Hotel chains will streamline, airlines consolidate, and sadly, some tour operators will close their doors. It might be time for the travel industry reboot.

I refuse to stress over things I cannot change. I believe we are a few months away from getting back on track in whatever form travel will take. Hopefully, the road will be paved with more authentic journeys of discovery and less mass tourism.

My Vision is a World of Travelers, not Tourists

Let’s appreciate what makes us different and similar without judgment, leave our preconceived notions at home, open our minds, and learn what every destination and culture can teach us.

Imagine returning home from our travels with understanding and new perspectives to share, rather than trinkets, souvenirs, and selfies. You might be surprised at what you see when not looking through the lens of a cell phone.

Show gratitude for the sights we are privileged to enjoy, respect sensitive environments so as not to leave a footprint, and the knowledge that wildlife should be observed in their natural habitat, not used as a form of entertainment.

Is Your Life a Page Turner?

A very long time ago, I wrote the article “If Your Life was a Book, What Would it Look Like?” Here is an excerpt:

“You started composing the Book of You the moment you were born. What does it look like? Better yet, what do you want it to look like? The adventurous romp of Jonas Jonasson’s The 100-Year-Old Man, romantic Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Dan Brown’s international murder mystery The Da Vinci Code, or the political intrigue of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan series? As you can imagine, I saw myself as the fanciful sidekick of the handsome Phileas Fogg in Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days.”

Use Your Imagination

This article is a bit different in that I am going to ask you to use your imagination. If you have forgotten how to do that, your grandchildren can remind you. I may never physically travel to New Guinea to sit quietly with the orangutans, but my imagination can whisk me there in seconds!

Delights of Coming Attractions

Read, watch, and imagine the joys of future travel. Just like the book The Secret, if you can see it in your imagination, it can happen! The journey begins the moment you start to anticipate and prepare for your next adventure. Have a peek.

Virtual Travel

South America

In the world’s driest desert, this otherworldly place will transport you to another planet: Relais & Châteaux, San Pedro de Atacama Desert, Chile.

And if you’re into love stories, this one will take you to the end of the world: Awasi Relais & Châteaux, Patagonia.

North America

Forget expensive Mardi Gras – parades and parties are an everyday event in the Big Easy. Visit the real New Orleans by tour bus and on foot. Music, art, cuisine, and that delicious chicory coffee and sugar-coated baguettes!

The magnificent mansions and lavish gardens of the Garden District, oak-shaded streets, Lafayette Cemetery, boutiques and antique shops. My kind of town!

May I also suggest a fall foliage cruise from charming Quebec City, Canada to New England, USA. And when in Canada, why not visit Vancouver Island. This is my favourite place on earth!

Europe

If you haven’t been, try river yachting in France. There is a spectacular canal cruise through Burgundy you can enjoy on the Belmond Hirondelle.

Re-live the Golden Age of Travel aboard luxurious railway journeys. One option is Ireland’s Belmond Grand Hibernian train.

For those who are fascinated by the scenic north, with its fjords and unforgettable nature, the Hurtigruten Highlights of Coastal Norway may be the voyage of a lifetime.

And though Italy may never be the same after the pandemic experience, it will get back on its feet. And then you can enjoy a Behind the Scenes journey of Sicily, just as Steve McCurry saw it through his camera.

Africa

If you have a spirit of adventure, nurture it in the vast lands of this hot continent. The Skeleton Coast of Africa is definitely on my bucket list!

Australia and the Pacific Islands

How would you like to be an explorer in Australia? You can discover the natural beauty of the magnificent Kimberley or enjoy Tahiti under sail.

Recommended Travel Books

Many people love to read books in addition to all the video material that exists around the Internet. Here are several choice offerings you can explore if you love reading travel picture books:

• Peru: Turn Right at Machu Picchu by Mark Adams
• Canada: The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
• Colombia: Short Walks from Bogota, by Tom Feiling
• Great Britain: One Hundred & One Beautiful Towns in Great Britain by Tom Aitken

I’ll wrap this up with a video produced by Butterfield & Robinson – bike, hike and walking company extraordinaire – created to view on Facebook to bring you joy and hope during this difficult time.

What is your favourite travel book? Please join the conversation and share your thoughts on what changes you’d like to see in the travel industry.