"revenge travel" is apparently a thing, now.

Have you heard this term? We only just recently learned of it, but we’re absolutely experiencing the phenomenon. It sounds kinda mean, but in reality, it’s much more positive than you’d think. Basically, the idea is that because people couldn’t travel in 2020, they’re going to get “revenge” on COVID by traveling as soon as they’re vaccinated, and they’re going bigger and better than they might otherwise have planned.

With more than half of all adults in the U.S. fully vaccinated and 63% with at least their first shot, we’re not surprised that “revenge travel” has become a thing. We’ve just come back from a week of socially-distant safaris in Tanzania, so we might be part of that trend, ourselves, actually. But just because you’re vaccinated, doesn’t mean traveling is the same as it was “in the before times.”

To begin with, vaccinations are making travel more complicated not less. Why? Because there is no agreed-upon protocol for international travel on how to deal with unvaccinated travelers, let alone vaccinated travelers. While the EU’s Digital COVID Certificates is a start, the rest of the world is a long way away from a uniform and unified approach, and that makes it necessary to navigate a web of regulations and protocols.

Case in point: we were fully vaccinated, but we still needed proof of a negative PCR (not rapid) test, within 72 hours of entering Tanzania. And, in addition, we needed to present those test results prior to boarding our plane in New York for two (very long) flights to get to Kilimanjaro International Airport. Once we arrived, Tanzania performed a rapid test at the airport before we were permitted to collect our bags and leave. And, in spite of our vaccination, we still needed a negative test within 72 hours of our departure to return to the US, which meant coordinating with a local clinic to get the test before the fourth leg of our trip, when we were flying to the Serengeti. And then we had to get those results in hand and print them off, to show at the airport.

On our way from the Serengeti to Kilimanjaro to Doha to JFK — all with a recent confirmed negative PCR result in hand for each of us!

If that sounds complicated, well, it sort of is. But, then again, that’s why you’re working with a travel advisor, right?

While many countries including the U.S. have not changed their positions on COVID-19 and international travel, changes are happening for the vaccinated traveler. A few countries are now open to U.S. vaccinated travelers that weren't before, a dozen countries have removed the PCR testing requirements for inbound vaccinated travelers, and some destinations that required both testing and quarantines have now relaxed those requirements for the vaccinated traveler.

Domestically, Hawaii has yet to relax its testing requirements for vaccinated travelers from the mainland for travel to the Islands (or, in some cases, travel between the islands).

And what about protocols for unvaccinated children, protocols for families, protocols for COVID-recovered travelers, etc..? We have all of those details, and we’re happy to sort it out for you. You just need to give us a call!