For those planning to travel soon, the industry has good news and bad news. Let’s start with the best part: with the advancement of vaccination against Covid in several countries, and after the initial scare with the omicron variant, it is getting cheaper to travel.
In recent months, governments have gradually started to reduce the list of health requirements for tourists with a full vaccination schedule. Among them is Brazil – on April 1, the government suspended the requirement to present a negative Covid test, as well as filling out the Traveler’s Health Declaration (DSV), to enter the country. Now, just present the proof of vaccination at the time of boarding.
The news is good because the health bureaucracy to travel was weighing on the budget, not to mention the headache to fulfill all the requirements.
“It became a stressful business, paper for everything, a thousand forms and tests. And each country has a rule, which changes all the time”, complains engineer Daniel Mayo, 49, who left Brazil several times during the pandemic. , leisure and work.
On the way to Miami in May 2021, Mayo, his wife and their two children, aged 12 and 16, were forced to undergo 15 days of quarantine in Punta Cana — at the time, the United States did not allow travelers from the United States to enter. directly from Brazil, a rule that was suspended on November 8, 2021.
In January, he and his daughter were scheduled to go skiing in Canada, but the borders were suddenly closed, causing the pair to switch from snow to scuba diving in Belize, in the Caribbean. “We did a PCR test before boarding. Upon arrival, we repeated the ritual of measuring the temperature 500 times and presenting the negative result along with the proof of vaccination.”
The price of testing in Europe scared the interior designer Denise Abdalla, who was in London in October 2021 for work. In addition to the PCR performed in Brazil, at R$280, she had to schedule another one in the English capital, which should be collected within the first 48 hours. The result was emailed directly to the authorities.
“I paid 100 pounds [o equivalente a R$ 622], a real fortune. Before leaving the country I had to retake the test but at least I found a cheaper place which charged me £80 [R$ 498].”
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the founder of Venice Turismo, Andrea Schver, has developed an extra service for her customers: a kind of support-Covid, which includes all the information regarding the bureaucracy of each destination and even reminders for the days and times. certain test collection.
“In February, a client left São Paulo to see Palmeiras play in the final of the Club World Cup, in Dubai, but he passed through the United States beforehand, to pick up his son. There were so many demands that I had to prepare an Excel table for him” , tells the agent.
It is not by chance that the resumption of domestic tourism has surpassed that of international tourism, according to Daniela Araújo, Sourcing Air director at Decolar.
“A tourist visiting two European countries was spending between 300 and 400 euros per person [de R$ 1.576 a R$ 2.100]. It might not be an impeding cost, but it was restrictive. With the drop in requirements, we can already see the demand curve for tickets rising again.”
Now, the bad news: according to a survey by the search engine for Kayak travel sites, between February and March 2022, air ticket prices increased from 12% to 45%, depending on the destination.
According to the airlines, the war in Ukraine is to blame, which made the price of a barrel of oil soar – Latam, for example, explains that its tickets are up to 30% more expensive due to the increase in aviation kerosene.
President of the Brazilian Association of Airlines (Abear), Eduardo Sanovicz predicts a phase of turmoil for tourism. “The consequence of this transfer will lead to a retraction in demand and several companies are planning changes in their networks.”
More remote destinations, where flights rarely arrive and depart crowded, as well as point-to-point routes, which rely on small aircraft and exploit small-town airports, are likely to suffer the most.
“The impact is immediate on the entire sector, especially on destinations that are more dependent on air transport, such as the Northeast, since a good part of the clientele leaves the South and Southeast. doesn’t eat at the restaurant or go to the museum,” says Sanovicz.
Due to the complexity of the international scenario, no one knows for sure how long the oil crisis will last. For those who, despite this, do not give up the trip, Daniela Araújo has two tips.
First, bet on packages that combine air, hotel, tours, car rental and even insurance – they provide savings of up to 35%. Then avoid making last minute plans. “Now, it’s time to plan for the second semester.”
