What Does Travel/Entertainment/Dining Out Look Like in the Near Future?

Submitted by 1989 UM GRAD on April 23rd, 2020 at 7:44 AM

I know we've been talking about being able to attend sporting events quite a bit, but I've been thinking about and talking to a lot of friends/colleagues about the wider implications of the ability/inability to gather in large crowds...right now and in the future.

What does the entire travel, entertainment, restaurant, event, convention/conference, etc. segment look like over the coming 6-18 months?

I'm admittedly falling in the camp that sees this as a very dire situation.

My family is well above average when it comes to the level of participation in these categories.  Love to eat out.  Attend a lot of concerts and music festivals.  Go to movies.  Travel quite a bit.  See plays and other shows.  Charitable events.  Business trips/conventions.  Been on the bar/bat mitzvah circuit for about ten years.  Etc. I see our participation in all of these activities remaining very low for the next 6-18 months, regardless of any policy changes.

Let's isolate the restaurant category for a moment.  Anyone who knows anything about restaurant economics will tell you that instituting social distancing by spreading out/eliminating tables and shutting down/limiting bar areas will kill a restaurant's ability to make a profit.  Plus, how comfortable will people be going to a restaurant...even with social distancing and enhanced cleaning measures?  How will the entire experience be degraded when everyone is in masks, everyone has to keep a distance from one another, etc?

Or, travel.  A good friend of mine lives in Chicago, and I mentioned to him during a conversation earlier this week that Chicago (we live in Metro Detroit) would probably be among the best travel destinations for us...given that it's close and we can drive there.  Then we started talking about the issues with staying in a hotel, being able to go to museums and other places where people congregate, whether our favorite restaurants/bars would be open, etc.  Even being able to walk around on sidewalks in crowded areas.  These issues make the prospect of any travel much less appealing.  Not to mention if you are away from home and a new stay-at-home order is issued.

What say you?  Are you going to be reluctant to engage in eating out, going to events, traveling, etc...even if the restrictions/limitations on doing so are lifted?

Do you think these categories are going to be irreperably harmed by the fall-out from coronavirus and the long-term implications of social distancing, increased costs due to cleaning, etc?

Hoping this won't become a political debate.  Just interested in everone's thoughts on how their habits might change...and the impact on these categories of business.

nMkaczor

April 23rd, 2020 at 2:00 PM ^

I'm not going to feel comfortable going to busy restaurants or sitting on airplanes until there is a vaccine or other major breakthrough. I hate being sick more than just about anything and even worse than being sick would be having to isolate myself even further from the few loved ones I live with.

Unfortunately, my S.O. is less risk-averse than me and I suspect she will find it impossible to resist going back to her busy social life as soon as it's allowed, even if it's not entirely safe. So even if I stay away, I'm extremely likely to get sick anyways if she goes out and catches it. 

lostwages

April 23rd, 2020 at 2:30 PM ^

Near future? (I believe you're talking about waaaaay into the future, months from now most of the immediate concerns will have subsided)

Harlick

April 23rd, 2020 at 10:49 PM ^

My wife and kids are going tyo rent a place for a week in Hilton Head in June.  Prices are going to be dirt cheap and there won't be near the number of people.