We are over the moon to see many of our favorite destinations opening the world of tourism this year, and we’re very much looking forward to more countries reopening 2022. We’re willing to bet there’s a place or two you’re excited about returning to or visiting for the first time next year. The thing is, so is everybody else.
For summer 2022 and even for next year’s holiday season, the time to start planning your travel is now. Space is only going to get tighter, and 2022 is on pace to smash travel records as people go on the last two years’ worth of missed vacations in epic fashion. Revenge travel is real, and demand is sky-high. With COVID entry protocols, passport renewal logjams, and places filling up fast, there are so many more moving parts to going on your dream journey than you remember from the pre-pandemic era.
The value that a great travel advisor brings has never been more important. I will do everything in my power to ensure your next trip is as spectacular as you’ve imagined these last couple of years. But you’d be doing yourself a favor if you start the process now.
After a year delay, the Tokyo Summer Olympics went ahead, and just a few months later, from Feb. 4-20 the Winter Olympics will take place in and around Beijing. Athletes from 80 nations will compete in more than 100 events, with strict COVID protocols and no shortage of political intrigue surrounding the games. Beijing will be the first city to host both Summer and Winter Olympics, having staged the 2008 summer games.
The Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany, is scheduled to go from May to October after a two-year postponement. Interestingly enough, the play was started as a way to give thanks after a 17th-century plague receded. The tradition will continue with a hearkening back and a looking forward after another plague has disrupted the flow of life.
On the heels of last summer’s continental championships, the World Cup is slated for its original dates in November and December in Qatar. The traditional Northern Hemisphere summer dates of soccer’s quadrennial world championship moved to avoid the worst of the desert heat. Temperatures should be in the 70s and 60s Fahrenheit during the tournament, far better than the 100-plus that would have greeted players and fans in July. Some lucky nation will take home a gift to remember from the final, which is slated for a week before Christmas.
Even the small island nation of New Zealand, which has been extremely careful about COVID, has announced plans for fully vaccinated visitors to come starting April 30, though they will still have to quarantine for a week before being able to explore.
More borders should open to travelers as well. Little by little, country by country, event by event, 2022 will usher in more of a return to a global world. Travel is coming back, safer and better than ever. The question is, will there be any space left by the time you book? Schedule a time for us to chat about your ideas and dreams.