It's Your Week. Your guide to travel since the COVID pandemic
Are you ready for a vacation? I know I am.
My family is gearing up to drive down to Florida to see my dad. I don't know if a two-day drive with a toddler really counts as a vacation, but sometimes you just got to get the heck out of Dodge, right?
I'm Sallee Ann and, especially if you've got the travel itch, this edition of Your Week is for you. We talk with Travel reporter Dawn Gilbertson on what you can expect after an unpredictable two years.
But first, don't miss these stories made possible with your Paste BN subscription:
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Ready to go? Travel section
When Dawn Gilbertson tells people she's a travel reporter for Paste BN, she knows their thoughts immediately turn to all-expenses paid trips to exotic destinations, with beach time, Instagrammable meals and activities and luxury linens at the hotel.
Gilbertson visited Mexico and Hawaii for work last year, but her days were spent reporting on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the gradual return of travelers. Fellow travel reporter Morgan Hines took her first cruise, and discovered and reported from sea on COVID-19 cases on board.
"At Paste BN, our travel team focuses on travel news and the news has been nonstop pandemic coverage for two years and counting," Gilbertson said. "We started out focusing on the cruise ship drama as early cases spread and then spent months reporting about the plunge in travel, struggles to get refunds and early efforts to lure travelers back with mask and testing rules and travel restrictions galore.
"The 9/11 terrorist attacks decimated travel, too, but the rebound was much quicker. The industry is still not back to pre-pandemic levels in most cases, but there are hopeful signs. Travel restrictions are easing around the world thanks to a drop in cases and increased vaccination rates. People who haven’t boarded a plane since 2019 are starting to plan travel in droves.
"It all adds up to a spike in the price of airline tickets, hotels, Airbnbs and rental cars. Our coverage is shifting to ways travelers can manage higher prices and bigger crowds."
Want to be a better informed traveler ahead of your trip? Check out this roundup of travel tips from Gilbertson, along with tips and advice from travelers with disabilities. You can also sign up for our travel newsletter for the latest travel news, right in your inbox.
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Thank you
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That's it for this edition, see you next week!