The Customer Is King Again

Travel may not come back bigger, but it will be better

- Nikki Ekstein

My advice for traveling during the coronavirus pandemic has remained constant and simple since March: Don’t. That may sound odd coming from a travel editor whose job is to always find a way to get out and explore the world—and stranger still considering the extreme duress that border closures and social distancing have placed on the hospitality industry’s shoulders. They need visitors as much as we need a break.

But those who run hotels and guide excursions will hurt much more in the long run if we don’t heed the call of the moment by staying home just a bit longer.

In the meantime, the industry has adopted a previously unthinkable set of practices that put the focus squarely on providing the safest experience and best service possible, whether it’s antimicrobial TSA bins or blocked middle seats and every-other-row seating configurations. Hotels are regularly disinfecting lobbies, and their concierges are using SMS-based communications instead of having guests line up face to face. And suites have even been transformed into private dining rooms for Michelin-starred restaurants that normally parade elaborate dishes to elbow-to-elbow-packed diners.