Business Travel and COVID – Tips For Planning Your Business Trip After The Pandemic

The business travel industry hasn’t fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic. Many flights were canceled and there was a severe panic regarding the spread of the virus. It’s been some time since the COVID-19 pandemic, and you can travel again — with some restrictions. Unfortunately, most of these rules are lacking specific detail or are just plain confusing to follow. 

Below is a compiled list of tips for planning your business trip after the COVID-19 pandemic. No matter who you are, a business trip is always a bit of a challenge. These tips will help you get the most out of your trip by smoothing out some of the bumps.

Plan in Advance

Definitely plan in advance. As someone who travels for conferences and business meetings quite a bit, you don’t want to get caught in the wave of attendants. Remember that just because you might be going to a small conference for those wanting to learn about the latest in small business management, doesn’t mean there won’t be other events or local festivities that won’t bring in people. Remember to check for any other events and whether they line up with your particular business outing. This could draw in more tourists and affect things like hotel pricing and availability. If there are such things happening, plan to possibly fly out even sooner simply to get ahead of the crowds. Learn to plan around not only your trip, but everyone else’s too. It has certainly helped me to stay ahead of the crowded airports and hotel lobbies. 

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Book Flexible Tickets

Many of the COVID-adjacent travel restrictions have since turned into vaccine requirements, so my number one tip for business travel post-pandemic is to get vaccinated. Definitely plan as far in advance as you can, and it’s still helpful to book refundable or flexible tickets in case of flight cancellations. Travel right now still requires a degree of flexibility and willingness to adapt, so pack smart and make sure lodging and travel are refundable.

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Allow for Extra Time

Allow for extra time. is one tip I can give you while travelling in a pandemic. Taking some additional time in preparation can go a long way in being prepared for any situation. Do your research and know what you’re getting into, is one of our greatest pieces of advice: Due to the additional inspections and the multiplicity of permissions that must be presented at each exit and entry, airport lines are longer than usual today. So, if you regularly set aside a particular amount of time in advance, set aside even more.

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Check your Travel Insurance

When arranging a business trip following the epidemic, I recommend verifying your company’s travel insurance coverage. Travel insurance that protects you and your organization from pandemic-related risks could save you and your firm considerable time and money. If you have someone who handles all of your travel arrangements in-house, ask them to verify your coverage. The level of insurance benefits might make a significant difference, so it’s critical to understand what amounts are covered and what exclusions apply. For example, specific travel insurance policies lapse invalidity if you extend your stay overseas or travel contrary to government recommendations.  

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Learn About your Destination

Examine the particulars of your work travel. Extending our research beyond fundamental travel logistics enables us to savor the experience of trip preparation. The trip planning process is an extension of the actual journey, and it’s an excellent approach to occupying yourself at home. Along with reading books and viewing films about your prospective destination, I recommend learning about its culture and history and following residents on Instagram, from chefs to writers to artists.  

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Add some Extra Days for Unexpected Events

Depending on where you are going the business trip will need a few extra days just for unexpected events or covid restrictions, or they will be completely normal.

At Off Road Tents (www.offroadtents.com), we have to attend expos around 4 times a year inside the USA. Fortunately, restrictions are rare, and you can almost fly just like you did before covid.

However, I traveled to Africa for business and holidays in March 2022. needless to say, I was lucky I planned in advance, not much as for the plane ticket prices (they were always around the same price), but because I created an itinerary with a few “free days” for unexpected events.

Outside of USA plan at least 3 days:

– At least one before any business event in case there are flight delays or cancellations

– One more entire day to get a Covid test to either fly back home or to another country

– One additional day for any unexpected event during the trip (they move the conference due to covid, the person you were meeting had a flight delayed, etc).

My biggest tip: always keep your calm, and be patient, there are delays!

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Make Sure to Check any Restrictions

Covid is still a factor when traveling, but definitely not as much as it used to be.

Airlines and airport workers are much more lenient on checking for documents such as passenger locator forms than they were during the height of the pandemic, and in many countries, they don’t even check if you have one upon entering even though it’s stated on government websites that it’s required.

It really just depends on the country, airport, and sometimes even the day if they actually check for it. For example, I’ve twice been to Barcelona in recent weeks and I only had to show my locator form once.

I usually don’t think about these things until a day or two before my trip, and creating all of the docs that are needed usually doesn’t take more than 15-20 minutes. Just Google “Country + passenger locator form” and “Country + traveling during Covid” and you should find everything you’re looking for. Even though they are lenient, it’s better to be safe than sorry! 

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Check if you need a PCR Test

Beware! Rules and regulations are constantly changing all over the world. Just because the pandemic might feel like it is over in your state or country, it doesn’t mean people are treating it the same way overseas. Many countries around the world are still requiring tourists and business travelers to arrange for visas in advance, PCR tests before boarding flights, and mandatory quarantine on arrival. 

The most challenging part of this equation is that many countries are changing their policies faster than they’re updating their website. Whenever you plan to travel for business, first check with the country’s embassy’s website to see what rules and regulations are available. Second, contact your airline and ask what travel restrictions are in place. 

Third, research on google for any updates about travel restrictions to the country you’re going to. I recommend all three! Otherwise, you might get stuck in transit in a city and country you had no intention of visiting or staying in, and that’s exactly what happened to me. 

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Prepare for Delays

Give yourself more leeway than usual if you have crucial business travel. For instance, instead of boarding an early morning trip, arrange your flight for the night before an important meeting to avoid last-minute cancellations. Alternatively, explore other modes of transportation.

When traveling, double-check what is open and available to you. Although more eateries and lounges are opening in airports, some remain closed. Bring some food, make reservations in advance, and be flexible in light of these deviations from our usual routines.

You’ll also need to know if your location or organization has any Covid-specific travel limitations. 

Do you need to do a Covid test, provide proof of vaccination, quarantine for a specific amount of time, or follow any other procedures? Also, contact HR to learn about the rules that apply to your particular company.

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Give Yourself at Least Two Months

Ideally, you want to start planning for your traveling procedures a few months in advance. At least give yourself two months to comprehensively understand all that is required to be done. This is because there are multiple different kinds of protocols involved. 

Depending on the then-prevailing number of cases in the country you are planning to visit, their protocols might vary. For example, in some countries, full vaccination alongside booster doses is the mandatory requirement. Other countries that do not have a surge in cases right now are also okay with the first dose of vaccination. Moreover, others still require 5-7 day quarantine too. Some offer you to home quarantine but others need you to be present in a government-advised facility. This requires you to do your prior research on protocols extensively and also expect swift changes. 

Regardless of the last-minute changes that may happen, as an individual, you should ensure you cover all your possible bases. This means carrying multiple masks at a time, being fully vaccinated alongside your booster doses, and having proof of vaccination as a vaccination certificate amongst your essential travel documents. Moreover, you should also be up to date with any policies with respect to interstate traveling in a foreign country. 

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Check your Airline’s Travel Regulation

If you’re flying, be sure to double-check your airline’s travel regulations. Every airline has its own set of travel policies. So, before booking a flight, research the policies of several airlines and decide which airline you are most comfortable flying with. After you’ve booked your flight, keep in mind that travel restrictions during this pandemic are constantly changing, so be sure to recheck regularly, so you won’t be caught off guard when you arrive at the airport.”

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Try and Spend Time Outside

One positive shift that came out of the pandemic has been the reimagination of our outdoor spaces. When planning for work trips where you are going to entertain clients in a post-pandemic world, try to research restaurants with patios, or outdoor activities, ahead of time that you can take them to (weather permitting, of course). It’s hard to gauge everyone’s individual comfort levels, and an outdoor-based activity can put potentially anxious clients at ease while giving you the opportunity to catch up without needing to wear a mask. 

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Things To Take Into Consideration

There are not many COVID-related restrictions on traveling anymore. Most developed countries have removed entry restrictions, as they have seen a rapid decrease in COVID cases. For example, from the 3rd of March, German legislation removed all COVID-related restrictions for entering the country. Now you only need a digital copy of your vaccination certificate, if your vaccination is valid then you can enter the country, otherwise not. 

You should start planning for your trip almost 6 months in advance. It would help you get everything you need in order, and get yourself vaccinated.

The following tips can help business travelers during COVID:

•     Check travel restrictions for the country you are planning to visit
•     Get extra supplies of face masks and hand sanitizer
•     Do not travel with sick companions
•     Try to stay at least 6 feet apart from others

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Go Cashless and Don’t Forget the Paperwork

For many business travelers, purchasing cash at an airport bureau de change is a rite of passage. However, in the aftermath of the epidemic, many retailers prefer customers to pay with a credit card, and cash is no longer accepted in certain areas.

If you thought there was a lot of paperwork to deal with before Covid, you’re in for a big shock in the post-pandemic world. You now require proof of vaccination or past sickness, testing certificates, and other documentation to confirm your Covid status, in addition to passports, visas, and boarding permits.

Depending on the location, length of stay, activities in the country, and, of course, local immigration laws, you may require a business visa for your destination. These laws may have changed since your last trip, even if you visited the country on a regular basis up to 2020, so double-check before you go.

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Check your Company’s Travel Insurance

When planning your business travel, take time to examine your company’s travel insurance policy. Travel insurance will protect you from unwanted pandemic threats when you go on a business trip. When reviewing your travel insurance, understand what you are insured for as a business traveler. Since the pandemic situation across different countries is not the same, your travel insurance must cover flight disruptions, cancellations, and medical expenditures.

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Travel by Car if Possible 

We have clients in Germany and throughout Europe as well as satellite operations in the east which means I have to travel a fair bit. In the past, I used to fly as it was quicker (and cheaper) but Germany has just extended entry restrictions until the end of May and the rules differ from country to country.

Since airports are much more strictly controlled, and the chance of a positive test means you end up in isolation, driving is now the only option. Across the continent, there are no land travel restrictions, and both commercial and private traffic cross borders with no problems.

In the past, when flying, I would manage all my meetings across two days. Now I’m driving, I have to plan multiple stops and hotels so my itinerary is quite a lot more complicated. Although, there is a silver lining as I now only need to complete one set of paperwork to cross the English Channel.

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