COVID-19 Reinvents What People Want When Traveling

The coronavirus has disrupted travel in unprecedented ways, grounding airlines and emptying out hotel rooms.

But as lockdown restrictions begin to lift around the world, people are once again thinking about travel — and the best ways to do it during a pandemic.

Travel experts expect the summer of 2020 to be the summer of the road trip.

"As home isolation orders are lifted yet physical distancing remains top of mind, we anticipate road trips and personal auto travel will rebound faster than group travel," Andre Haddid, the CEO of car-sharing company Turo, recently told Business Insider. "Travelers will prefer the privacy and comfort of traveling in their own car with close family and friends."

This desire for control over how many people travelers interact with could result in some unexpected side-effects: The unassuming roadside motel may find itself more popular than a luxury hotel, and RVs may become the go-to mode of transportation.

"Interest in the RV lifestyle — because it's so Americana and the desire for people to get out and explore their immediate surroundings and visit some of the iconic places in the country — it is literally off the charts now," Garry Enyart, chairman of the RV Industry Association, told Business Insider.

Travel experts expect that as people venture out again, they'll start by traveling closer to home instead of hopping on flights. And that could make the summer of 2020 the summer of RV travel.

Check out the full article from Business Insider here.