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Hi Taylor:
Feels like things are FINALLY starting to move in the right direction
(I even got my first dose of the vaccine!), and I'm wondering about
travel. Any thoughts on when people might be able to vacation out
of the country again? - Julian
Hi Julian: Hey, congrats! I'm trying to stay cautiously optimistic,
but the light at the end of the tunnel does seem to be getting a little
brighter. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if unrestricted travel is part
of that light. Not to be a wet blanket, but here are the things I
consider when thinking about international travel. |
1. Each
country has its own approach. As we've seen over the last
year, some regions chose to lock down while others tried to ride
this thing out, all with varying degrees of success. I expect
that will continue with travel, even as different countries return
to other forms of normalcy. As of this writing, there are a whole
lot of places that won't allow travelers from the United States.
Even as the numbers look better here, those governments may choose
to stay extra vigilant, especially if they're having a slower
rollout with vaccines. It'll be a bummer if we can't go to Australia
for another year, but that might just be the case.
2. International travel is complicated. As Americans, we're
so used to going where we want to go, when we want to go there.
However, with places still requiring quarantine between flights
and upon arrival, travel isn't simple even if you're flying somewhere
that will accept you. Add to that the fact that new coronavirus
variants keep flaring up and we've got a sticky situation when
it comes to who can go where. It's hard to imagine restrictions
will ease too much until we have a larger percentage of the world
vaccinated. As well as things might be going here, we have to
consider the health and vulnerability of other nations.
3. Closed quarters still scare people. I think this will change
in a hurry if the numbers keep falling, but people who don't want
to be indoors with strangers definitely don't want to be in a
metal tube with strangers for upwards of seven hours. It seems
like flying can be done safely, but those long flights will give
people pause for many months to come. I've flown during the pandemic
and felt fine about it, but there's a big difference between keeping
your guard up for two hours versus doing it for twelve.
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| I'd love to
be wrong about this, but it seems like the safest predictions with
COVID have always been to keep expectations low while praying for
the best. Don't book your flight to Thailand just yet, but here's
hoping you can do so sooner than later! |
| Legal Disclaimer:
Information presented is for educational purposes only and is not
an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific
securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve
risk and, unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Be sure to
first consult with a qualified financial adviser and/or tax professional
before implementing any strategy discussed herein. To submit a question
to be answered in this column, please send it via email to Question@GoFarWithKovar.com,
or via USPS to Taylor Kovar, 415 S 1st St, Suite 300, Lufkin, TX 75901.
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