Summary
This article entails the change in the present travel scenario, the importance of health conditions and its certification before embarking on the journey to another country. it further discusses the change in the world travel order post-COVID-19 and how the travel insurance has incorporated the travel insurance in their travel policy being provided to the customer and the platform through which travel insurance can be easily and swiftly purchased.
“Travel is a dream that one wants to live in their life”
Many people in this world are “Travel enthusiast” they eat breath and sleep thinking about their next travel destination and the way they are going to make it happen. Everywhere you plan to travel you need to keep in mind certain do’s and don’ts that help you plan better and travel with peace of mind and enjoy your trip to the optimum.
So, if someone is travelling for the first time….they need to take the tips from the experts that have done that numerous times and their experience can benefit you to learn from their experiences and not to make those mistakes yourself. While looking at the present scenario we are seeing a completely new SOP’s being formed, new things, rituals, terms conditions being formulated and a new travel order emerging.
World Post COVID-19
We all saw the cancelling of flights all over the world. Countries shutting and suspending off their airport and flights operations, people being stranded in a foreign country unable to return to their homeland or place of work, many were seen stranded on airports during transits as the host country had suspended operations, who was later on accommodated.
So a complete panic and haphazard situation were seen and the entire world came to a standstill when the virus from Wuhan COVID-19 gripped the world in its clutches of infecting people all over the world. The virus starting from a single city of China has spread to 190+ countries of the world, affecting the whole cycle of life. The students are stuck in dorms in international universities which they need to vacate and come to their own countries as soon as possible, pilots of multiples airlines are stuck at different locations and other chaos has been going globally.
Change in Travel Pattern Post-COVID-19
Already the world is transforming and it seems like the way people travelled and moved from one place to another would change magnificently. The criteria on which people would be evaluated and the visa was provided would also alter as health would be one of the major concern for the host country and the insurance for such virus and other health risks would become mandatory when applying for the country’s visa.
While talking about travel many countries have not yet stated the exact date to resume their airport operations and when they would resume the flight. So there is yet no proper date on the calendar the world can go back to being normal and the hustle and bustle of the airport would begin.
Presently more than two million have been infected and more than three hundred people have lost their lives battling the deadly and contagious virus. Yet there seems to be no halt in the spread of the virus and the only viable solution to man today is at best is social distancing. As the momentum builds, there are more and more concerns regarding the future policy making where international travel is concerned as one person can infect up to 15 individuals and that can, in turn, convert into a large rolling ball of positive tested COVID-19 individuals.
Europe and USA have been the countries that have been worst hit by the COVID-19 thousands of people have lost their lives and every day new cases are being reported and thousands of people are losing their lives in the face of this epidemic.
Keeping the brutal and everyday deteriorating situation in perspective many countries have suspended flights coming in from Europe and the USA as they are the most affected region in the world. The pandemic has changed the basic functionalities and the world has gone into a complete stand-still that is a lockdown.
A while back no movement and being home was considered as bad even morbid for a person’s wellbeing, but now in the current scenario being home, limiting movement, exposure to people and excessive environmental conditions can be fatal and lead to serious health consequences.
Schengen Requirements Post-COVID-19
A warning which has been recently issued by the French President Emanuel Macron that the peripheral borders of the Schengen Area and the European states may remain closed/non-operative until September( tentatively) which has completely extinguished the hopes of people intending to travel to Europe throughout this period.
If the European Commission, which has already announced the prolongation of the border closure and not starting operations until mid-May, further extends external borders operations until September 2020, this notification means non-EEA inhabitants and residence permit holders will not be able to travel to these countries before the border closure is lifted.
One thing that needs to be remembered and constantly is reminded of is that once the risks and hazards from the pandemic are reduced, and the Schengen zone gets back to normality, the Euro-Zone member countries will start asking for additional supporting documents regarding details of applicant’s health conditions, one of the main requirements can be a test report that ensures that the traveller is not a COVID-19 positive and is no threat for the spread of the virus to the country travelling to.
As per the Schengen visa sources “When the Schengen Borders open up in September, if they do, Schengen Visa applicants may need to submit a Coronavirus test that has resulted negative, taken within the last two weeks before the visa application. The traveller may be required to take a new test before travelling to the Schengen area, as to make sure that he/she has not been infected in the meantime,” looking at such these conditions, such strong measures shall be implemented in the recent future.
The official also noted that once the COVID-19 vaccine is established and obtainable for all, visa aspirants may also be required to be vaccinated in the upcoming times, in particular, if the virus remains active and persistent.
While at the present understanding the need of this requirement may seem that the Schengen countries are going an extra mile to and have been pushed by the Coronavirus pandemic, but peeking into the history we can see that even in the past there have been similar requirements have been imposed by some of the Euro-Zone countries, towards countries worst affected by the Swine Flu and the Ebola virus etc. that had skilled several million people world over and had cause instability in the functioning of the world.
While the number of Coronavirus cases in the world is nearing two million, the worst-hit country in the world remains the United States with over 600,000 cases detected, followed by four Schengen members, Spain, Italy, France, and Germany and in the Middle East Iran has taken the lead. The Schengen country with the highest number of deaths remains Italy, while the highest number of deaths in the USA alone might supersede the entire European continent.
COVID-19 and Future World Travel
The situation at present seems unclear and gloomy but all the countries in the world have a united front and are ready to fight the infectious virus and to get rid of it as soon as possible. Life has always been unpredictable but this has made humans realize the importance of family and its role in an individual life.
Travel Insurance and COVID-19
Multiple insurance providers keeping that in perspective have already started providing travel insurance that covers COVID-19 under clear policy wordings so that the traveller and the country travelling to can ensure the person’s coverage in case of any mishap or unfortunate situation. Once the world stabilizes and things slowly and gradually gets back to normality, we shall see many factors playing role in travel and people would face another set of aforementioned required before boarding the plane for their planned destination.
This insurance can very easily be acquired from Smartchoice.pk within few minutes just by completing the whole process online, payment included at the comfort of your home. Just login-to Smartchoice.pk enter your required details and TADAAA…your travel insurance shall be emailed to you within few minutes after the payment is done, you can also avail cash-on-delivery option and receive the policy at your door-step.
