From USA Today:
“Why Americans defy travel bans:
To reunite with family or partners – or just because they can”
Not everyone is staying home this
summer. Some travelers are shrugging off the resurgence of COVID-19 infections
and ignoring the shutdowns – and they're taking a vacation anyway. Half of
Americans plan to stay put this summer, according to a new survey by
LuggageHero. But 31% have taken a domestic trip since lockdown restrictions
were eased, and a remarkable 19% have traveled internationally. That's a
shocking number of travelers who refuse to heed the travel bans.
Why? Some of the reasons, like
traveling to see a loved one or family member, may be legit. Others, maybe not.
The reader who bristled at my recommendation to cancel his summer vacation last
week comes to mind. He wrote to "thank" me sarcastically for urging
Americans to reconsider their trips. "It will be nice to experience travel
with normal people and not have to put up with ninnies like you baying at the
moon about masks and quarantines," he ranted. Either way, the prospect of summer travel
crowds raises an important question: Is travel really necessary at a time like
this. The prospect of summer travel crowds raises an important question: Is
travel really necessary at a time like this? One of the top reasons people defy
the travel bans is love. "Restrictions be damned," says Nicholas
Wolaver, who plans to travel to Europe this summer. He hasn't seen his
girlfriend in more than three months.
Croatia, unlike most of the
European Union, is allowing Americans in, which makes it a perfect meeting-up
point for Wolaver, who is based in Atlanta, and his girlfriend, who lives in
Moscow. He just has to show a negative COVID-19 test result when he arrives,
and he's in. He added they will both wear masks and respect social distancing,
except perhaps when alone with each other. "We're researching flight and hotel
options for August," says Wolaver, a communications consultant. There's a movement to waive travel bans for
unmarried couples. Already, Austria, Denmark, and Norway have loosened some of
their travel restrictions to allow bi-national unmarried couples and family
members to reunite. And the #LoveisNotTourism and #LoveisEssential hashtags are
trending on social media. "The
pandemic has taken an emotional toll on those with loved ones abroad,"
says Maury Chasteau-Simien, a British expatriate who lives in the U.S. and
supports the Love is Essential campaign. "Couples and families are kept
apart by government-controlled restrictions such as the current EU travel ban
in the U.S. and the 14-day quarantine in the U.K. There's a scary indefinite
blank space around when they'll be allowed to see their loved ones again."
Traveling for family fun: Other travelers are planning trips to see
family. Consider Marco Sison's situation. He and his girlfriend are currently
in the Philippines, but they want to travel to Austria for a family baptism.
Europe is also a great place to spend a few weeks during the summer. His
girlfriend is Austrian, and Sison has dual U.S. and Philippine citizenship. "To navigate the travel ban, we are
looking to travel from the Philippines to Turkey," says Sison, who writes
a retirement blog. "Turkey is currently letting in U.S. citizens with no
quarantine." Then it gets a little complicated. From Turkey, it's on to
Serbia, then to Montenegro, and after a 14-day quarantine, Germany and finally,
Austria. And if they don't get through? "Turkey is a good
compromise," he says. "We can both apply for temporary visas that
last up to one year." Well, that's one way to do it.
Defying the travel ban because
they can: Others have told me that
they're finished with the lockdowns and that they're going anyway. It doesn't
matter to them that there's a proven link between travel and the spread of
coronavirus, or that the lockdowns are there for everyone's protection. "The quarantines are mostly on the honor
system," says Jeff Klee, CEO of travel-booking site Qtrip. "So it's
not surprising that some folks are ignoring mandates and treating them more
like suggestions." People like Laurel Barton are trying to be responsible
about it. She'd already canceled two trips during the pandemic and wanted to get
out of the house this summer while still respecting the health guidelines. So Barton, a travel guidebook author who lives
in Lincoln City, Oregon, stayed close to home. Last week, she took a quick road
trip to the Oregon coast, trekking south to Bandon-by-the-Sea instead of flying
to Europe. And in fairness, she planned her vacation long before the tsunami of
new COVID cases and left for the coast just as the case numbers started to
climb. "Outdoor activities, keeping to ourselves, and eating something we
didn't have to cook ourselves were on the agenda," she says. Others – and you
know who you are – are not being as responsible. When I said "cancel your
summer vacation" last week, you thought I was talking to someone else.
You're not wearing masks, you're defying recommended quarantines, and you're
acting as if the summer of 2020 is like any other. Come on. Look, this is a
difficult summer for everyone. When I hear about people who thumb their noses
at the travel bans and take a vacation anyway, I wonder: Even though you can,
should you? Is traveling the right decision for you and anyone else you come
into contact with? Or am I just being a ninny? I'll say it again: It's time to
cancel your summer vacation. I mean it.
If you take a vacation anyway,
follow these rules:
Know before you go: If you decide
to take a vacation anyway, find out about the latest COVID trends before you
leave. "If you decide to travel, you will need to know what mandates are
in place, such as mandatory face masks," says Lisa Lindsay, executive
director with Private Risk Management Association, a nonprofit organization. To
get the most current information, she recommends checking the travel advisory
sections on the CDC and State Department websites (check the embassy in the
country you plan to visit for specifics).
Bring your tool kit: Government
restrictions change quickly and with little advance notice. Be prepared for new
requirements, says Michael McGarrity, vice president of global risk services at
Global Guardian. "Bring face masks and hand sanitizer," he says.
Make sure you can get out: If you're on vacation and there's a lockdown,
be sure you can get home. “You may get in, but you run the risk of not being
able to get back out if a quarantine is put back into place," explains
John Gobbels, chief operation officer for the air medical transport and travel
security company Medjet. "Many people found out in the first wave that
lockdown meant lockdown. Even if planes were leaving destinations, and
returning to the U.S. during the first few days of the global alert, no more
were being allowed into those destinations, so exit flights virtually
stopped."
^ I can understand travelling (nationally
or internationally) right now if you are visiting a sick or dying family member
or friend, but just to go on vacation is pretty dumb. I have family and friends
living around the US and the World and would like to visit them too, but I know
its not that safe to do so right now. I
hope the people who are making these “creative” (not very smart) roundabout travel
plans to beat the different travel bans don’t get stuck and can’t return to the
US – and when they return to the US they should self-isolate themselves for 14
days. ^
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.