Travel Writing In a Time of No Travel

If you’re involved in travel writing or other tourism industries you may have seen work grind to a halt in a lot of ways in the past couple of months, let’s face it, it’s a bit hard selling the dreams of travel when there’s nowhere to go. But for the glass half full people like myself there are still plenty of ways to stay involved.

For freelance writers it’s still a good time to keep in touch with editors and make contact with any sources for future writing work (picture a duck paddling like hell under water) so that as soon as life gets back on track we can hopefully hit the ground running. Some magazines have suspended print and even online versions are pared back while they wait and see how and when travel restrictions will be lifted, which is looking more hopeful each day. Magazines also rely on money from advertisers which goes a long way in paying for production costs and if people aren’t spending with those companies, then it’s understandable that they are being cautious too. No doubt they are trying to make sure their own businesses stay afloat at this time as well.

When travel restrictions are lifted it will be road trips that can happen first so I think we can confidently say that even though it will be only within each individual state at first, there will be many cautiously taking the opportunity. Apart from the obvious desire to roam freely many caravanners will be looking forward to being able to support the local businesses in whatever region they travel to. Shopping and dining locally is a big part of what makes this type of holiday so appealing. No one knows exactly what it will look like yet but if there is a way to support local communities by travelling then I’m sure it will happen.

According to the Caravan Industry Association of Australia a strong domestic tourism focus will be the main goal for Tourism Australia, as you’d expect, and even though some caravan travellers weren’t made to feel welcome at the beginning of the pandemic, a gradual reopening of caravan parks and controlled increase to capacity is likely to be how these businesses will return to normal over the coming months. I think we’ve all come to accept that physical distancing and vigilant health practices are going to be the way things are for a long time to come as well as contactless payments for goods and services which are all easy steps to continue into the future.

Keep your distance and wash your hands.

In the meantime we can still update our websites and continue to blog about places to visit when we can hit the road again. We don’t have to miss out on happy hours either. There are a number of face time programs where you can have a virtual get together with travel buddies to share a drink and stories around your individual campfires and plan for future trips away.Until print and online magazines get up and running again, enjoy some virtual travel on websites, Instagram and Facebook and buy the magazines when they start up again!

Cheers

Glenys

14 thoughts on “Travel Writing In a Time of No Travel”

    1. Us too! Here in SA we can travel as of next week yippee so plans are afoot to head away soon. Probably us and a few hundred other people too so we will definitely ring ahead. We’ve had some backyard campfire chats too.

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  2. I have rather enjoyed re-visiting my old travel diaries during lockdown. One thing is for certain, I am not short of material for a Throwback Thursday feature! 🙂
    Lockdown in Italy eased to the point where we are now allowed outside to walk, which was AMAZING after being housebound for six weeks.
    Travel is still not an option, but we have plenty of plans ready to go, depending on how and when the restrictions lift around Europe. We are fortunate that we are able to stay where we are and are very safe in our tiny, mountain village. Now that we can get outside, we have a whole mountain wilderness to explore. But we have had itchy feet since mid-February and like many travel-addicts, can’t wait to hit the open road!
    I think you are right that road travel will be popular post-Covid, since it is self-contained and relatively easy to maintain social distancing when you have your own facilities. The only problem will be if everyone has the same idea and packs out the campsites!
    Keep happy and keep safe – and wishing you happy travels once the world re-opens for business!

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      2. We are so thankful that here in South Australia we are coming out of the issues slowly, we are doing great as a country but there is always the fear that coming into winter things could get worse. We have fresh air an ocean and a river nearby so turning to nature is a blessing for seeing the bigger picture.

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      3. Indeed. I hope that things stay that way for you in the southern hemisphere. While it is a new coronavirus, past experience suggests that similar viruses don’t thrive quite so well in warmer temperatures, which might be the saving grace here in Europe as we head into summer. I hope that a vaccine is developed before our next winter, otherwise we might be back to square one.

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  3. Lots of day dreaming going on right now. Whilst the writing’s ground to a halt a bit, there’s lots to look forward to in the future. Even a short overnighter will feel like a vacation. Stay well. 😍

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  5. Yes, it will undoubtedly be a different world when reality finally hits the world. Unfortunately, many businesses won’t survive. We have lost many magazines due to a German company [Bauer] deciding to shut shop here in NZ. Quite a few of the magazines were a Kiwi icon, such as the Women’s Weekly etc.

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