Janice Nesamani
Northwest Asia Weekly
Sheena Kaup and her family prepare to board a flight to Seattle at Mumbai airport
In March 2020, a job offer for Sheena Kaup meant she and her family would move from Pune, India, to Seattle, half a world away. The prospect excited not only her and her husband, but also their then 4-year-old son.
Like millions of people around the world, Kaup’s travel plans have had to stay the same due to the new wave caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and variants. Traveling from India to the US to work or participate in emergencies means getting government approval and passing a series of tests and certifications.
“During the pandemic, we don’t feel safe for us to travel in enclosed spaces, especially with kids,” Kopp said.
When flights resume in November 2021, passengers will still be required to wear masks on board. But now with two kids on a 20-plus-hour flight with a mask on, it’s not something Kaup thinks his family can handle.
“I had to wait almost two years to travel here due to visa processing times and pandemic constraints,” Kopp said.
Then in April 2022, a federal judge in Florida overturned a CDC order requiring masks on planes and other transportation. For millions of travelers like Kaup and her family, the news is a breath of fresh air. That same month, the Copps boarded a flight to Seattle.
She now wants her children to have a chance to meet their grandparents, who may come over in the summer.
“Right now, people aren’t really wearing masks on flights, but our parents have been vaccinated, which makes us feel safe to travel now,” Cope said. “I hope they can come visit us.”
Obviously, the entire tourism industry is also relieved. Expedia Group’s recent Recovery Trends report shows that global searches grew 25% sequentially in the first quarter of 2022. Travelers in North America accounted for 30% of these searches. This marks a strong recovery in tourism.
Although COVID infections and hospitalizations rose slightly at the end of April, with 4.5 hospitalizations per 100,000 people, it appears that travelers, especially from North America, are more optimistic about being able to travel in the future. In fact, Expedia Group noted in their report that North American travelers are looking for travel dates further out of the year than their Asian counterparts.
This cautious attitude of Asian travelers also resonates with city dwellers. Take Christopher M. for example.
When he lives and works in Bellevue, he enjoys being by the sea. Not surprisingly, his family and friends live in Hawaii.
Throughout the pandemic, he has had to go home less often.
“It wasn’t hard to do because I knew it was for the greater good,” Christopher said.
“I didn’t want to inadvertently spread anything on the island, so I avoided all travel. I stayed away from Hawaii throughout the pandemic until I was vaccinated and boosted.” He added, “I also made sure I Anyone who is going to visit is also vaccinated.”
It also helps that the people he visits are wearing masks throughout the pandemic, and he spends most of his time outdoors and away from crowds on the island.
Christopher felt relatively safe on the plane as travel restrictions eased.
“I’ve only been to Hawaii so far. I feel relatively safe there knowing that my friends and family have been vaccinated and boosted,” he said. However, he admitted that he will continue to wear a mask on the plane.
Christopher revealed that he would love to continue exploring Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia next, but he is now hesitant.
“I don’t necessarily worry about myself,” he said. “I’m still a little paranoid and I’m going to inadvertently spread something to these island nations that have been more isolated from tourists in the last few years.”
Janice can be reached by info@nwasianweekly.com.
