This will be the first trips

The covid-19 still keeps the borders closed, so everything indicates that in the coming months it will be time to enjoy closer destinations and probably with longer stays. "Perhaps at the end of the summer, regional tourism will begin to open, Europe in our case," says Gloria Guevara, president and CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). A kind of reinterpretation of the vacation routines of those families from the sixties and seventies, who loaded the Seat to spend August in the town house or in the apartment on the coast. Only now we have more information, offer and possibilities to enjoy the cultural, gastronomic, natural and heritage wealth of Spain and Europe. But the way of reaching our destination and discovering it will change, at least temporarily.

T4 of the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport. SAMUEL SÁNCHEZ

1. How we will move

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) distinguishes two phases in the recovery of normal travel: before and after there is a vaccine against covid-19. In the first, we will travel living with the virus, we will probably travel less (especially for business) and with all the precautions to avoid infections. But we will continue traveling. In the short term, the car will be the star transport and, when air traffic begins to open ( Lufthansa has already announced a Germany-Mallorca flight since June and Ryanair will resume 40% of its operations in July), the airports they must have sanitary measures in place. Aena wants to limit escort access to the airport and seats in waiting areas.

The WTTC is working on pilot projects in those in Athens, the UAE and Singapore , with passenger testing, apps to track where they have been for the past 14 days or temperature measurements. "They will be added to those we already have for security," says its president, Gloria Guevara. "The waiting times and the procedures at the controls will be longer," the architects Carlos Lamela (author of T-4) and Jesús Hernández assumed in a chat on Instagram. Both advocate technology that "prevents us from touching things", such as scanners that do not require removing liquids from hand luggage or taking off their shoes.

On the plane, hydroalcoholic gels will be the order of the day. To increase the physical distance, easyJet is considering the possibility of leaving the center seat free as a provisional measure - something that the European Commission does not require. Disinfection protocols will be intensified, most on-board services will be phased out, and flight personnel will be tested and wear masks; Lufthansa, American Airlines , Vueling , Iberia or KLM / Air France remind passengers that they must also use them, and that they must be brought from home. This last airline addresses its travelers in this way: "KLM wants to lend a hand by temporarily including the option of changing your ticket free of charge." Airlines and shipping companies are making the change of ticket more flexible than ever so that the potential tourist loses the fear of making a reservation. TAP Air Portugal will refund 100% of the ticket in a voucher valid for one year, and LATAM Airlines allows you to reschedule the date without cost until December 31. Celestyal Cruises , which suspends its cruises until June 29, offers those affected a 120% credit to redeem until the end of 2021, and Silversea allows their scheduled departures until December 31 to be canceled up to 48 hours before and use 100% of the amount in the following two years.

A motorhome en route. Getty Images

2. Rising sectors

La Gevela , full rental rural house for 12 people in Albalate de Zorita (Guadalajara), has reservations from June. And like this there is more and more. Outdoors, nature, active tourism, without crowds. The apartments or rural houses for full rent are emerging as an excellent option for the summer, according to what they see on the Rusticae portal , which expects occupancy in their accommodation to exceed 70% as of July 15. "People are looking for houses with a pool to enjoy as a family without sharing common areas," says Henar Gómez, head of communications for Clubrural , who has seen the number of requests on his website double since April 28. Along with rural tourism, caravans and motorhomes for traveling stand out as upward sectors, as detected by the rental platform Indie Campers . The same goes for tourist apartments. "We have reservations for longer stays (more than four weeks) and closer to the places of residence," they say on Airbnb .

3. Where will we stay

The hotels can open, except for their common areas , from May 11 in the territories that have passed to phase 1 of the de-escalation. But, with some exceptions, none have. "If the chains that have on-call hotels, that house health personnel or the elderly, open tomorrow, their customers can be guaranteed that they will be free of covid-19," says Gloria Guevara. This is the case of NH, Meliá or Room Mate . Some of the shared measures are the maintenance of physical distance, elimination of decoration and unnecessary elements, special cleaning, disinfection and ventilation protocols. Both Meliá (with Bureau Veritas ) and NH (with SGS ) have used external auditors to validate their protocols.

• When they reopen to the general public (they do not have a date yet), the Room Mate will receive the roomies , as they call their guests, with a thermometer, a mandatory sanitary kit (mask, gloves and hydro-alcoholic gel) and doormats with a solution of water and bleach to keep shoes and suitcase wheels clean. The receptions will feature designer methacrylate partitions and safety distance marks on the floor. "It is our responsibility to restore tranquility and confidence in tourism," emphasizes its founder and president, Kike Sarasola . The breakfast buffet disappears in a first phase (it will be taken to the room), it will be served à la carte in a second in the common areas and in a third it will be done in turns, minimizing the use of tablecloths and gloves.

• The accommodation Meliá will rely on technology for cleaning (ionizers, ultraviolet light, counting bracelets hand washing) and to interact with the client ( check-in online , e-mail or screens for the welcome letter, invoices, general and event information or menus). The meeting spaces can be seen virtually and not with a physical visit, and a "push and go" digital communication service will be established in the pool to control capacity.

• NH guests will be able to access FastPass (the combination of three digital services: online check-in , choose your room and online check-out ) through an application, from which they will also order breakfast or minibar products, temporarily removed. "This crisis is going to be a huge laboratory in which to test technologies that have been on the market for a long time," says Álvaro Carrillo, general director of the Hotel Technology Institute.

• Paradores is aware that one of its main advantages is the location of its accommodation, in places that are generally not overcrowded, many in inland Spain, near or within natural parks. When they open, "a very loyal public" will attend them, according to the company, which will value the distance partitions, the greater space between tables and the disinfection with viricides. And, above all, the experience. Rusticae has asked its hotels for experiences designed for its future guests. Hostería de Guara , in Huesca, has made soaps with the flowers from their garden as a gift. The Hotel del Sitjar , in Teruel, offers free oil tastings for those who book from May to July. Caserío Montehermoso , in Álava, will offer picnics, guided forest baths and dives in its gardens in ofuros (traditional Japanese wooden bathtubs that are heated with wood stoves).

A terrace in Vitoria, on the day of its reopening on May 11. I. BERASALUCE EUROPA PRESS

4. Where will we eat

Monday, May 11 in Murcia, 26 degrees, a radiant sun. All the terraces in the Plaza de las Flores are full. "We have had reservations for weeks," reveals José María Rubiales, owner of the Andalusian Parliament , with its current capacity of four full tables (50% of its capacity, as established by the government plan in phase 1). Its three workers wear gloves and a mask, vinegar and oil are served in single-dose, the letter is printed on the tablecloth, they have established one-hour shifts to eat or snack (groups cannot exceed 10 people) and cleaning when one client gets up and before the next one is felt, in addition to offering hydroalcoholic gel. And despite this strange new normal, much joy. "There was a desire," confessed Rubiales. Owner of several premises, when he had to close them when the state of alarm was decreed, he resorted to making food to collect and deliver at home. The away take and delivery have been outlet for many and will trend. Along with the prepayment: the Save Our Restaurants campaign on eltenedor.es , with almost 1,900 participating establishments, has raised more than 350,000 euros in reservation coupons that the customer pays in advance while waiting for his restaurant to open. More than 40% of consumers of this platform surveyed said that they will return to their restaurants when they reopen, according to their marketing director , Abraham Martín.

The catering sector is also going to bet on digitization (for example, letter or payment) to play as little as possible. "The tables, in addition to separating, must be undressed and dressed again when the diner sits down , " recommended Abel Valverde, head of the Santceloni room , in an online conference on the new normality in hospitality organized by the Federation of Cooks Associations and Reposteros de España and Aplus GastroMarketing. "The new luxury is going to be security," said Diego Sandoval, head of the Coque room . "The buffets will tend to more individual portions, to be more gastronomic and to show cooking or live cooking," said Peio Cruz, executive chef of Unilever Food Solutions .

In phase 2, as of May 25 in the provinces that are already in phase 1, it can also be consumed within the premises, with table service, not a bar, and half the capacity. Many wait for that date to open. Others, until June 28, where, if all goes well, the de-escalation will be completed and we can move between provinces. It is when gastronomic restaurants consider starting. “We handle various scenarios. The most optimistic places our return at the end of June, and the most pessimistic, in January or February ”, admitted Jesús Sánchez, chef of the Arbor de Amos at the same digital summit .

A worker disinfects the pool overlooking the Giralda at the Doña María hotel in Seville. MIGUEL MORENATTI AP

5. Experience Seville

Seville has set out to attract travelers, announcing itself as a safe city, full of open spaces . It is one of the few large cities that is already working on a post-confinement tourism plan. The result is called Plan 8 Impact Tourism Seville . It has eight strategic axes, the idea is that it will start to be implemented on June 8, it will be valid until 2021 and it is being designed with experts and working groups. According to their contributions, visitors will find several tapas routes this summer , which will help to create tourist flows throughout their urban geography and not just for the typical "hot" spots. Also with the use of the Guadalquivir river for the development of events and cultural events in the open air. There will be recreational, cultural and sports activities in the streets, public spaces and pedestrian areas of the Andalusian capital. And it is committed to digital support (bracelet or card) to inform and manage service payments and sustainable mobility. In addition to his interest in promoting so-called MICE or professional tourism .

The Botín Center of Santander, last Tuesday. RG AGUILERA EFE

 6. What can we see and do

On May 18, the International Museum Day is celebrated , but it does not look like they will be able to visit almost none in person, except for exceptions such as the Botín Center in Santander , in operation since May 12. They can now open those of the territories in phase 1, with 30% of their capacity, without audio guides and keeping two meters away. But most postpone their return in late May or early June. Meanwhile, they work on the guide of good practices set by the Institute for Tourism Quality (ICTE), which dictates, among other measures, the promotion of online ticket sales, card payment, the use of disposable or customer headphones when audio guides are used, or physical distance control in rooms and passage areas.

Starting on May 25, and in the provinces that reach phase 2, visits to monuments, cultural facilities or exhibition halls will be allowed, however, with a third of their capacity; and shows may be held in closed spaces with less than 50 attendees. And with the same 30% capacity they will be able to open theaters (presumably they won't open until September, en bloc, and with 100% of their capacity), auditoriums and cinemas . The latter will wait for the summer to come, or even for the long-awaited films to arrive in July, such as Tenet (the latest by Christopher Nolan) or the flesh-and-blood Mulan , to take advantage of their commercial pull. The clubs will have to wait until June 8 (or phase 3). They will work at 30% of their capacity and with hygienic-sanitary measures, such as "nebulizer arches, mats with disinfectant or temperature control with thermographic cameras," says David de las Heras, director of Teatro Kapital , in Madrid. They will provide gloves and masks to their clients.

Another thing is the outdoor events, of up to 200 people (seated) in phase 1 and 400 (also seated) in phase 2. The Almagro Classical Theater Festival has open and closed spaces, and that versatility will probably allow it The curtain opened in July, according to what its director, Ignacio García, told the SER network. “The intention is to celebrate a smaller edition of the Mérida International Classical Theater Festival this August”, ventures its director, Jesús Cimarro.

Keys to the new scenario

• As air traffic opens, airports and airplanes will add new sanitary regulations, such as temperature controls or the use of masks for crew and passage.

• Airlines and shipping companies are modifying their ticket cancellation policies to make them much more flexible and to encourage travelers to book.

• Hotel chains not only work on the disinfection policies of their facilities; Another of its keys will be to incorporate new technologies, such as online check-in, to protect distances.

• The covid-19 has turned take away, delivery and prepaid menus into upward trends in the hospitality sector, which is also committed to digitization.

• The museums are working on the good practices guide of the Institute for Tourism Quality, which encourages online ticket sales, the use of disposable headphones in audio guides and the control of physical distance in rooms.

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