Contrary to what some might assume, traveling during Covid has turned out to be a blessing for many reasons. As a 19 years old student, my options were either to enroll at online university and study in a field that I didn't really find interesting or take a gap year. I had always planned to travel the world after high school, but that dream got quickly crushed when the pandemic started in March 2020. However, in December of that year I realized that except for the government's travel warnings, nothing was actually stopping me! So I booked a flight to Costa Rica with my best friend, packed everything and left. I have now been traveling in Central America for 5 months and I don't regret a thing.
Traveling during Covid-19 has of course had it's inconveniences, like needing to get tested every time you travel to a new country (which can turn out to be quite expensive) and places and tours being closed. However, I want to focus on the good things that it brought. For example, a lot of very touristic places are now completely empty, making them way more enjoyable for the few courageous Covid travelers. From beaches to museums, you can often have the whole place to yourself! Also, having fewer tourists makes it easier to get a real look at the local way of living.
Another bonus point, the lack of tourism has made the price of things pretty low in general. For example, the price of accommodation. Hostels have lowered their prices making it possible to find a place to stay for around 10 US dollars in Panama. As well as the price of accommodation, car rental prices have dropped (16.6% as of May 2020) and airline fare prices dropped (15.2%[1]). Furthermore, you can also use the great exclusive deals that hotels are now offering to try and get more clients.
Traveling during Covid has also allowed people to escape their daily life. For example, staying and the Lost & Found hostel, isolated from civilization in the middle of the jungle, allowed me to completely forget about the virus. I have met a lot of people that are traveling as a way to escape their countries' very strict Covid restrictions (often early curfews). Since many businesses have made it possible, or even mandatory, to work online, a lot of people now have the opportunity to work while traveling. In other words, the pandemic has increased the number of digital nomads (people who can earn a living whilst traveling). Imagine how much better it is to work on the beach, feet soaking in the clear waters instead of being in an office!
Another positive outcome of the pandemic for travelers that most people would not think of is that we are not missing out on much back home. Usually traveling requires sacrifices like missing holidays, birthdays, parties, etc., but since most of those are now illegal, you won't get FOMO (fear of missing out).
In conclusion, when looking at things positively, it is very easy to find the silver lining in traveling during Covid. Are you ready to plan your next trip?
[1]Abigail Rosenthal, May 21 2020, "Here's what has gotten cheaper during the coronavirus pandemic", CHRON, available at https://www.chron.com/business/article/Here-s-what-has-gotten-cheaper-during-the-15283492.php, (accessed May 23 2021).