and local accommodations closed. According to the Hotel Association of Portugal, it is estimated that this sector has suffered, in 2020, a loss of 80% in revenue due to the exceptional measures imposed on tourism in the context of the global pandemic.

In December 2020, one year after the Covid-19 outbreak, the vaccine appeared. Important efforts and resources were gathered and allowed the development of a vaccine authorized for commercialization, a process that usually spans almost up to a decade, to take only one year! There are already significant numbers of vaccinated people in various parts of the world, and it is impossible to be indifferent to this news.

Many countries had resumed tourism before there was a vaccine against the Covid-19 disease, doing so by implementing measures and requirements for travelers, who depend from country to country. It is always essential to consult the information about the destination country.

Surely all the learning and adaptations we have undergone in the last year will prevail. All the new prevention measures and the new conditions provided to allow safe travel during a pandemic will continue to convey confidence to all those involved in the tourism sector, both for those who travel and those who work every day in different areas of the sector.

When planning to visit Porto or Lisbon, don’t forget that our Keepers can improve your experience in these cities! LUGGit is a service that allows any tourist or company to request, in real-time, a driver (Keeper) to pick up, store and deliver your luggage where and when it is most convenient for you. Besides all the comfort, we implement a restricted security protocol in every service.

Enough time lost and missed opportunities in 2020, start optimizing your early check-in and late check-out moments with LUGGit!