The pandemic blasted through the travel industry and left many businesses struggling to survive. Hotels closed, flights grounded, and travellers stayed home throughout the intermittent lockdowns.
International travel became a distant memory, and thousands of Brits turned to staycations instead. The pandemic left parts of the travel industry desolate, while others adapted and boomed.
Let’s take a closer look at how the pandemic impacted our ability to travel.
Air travel
It’s no surprise that the air travel industry took an enormous hit from the pandemic. In the early days of lockdown, we could barely leave our homes – let alone the country. There were travel restrictions across the globe, and it became incredibly complicated to go abroad. Some people persisted and attempted to travel to see family members. Others stayed in the UK for almost two years and made the most out of the country around them.
Fewer people travelled into the UK
Between February and April 2020, the number of people travelling into the UK dropped by a whopping 98.3%. Commercial airlines struggled to stay afloat amid the pandemic, and many filed for bankruptcy. Within just two months, they lost millions of customers and could no longer fund their business.
Boom in private travel
As commercial airlines failed, private air travel exploded. Vista Global found a 67% increase in private flight hours in 2021. Many commercial flights were delayed or cancelled, and private travel was the only option. It is also much safer to travel on a private flight than with hundreds of other customers on a commercial jet. Private travellers could remain socially distanced and limit the spread of covid-19.
Vista Global found that flight hours to the Middle East grew by 153% in 2021. Dubai became a major travel destination during the pandemic years. There were huge amounts of private air travel to luxurious holiday resorts as people desperately tried to escape the UK. They wanted a break from the pandemic and a slice of normalcy. As you would expect, there was a lot of controversy surrounding this on social media.
Hotel and accommodation
The hotel and accommodation industry also took a big hit from the pandemic. London saw a huge fall in room occupancy. In 2019, 90% of rooms were booked compared to just 20% in 2020. We couldn’t travel to the hotels, let alone stay in them.
The pandemic had an astronomical impact on the travel industry, and it still hasn’t fully recovered. Many airlines have filed for bankruptcy and left the business – while others struggle to recover. Fortunately, the UK’s staycation business is thriving right now, and there are plenty of options to choose
