That kind of optimism represents one of two dominant perspectives, according to travel agents. There are those eager to hit the road, despite the possibility of a second wave of Covid-19 infections in the fall. They’re maintaining existing reservations and planning new trips to make up for missed spring and summer travel, to ease the sense of being trapped at home or make sure they get exactly the destinations, hotels, and villas they want—especially if their bookings have flexible cancellation policies. (Whether the communities they intend to visit will embrace or reject the presence of outsiders is an open question.)
At the more cautious end, say agents, are clients who are refusing to travel until a coronavirus vaccine is available, or at least until things are more stable.
Some consumers may be caught between. There’s some urgency for those who have credits for canceled trips, says Melissa Biggs Bradley, founder and chief executive officer of luxury travel firm Indagare. “Many of those will expire by the end of the year,” she says. “There are not enough days or rooms to satisfy all the credit out—so if people don’t grab options, they may lose their credits.”
In any case, “luxury, high-end travel is going to be what comes back first,” says Kate Doty, managing director of premier access for adventure specialist GeoEx. Deep-pocketed travelers can afford to pay for space, privacy, and even coronavirus testing for staff.
City vs. Country
Whether they’re staying in the U.S. or venturing overseas, one thing is clear: Travelers are not booking urban breaks.
“I would say the common thread [among client requests] is spread out, wide-open spaces, privacy, and avoiding anywhere with density unless it’s brief,” says Brendan Drewniany, head of communications for luxury travel-planning firm Black Tomato.
Iceland is in demand, he says, because it’s remote but easy to reach, with direct flights from the U.S. and regularly scheduled transfers within the country. Private planes can fly into a dedicated terminal in Reykjavik, and many remote parts of Iceland are accessible by helicopter. “Deplar Farm has two helipads,” Drewniany says, referring to the 13-room heli-skiing and fly-fishing lodge on northern Iceland’s Troll Peninsula. It helps that the country is preparing to welcome international visitors in mid-June, with the provision that they test negative for Covid-19 upon arrival, quarantine for two weeks, or otherwise show a clean bill of health.
Auberge says it’s seeing spikes for its properties in Cabo, Hawaii, the Caribbean, and the mountains—places that are removed but not too remote for American guests.
The Maldives have rarely been more in demand, says George Morgan-Grenville, founder and CEO of U.K.-based travel design firm Red Savannah.
“This year, its geography leads it to be perceived as a safer area; each resort sits on its own island with its own controls with accommodation widely spaced,” he says. Deals that take as much as 35% off pricy overwater accommodations, such as the $2,600-a-night, waterslide-equipped villas at Soneva Jani, are putting the bucket list destination within reach for some. Unlike Iceland, however, the Maldives has no current plan to lift travel restrictions.