Travelling has not been easy for the last two years and with the discovery of a new coronavirus variant, it seems to have taken a direct hit. Most travellers are now wondering whether they should go ahead with their plans or postpone those for the time being.

Even in this seemingly disheartening scenario, industry experts and travel enthusiasts are full of optimism. Here’s what they have to say about travel in 2022:

Catch the travel bug – not Covid

“Cue the pandemic in 2020 and came an onslaught of flight cancellations and wait on refunds with no vacation in sight. But as the world adapted to the new normal, travel inevitably evolved with changing times. No longer as effortless as before and rather stress inducing, travel like the human spirit, also found a way to persevere in our lives.

“As new coronavirus variants were discovered, governments and businesses learnt to adapt. With the Omicron variant, it’s clear that most countries are in no mood to shut borders to tourists and travellers are in no mood to shelve their travel plans. They’re mentally prepared for more PCR tests and vaccine passports. Once you reach a destination, being fully vaccinated will be the ticket to practically do anything: dine in, museums, shows… the works.

“Travel trends in 2022 will see some beloved destinations opening up in ‘bubbles’. As East Asian countries hesitatingly open up with strict travel restrictions, the pandemic’s choice honeymoon destination Maldives, might just take a little backseat. Start dreaming about your favourite beach in Phuket, tea plantations in Kandy and that scuba dive in Bali waters. Spain looks like the perfect European getaway as other Schengen states, including the Netherlands go back in full-lockdown (one of the few countries to respond this way to rising numbers of infections). Turkey will continue to reign as the hottest destination as they cater to thousands of tourists to their city centres and culture hubs. For those in the mood for a bit more adventure and an exotic getaway, Mexico seems to be on the top of lists for avid travellers; great food, serene beaches and an eclectic culture? Sign me up.

“Travel now truly feels like a gamble and will continue to feel that way all of next year. But if travel makes you feel as whole as it does me, you’ll find a way with new policies announced by airlines and holiday rentals. Here is to a new year with new adventures, being fully masked and fully vaxed.”

– Mahaa Saeed, Girls Trippin’ founder and travel blogger

It’s all about experiences

“[New variants of] coronavirus will affect foreign tourists coming to Pakistan but for local tourists there will be a difference only during lockdown periods. A lot of people haven’t been able to explore Skardu for a few years because of road conditions. Now that the Gilgit-Skardu Road is almost complete, Skardu and other unexplored areas nearby will [hopefully] see a lot more tourists this year. Direct flights from several cities to Skardu will also increase tourism in that region.

“People will be more inclined towards looking for new experiences instead of visiting a destination just for the sake of it. Tourists will realise that a trip is not just about a destination but also about local food and music. This is what truly makes a trip worth remembering.”

– Abdul Hanan, Traverse Pakistan

Best season to explore Europe

“Travelling is my passion; it runs in my blood. It hasn’t been easy to travel during the pandemic but it has amplified my thirst to discover and explore new places. Most recently, I had to take a nine hour train journey from Cologne to Prague to circumvent obstacles that come with Covid.

“To travel abroad in 2022, the first thing one should do is to get vaccinated. The season nowadays is the best to explore Europe. But before travelling to any country these days, I always do a little research on the number of Covid cases there and the time it would take for a wave to die down. Moreover, I prefer to stay at Airbnbs instead of hotels, because I find that safer. For travelling within Pakistan, Kashmir and Northern Areas are the best bet.

“I know the pandemic has made our lives difficult but we all want to venture out and feel positive in these chaotic times. I hope that better days are just around the corner.”

– Gul Jabeen, travel blogger and data scientist based in Germany

Appreciating places closer to home

“Honestly speaking Covid-19 is now a reality. New variants of the virus have been evolving since the start of the pandemic. One thing I strongly believe in is the fact that humans are extremely adaptable. One way or the other they’ll find a way to adapt to the times, pandemic or no pandemic.

“In the past two years, I haven’t exactly taken an international vacation mainly because of the overwhelming amount of documentation and the logistics needed to get from one point to another; it’s not as simple any longer as getting a visa and hopping on a plane. I believe that with time it’ll get harder.

“That said, it hasn’t deterred me from travelling. Rather than venturing abroad, I’ve started appreciating places closer to home. In the past two years I’ve travelled to more parts of Pakistan than I had in my entire lifetime. I have been to places like Gwadar, Surbandar, Skardu, Peshawar and Rawalpindi. Had there been no pandemic I not have checked out any of the latter.

“I noticed that I wasn’t the only one travelling across the country. A positive that came out of this was that those working in the domestic travel sector had to step up their game in order to keep up with the overwhelming demand of the domestic populace. Because of this the services industry saw a bit of a boom.

“Places like Thar, Ormara and Baltistan where touristic infrastructure is pretty basic have started popping up on Pakistan’s “must see destinations” travel map. I foresee more and more local destinations attracting tourists, with more and more people travelling inland. For sure, we’ll end up finding out about a bunch of hidden gems.

“With better security, accessibility and improving infrastructure I see Balochistan becoming a more popular travel destination. The region offers a little bit of everything from fantastic white sand beaches to dramatic mountain scenery and for a glutton like me, lots of amazing food.”

– Bilal Hassan, doctor with a penchant for travel, culture and social commentary

Life must go on

“Tourism in 2022 will be better managed than the previous Covid years. In my opinion, people around the world are now more aware of the precautions we need to take and all personal safety measures related to physical health when it comes to travelling. Also people now understand that life must go on regardless of the fact that the virus is still mutating. As long as all aspects of personal safety are covered, tourists would like to resume exploring the planet. However, this can only be sustainable if tour operators and customers are transparent and clear about the Covid documentation required to travel. Complete honesty between the two, is key to making this strategy successful. Gwadar is one place to look forward to exploring in 2022!”

– Ahmed Nasir, Adventure Travel Pakistan director

Increased tourism in Punjab

“I believe a ‘trend’ means something predictable, but we are living in very unpredictable, albeit interesting, times because of the pandemic. Who would have thought that the US would be cancelling 80 percent of their flights before Christmas? So it is a very difficult time to navigate and it isn’t over until it is actually over. It is very hard to predict anything.

“Of course with something as contagious as Covid, tourism was always going to be affected. But now, as an industry, we are much better prepared than we were in March, 2020. Even though a new variant is lurking, things are way better than they were last year or the year before, because of our preparedness and our own learning curve. I see optimism and if there is going to be any trend it is going to be in favour of domestic tourism. If you compare Pakistan to a place like Dubai in terms of tourism, the hospitality capacity of Dubai is far greater than its population, hence it needs foreign tourists for its tourism industry to thrive. In Pakistan, the current infrastructure of the tourism industry can survive just by focusing on domestic tourism.

“I believe that Skardu is going to be a very important destination next year. There are two reasons for that. Though I have said there’s not going to be a lot of international tourism, international flights have just opened up there. If you only consider the number of Pakistanis living in the Middle East, you can imagine the number of international visitors that Skardu might be seeing this year. The second reason is that the much awaited road linking Gilgit and Skardu will be functional soon. Due to these two reasons, I believe Skardu is going to see big tourist numbers. Whenever we talk about tourism in Pakistan we always talk about the Northern Areas. I believe that due to the connectivity of motorways between Karachi and Lahore, people have now started travelling by road between Karachi and Lahore. Due to which, I think, the Punjab is going to see increased tourism not only from within the Punjab but also from places in Sindh. People can now travel with their families in a car and reach Lahore in 13 or 14 hours so the travelling time is not as long as it once used to be.”

– Ali Hamdani, Landmark Pakistan CEO

Backpacking is the way to go

“In 2021 I tried backpacking for the first time, an idea that came to me while visiting a backpacker’s hotel in Islamabad where I met a number of foreign tourists who frequently backpack around the globe. I was like, “if they can do it, why can’t I?” Hence began a memorable journey that opened many new avenues for me. In 2022, I see more of that since things are better controlled in Pakistan as compared to most of the world, as far as SOPs are concerned. I can safely say that people are much more used to the Covid protocols now, especially people belonging to the hospitality industry. In 2022, I see a lot of foreign influx in Pakistan and since domestic travel has been booming ever since Covid happened, it will definitely thrive in 2022.

“Skardu’s airport is now an international airport, and Jaglot Road, the road leading to Skardu is fully carpeted. So, in my opinion, it is going to be one of the main destinations for foreigners and domestic travellers alike. A lot of people are now investing in Skardu, building new infrastructure and hotels there to facilitate tourism. I know a couple of Pakistani expats who are investing in Skardu’s tourism industry.

“Naltar valley, I think, is also going to be one of the hottest tourism places next year. The valley has a ski resort that can see a definite boom with regards to winter tourism. Domestic tourists, for example, are very interested in the attractions that the valley offers, for example, skiing and camping etc. The road to Naltar is also going to be completed next year so that is going to be a destination a lot of tourists will want to go to. Phander valley will be another hot destination since the Gilgit-Baltistan government is really working very hard to improve the infrastructure in these places.”

– Huma Tarik, MyEffinTours founder

Travel industry will flourish

“We, the human kind, have faced new challenges every now and then. Yet again we are facing a catalyst towards evolution of our existence in the form of Covid-19. Something as overwhelming as this has a long lasting impact on all industries and businesses. In my opinion all industries and businesses will evolve, adjust and redirect to keep moving forward yet again.

“Omicron is merely another variant of the coronavirus. In my opinion, it will have only a short-term impact on the travel industry. By early spring all players in the travel industry i.e., airlines and tour operators will huddle together to revise the SOPs to ensure the recovery of the travel industry. By mid-summer we shall see a new normal fully in place. It may look and feel drastically different in comparison with pre-Covid travel but the consumers will easily adjust to the new conditions and the travel industry will flourish.”

– Fahd Dogar, One58Travel CEO