Travel always brings feelings of delight, ecstasy, and excitement. Why not, when travel is often associated with the act of self-exploration. Many travellers narrate their stories of ‘finding themselves’ through travel.
In the pandemic times which started in March 2020, travelling suddenly stopped. But the world now seems to be accepting the new normal. New norms and advisories are in place to keep travelling a part of life for families across the globe – be it for necessity or recreation.
People’s daily activity engagement during travel is a strong instrumental to achieve goals in their lives which bring social sustainability and indirectly affect their well-being. This is demonstrated emphatically when people take to road trips during curbs on travelling by air or rail.
At the same time, tourist places, hotels and resorts are telling you in advance what prevention measures they have in place. Must you check them when you plan to stay at a hotel or resort while travelling.
What you should be your main concerns during travel
- Are staff wearing masks at work and practicing physical distancing?
- Are extra precautions in place, such as plexiglass barriers at check-in, modified layouts or barriers to allow for physical distancing between all staff, guests and visitors in the lobby, elevators and common areas?
- Is there an appropriate ventilation system in place?
- Is the hotel or resort implementing updated policies for cleaning and disinfection?
Mohan Ranga, the founder of Samruddhi Resorts, Hosur (near Bengaluru) says, “Safety of guests is our top priority. When you arrive, we disinfect any high touch surfaces in your room, including keys, doorknobs, or remote controls. We encourage opening windows to help ventilate the room on arrivals.”
“Samruddhi Resorts is a world class vacation retreat with a serene natural background,” says Mohan, adding “How does that sound? Your next outing should be booked at Samruddhi Resorts! Where else will you get so affordable occupancy for drive-to destinations?”
Regarding room service and housekeeping for short stays, Samruddhi Resorts maintains no cleaning or other room services to minimize the number of people entering the guest rooms during their stay.
Travel should be relaxing after the time spent in lockdown
While travel may be an act of self-discovery for some, it should not lead to concrete structures coming up at tourist places for commercial gains. People fail to realize that inauthentic experiences are constructed for them in the guise of giving them the real ‘feel’.
What we are witnessing today has been termed as “tourismification” by Noel B. Salazar, a French anthropologist. It is a “socio-economic and socio-cultural process by which society and its environment have been turned into spectacles, attractions, playgrounds, and consumption sites.”
Feel relaxed and destressed when you travel
Considering the predicament of the modern tourism industry, one might think – ‘Should’nt I travel and explore the world?’ By all means, yes! But remember to be a responsible traveller. We should educate ourselves about the place, its culture, and people while we are travelling.
The place should not be viewed from a utilitarian perspective, rather, focus on discovering the local spots and engaging with the community. We must tell ourselves that travelling to tourist destinations is a huge privilege, and with it comes the duty of being a responsible traveller.
Travel changed after 9/11, and it is changing even more as the Covid-19 pandemic enforced lockdown is finally being lifted. People are now looking more for travel via road trip to a neighbouring state or a week-long stay at a sanitized vacation rental property nearby.
