We’ve all heard the saying before “don’t work hard, work smarter.” And while it can be applied to many things in life from personal to professional, we think this saying also applies to travel as well.
Travel, already in its purest form, is an opportunity to revitalize and rejuvenate, however, the process of traveling itself can be daunting and tedious, especially with newer regulations in a post-pandemic world. It can be quite hard to keep up.
Let us also add that travel now, requires some dutiful thinking and planning that you may have not have thought otherwise about. So let’s dive into 10 Tips to Make You A Smart Traveler in 2022.
Are you ready to dive in, you smart cookie? I mean, traveler. This is not a food blog post.
How To Become A Smart Tourist:
- Learn to read the fine print on airline changes and queue
- Look for an expert when booking your next holiday
- Be Tech-Empowered When It Comes to Travel
- Pack Smart
- Look for Sustainable Options
- Look for the less discovered route
- Or go with the more discovered routes but during low season
- Manage Your Expectations
- Check Governmental Websites of Your Destinations
- Make Your Budget and Add a Percentage
1. Learn to read the fine print on airline changes and queue
With travel being popularized, especially after a long lockdown, many people are dying to get out and see the world again, the new world that is.
Unfortunately, many airlines are not keeping up with the demands very well and policies are changing, sometimes even daily.
For example, Heathrow Airport recently asked airlines to discontinue their ticket sales, limiting only 10,000 passengers a day. The reason: a high demand and lack of resources.
Turning an already travel experience into a nightmare with long queues, cancellations and changes. Unfortunately, Heathrow wasn’t the only airport, Germany was behind to follow and even users in Paris via the online group: Americans in France, showed some long lines for waiting to get in and out of Paris as well.
To be a smart traveler in 2022, you may need to look at where connectivity routes are the best and there is airport traffic at a lower rate, ensuring that you won’t have a cancellation or change in your near future. [1] Which takes us to our next tip.
2. Look for an expert when booking your next holiday
Leave the mess for home, that one is for all the working parents. Travel should be easy to follow and your worries should only be what you’re going to pack.
Unfortunately, when looking for budget travel, you may run into the above issues with airport changes and delays, which may even affect your overall travel itinerary as well.
Thankfully, many travel agents and tour operators can alleviate almost 80 to 90 percent of these issues as their jobs have been to keep track of all the changes.
While there have been some misconceptions about using travel agents, destination management companies or tour operators, they can most certainly alleviate some of the chaos when it comes to the operations and logistics.
Specifically for airplanes, hotel and lodging, transportation, communication and more. Also, did you know that many travel agents, destination management companies and tour operators will actually save you money in the future.
Speaking frankly, knowing someone who knows the local lay of the land, especially with travel chaos at bay, will save you a piece of mind and ensure that you have just your trip to enjoy.
3. Be Tech-Empowered When It Comes to Travel
That is right. Being a smart traveler also includes using smart technology. Try to be organized with backed up information of all of your important and necessary documents, such as the following:
- Covid Vaccines – Don’t wait to pull up your governmental form, try to have it ready or saved to your wallet or at least screenshotted and saved in a folder.
- Travel Insurance – This is a big one, airlines will check and sometimes not allow you to board, especially if your destination asks for travel insurance, just be ready.
- Upload photos of any prescription medication you travel with. Of course, have prescriptions ready on hand, but have documentation can help you as well.
- Photos of your documents: boarding passes, drivers license, passport photo, travel itinerary and more. Just be ready.
The best case scenario would be to only pull up a few of these items, but being in the know and using technology creates better case scenarios.
4. As a Smart Traveler, You Have to Pack Smart
There are a million different articles, tutorials and even how tos online about how and why to pack smart. We won’t be here to reiterate them, because we trust that you already know.
However, to be a smart traveler in 2022, also means that packing smart also includes some necessity from back home, especially with health related products.
With lots of changes and delays in the world of travel, there have also been delays on some cargo shipments and other items needed to export, making it sometimes difficult to get certain items you need when you get to your destination. We aren’t talking about your occasional missed toothbrush or shampoo, but truly backup items you may need when traveling, like certain brands of medications and prescriptions.
For instance, some destinations may lack certain resources that you need, [2] which makes it even more enticing to be prepared.
Moreover, being a smart traveler also includes packing, not just lightly, but according to your itinerary, which can also contribute and be part of sustainable tourism.
5. Look for Sustainable Options – Always
Be part of the solution for travel. Look for sustainable options and solutions while traveling to have an impactful experience, not a harmful one.
Thankfully, many travel agencies nowadays offer such experiences, as do we. With working in cultural and local tourism, we provide you innate sustainable experiences that you can enjoy. Supporting local communities creates more benefit for connections, alternative means of stay and lastly, joyful experiences.
Don’t be part of the Instagram v. Reality of traveling as we have seen with many mass touristic sites. Here’s just an example of what we mean.
6. Look for the less discovered route
Which takes us to this tip that connects with the above. Look for the less discovered routes. While we all have our travel bucklists, sometimes, it takes some reevaluation, if our travel bucket list also includes some now deemed, harmful and mass touristic sites.
If the goal of travel is for self discovery, exploration and adventure. Meaning that the journey itself can triumph the journey.
Being a smart traveler, means looking into less discovered routes and destinations that actually may benefit from you visiting. Also, looking at new places that someone hasn’t discovered before, also includes opportunities for you to be a trailblazer for something new.
Speaking of operations and logistics, this also includes great options for you as they won’t be as heavily impacted.
7. Or go with the more discovered routes but during low season
It’s always time to go on holiday and sometimes going to a more popular destination in low season ensures that you can save money, won’t be caught up in some of the flight chaos and still have a chance to see these popular sites without being part or caught up with the instagram versus reality chaos.
8. Manage Your Expectations
It is very difficult to let go of some of our previous travel memories, especially pre-pandemic, but now, things have changed and have changed quite a lot, which is why it is okay to lower your expectations and manage them wisely.
Remember that preparation for travel begins the moment you start researching. It is being a smart traveler in 2022.
Ensure you are up to date with all of the new changes and be willing to make adjustments and changes as you see fit.
9. Check Governmental Websites of Your Destinations
Which takes us to this tip indeed, it is good to know all of the local advisories before you land and things you can be aware of.
This can help you ensure that you don’t book a trip that may otherwise turn into a disaster and lastly, government officials are updating statistics and data daily, which makes data driven travel in, and leaving high expectations out.
10. Make Your Budget and Add a Percentage
We all know how it goes when it comes to home renovations or even buying a home. There’s always been that astute advice of doubling your budget with all of the unexpected changes and I think travel, nowadays, should get that same credence.
Don’t add unnecessary stress and add some extra budgeting indeed, just in case to alleviate some of the issues you have.
The best part is that being a smart traveler also includes preparation beforehand. So even if you go with an expert and have a little wiggle room in your budget for more, this means you can truly splurge on something needed and have a seamless trip indeed.
We suggest adding at least 20% to your budget.
Being a smart traveler in 2022 means taking a bit more effort to see the way out to new destinations and journeys. You’ll get there, even if it means, using a bit more thought process in the meantime.
What are some smart traveling tips you have for getting to your favorite destinations?
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