Consumers have been trapped inside for the past year of the pandemic and are itching to travel again. Is your company prepared for the incoming travel surge?
Now that more than 130 million Americans are vaccinated, the travel industry will experience a boom that it may not be ready for. Whether traveling recreationally or for business, Americans are preparing to make up for lost time.
The statistics display a trend that can’t be ignored:
In March, travel spending tallied $69.5 billion—significantly higher than the previous four months and only 31% below March 2019 levels.
41% of U.S. companies plan to restart domestic business travel in the next three months, up from 25% just last month.
55% of travelers now support opening up their own community to travelers.
After remaining dormant for the past year, travel companies will need to ramp up staff and supplies to prepare for the oncoming wave of demand. Though many Americans are vaccinated, the CDC still requires masks on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States, and in U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations.
With an uptick in travelers and staff who need protection, are you prepared to implement safety measures and provide adequate PPE? Impacted industries will include:
Airlines
Hospitality
Restaurants
Hotels
Tour companies
Amusement parks
Entertainment
Art
Though it is encouraging to see hints of life returning to normal after the pandemic, becoming too careless will only hurt your business and may cause illness to your staff or customers.
Here are some ways you can prepare your business for the upcoming travel surge:
1. Plan Ahead
Be sure to monitor trends such as the upcoming travel surge to make sure you have adequate staff, plans, and protection. Now that we know that life and “business as usual” can be disrupted at a moment’s notice, businesses should have back up plans
ready. Do you have plans on how to move people safely through your space, six feet apart?
Do you have plans on what to do if a staff member contracts the virus? Planning ahead will
not only save your sanity, but will impact your bottom line at the end of the day.
2. Stock Up
The PPE shortage was a nightmare that caused an innumerable amount of fatalities and forced businesses to close without warning. Though the vaccines are effective in stopping the transmission of the SARS-CoV2 virus, you will still need PPE for staff and customers who are unvaccinated or in the transportation sector. PPE will need to be a more established part of your business plans moving forward. Make sure you are always
prepared.
3. Remain Flexible
The businesses who came out of the pandemic stronger were the ones who remained flexible in the face of constantly changing guidelines. As scientists discover more about this evolving virus and its’ many variants, be prepared to switch your business plan at a moment’s notice. Always follow CDC and local guidelines/regulations.
If you need to stock up on PPE such as masks, gloves, and cleaning supplies, Safety Pros can
help. Contact us to see what we can do to help you prepare for the travel tsunami.