Signs to watch before thinking of resuming international travel

What are the indicators that hint at recovery of global air travel? At what stage it is safe to start planning next international trip? Is the situation likely to get any better soon? Here are some thoughts.

Sign 01: Relaxed entry criteria for vaccinated tourists: Many countries are opening their borders. If you are vaccinated, you get exemption from test or quarantine rules. This is a good sign. If within next 3-6 months if you can complete your vaccination, covid cases world wide come down to manageable levels and more countries relax their rules for international travelers, that would be the first good hint at recovery.

Sign 02: Resumption of international air travel: Air travel in India is now limited. Only domestic flights with RT-PCR tests and few international flights based on air bubble arrangements. DGCA has banned all scheduled international flights till end of June and may continue for some more time. For tourism related travel, conventional air travel should resume (without traveler having to explain the compulsion why it is essential to travel). That would be the second sign of recovery.

Sign 03: Visa services resuming: Indians need tourist visa for most countries. Resumption of Visa related services is a must have sign to restore normalcy.

Sign 04: Ability to have an alternate option: If an airline cancels its flight do you have another airline operating? If a country bans your entry do you have a plan B? If you are quarantined can you work from remote location for couple of weeks? Post covid tourists need to consider multiple scenarios and have a plan B in place so that disruption is minimum.

Sign 05: Pricing: Tourists don't have a compulsion to fly to a destination. If tickets are too expensive they will skip. It will be essential for air ticket prices to come down to sensible levels before tourists start planning. Current rate of 1 lakh Rs to USA one way or various such rates need to come down by at least 50% for leisure travel to be affordable and viable. Airlines will reduce prices once demand improves, more airlines start operating and competition kicks in.

Do you agree? What do you consider a good sign that now is the good time to plan an international leisure trip?