MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, February 25, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Ever since the COVID-19 outbreak, travelers worldwide have been wondering when they will get an opportunity to revisit their favorite destinations. Now with COVID-19 vaccines available, more and more people are being inoculated and many of them are feeling brave to travel again. However, Matthew Keezer, the founder, and CEO of Momentum Ventures, noticed a new trend on the rise – most of the travelers are people over the age of 65.

In numerous countries, including the United States, older people have been the first in line to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Travelers who have already received the second dose of the vaccines are leading a wave in new travel bookings. The destinations vary from person to person; some are focusing on short distances; others are choosing to go big to make up for all the lost time in the previous year.

According to Fernando Diez, the owner of Quasar Expeditions, a luxury cruise operator in the Galápagos Islands, the reservations for future trips have been constantly increasing lately. In December, frontline health care workers were among the very first Americans to receive vaccines. Diez points out that he received numerous requests for trip information from doctors and nurses right after the vaccinations.

However, the situation has now changed slightly. Since January 1, 70 percent of his booking inquiries have come from guests over the age of 65. As Diez points out, this number was closer to 40 percent in the previous years. Most inquiries are for travel from June onward. Lauren Bates, founder, and owner of Wild Terrains, a women-only tour operator with itineraries in Mexico, Portugal, and Argentina, was stunned when she started receiving numerous bookings in December and January for trips beginning as soon as May 2021. The number of bookings in January 2021 was 40 percent higher than bookings in January 2020. Three-quarters of the women booking the trips are over the age of 55, and Lauren points out that there are many women in their 60s and 70s.

Even though the vaccine proved effective, Matthew Keezer warns all those who have been immunized and plan to travel to stay cautious. Even if they have received both doses of Covid shots, people should still respect masking and social distancing recommendations. "The vaccine proved to be effective but we're not sure to what extent. The virus still surrounds us, so it is good to be careful even if you have been vaccinated," Matthew points out.

Matthew also recommends choosing a destination that takes COVID-19 measures seriously and a vacation spot with proper sanitation and social distancing measures. "Social distancing is still very important. It is still not proven whether the vaccine protects people from acquiring the disease completely or just ensures people don't get sick. So, the vaccine makes it safe for you to travel, but what about those around you? You may have the virus without knowing it and endanger people you come across if there are no proper social distancing measures," Matthew explains.

Finally, Matthew recommends all travelers to research the situations in hospitals. Ideally, travelers should choose destinations where the pandemic has not overburdened hospitals. They may not need to go to the hospital because of COVID-19, but they still may have to visit it because of other non-Covid-related health issues.

Even though nobody was optimistic about travel in 2021, things are undoubtedly starting to look better. Even though the tourism industry is still battered by the pandemic, it is already getting a much-needed boost after the vaccinations. Hotels, resorts, and cruise operators are receiving more bookings than before the pandemic outbreak and are readily embracing the fresh wave of brand-new traveler groups.

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