The travel industry is one of the hardest hit by the worldwide pandemic. Rules and regulations are fluid which is leaving wanna-a-be travellers at a loss as to where they should go. Julia Lutchman with Evexia Travel in Cochrane, says it is difficult to pinpoint any trends, but there is definitely an interest in getting away. "I'm finding there are a lot more people that are reaching out asking what should they be doing because they really need to get away."

The COVID 19 pandemic has proven that there is a yin and yang concept to it. This means for all the negatives associated with it there have also been some positive changes caused by the virus. This theory holds true for the travel industry. While airlines are seeing huge economic losses they have had to shift their attitude to cater more to the traveller in order to entice them back. As Lutchman points out this is a very positive trend. "I love the changes that I am seeing in the industry that it is turning more to a customer focus which is refreshing and exciting and I am hoping that more airlines are going to jump on board with this as well, because it's a change that has needed to happen or needed to shift."

The in 2020 the year of COVID, the airline industry is needing us more than we need them and that is what is driving the industry to shift their attitude. An example of this is recently United announced that they are going to "forever" remove their change fees. A win for the traveller as it means much more flexibility. Likewise, Air Canada is adding an extra incentive of providing COVID coverage for any passengers travelling on select sun destinations. Lutchman says, "I think this a brilliant piece for them to be doing because it will just bring a little bit more peace of mind."

Finally, the airlines know that they have to step up when it comes to health protocols and travel. More and more airlines are making masks mandatory and strictly enforcing the rule. Luthchman says, "The airlines need us on those planes and if they start getting a bad rap on how many people are getting sick then that is not good for them. So they are taking this very seriously."

While it may seems hard to do at times, if you look hard enough at the cloudy skies produced by the pandemic there just may be a silver lining hiding in there somewhere. Such is the case for the wanna-a-be traveller.