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December 29, 2020

A 3-Minute Look Back at Travel in 2020

Rich Beattie
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News
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Shutdowns, waves, second waves, uncertainty, hope, and optimism were all part of the roller-coaster year that was unlike any we’ve seen in our lifetimes.

And as we prepare to tackle the challenges of 2021, we wanted to take a quick look back at how these previous months unfolded...and how we at TripActions responded.

The World Locks Down

  • January 30: The pandemic takes center stage as the WHO declares an international public health emergency.
  • March 5: California declares a state of emergency.
  • March 10–14: Italy, France, and Spain impose lockdowns; Australia and other countries extend entry bans.
  • March 15: New York and Los Angeles shut restaurants, bars, and theaters.
  • March 24: India goes into lockdown and the 2020 Summer Olympic Games are postponed.

TripActions responds: Shifting into high gear, TripActions quickly built a new suite of Business Continuity Tools to help travel managers and travelers respond better to the pandemic.

Sparks of Light Appear

  • April: Some European countries start to ease up on restrictions.
  • May: Air travel slowly starts picking up, spurring others to travel by plane.
  • June: It’s exciting news when the UN Tourism Organization reports that people are starting to get back to traveling.
  • June: With success combatting the virus, New Zealand lifts social and economic restrictions (though not border control).
  • Labor Day: The TSA screens almost 1 million passengers...a record for the pandemic.

TripActions responds: As the business world starts to return to normal, they’ll have a new tool: TripActions Liquid, an innovative expense management system that changes the game by doing away with expense reports. Check it out!

Optimism Returns

  • September: The Global Business Travel Association publishes thrilling research that in-person events will return, and that a majority of its companies expect their employees to return to in-person events in 2021.
  • December 8: Progress! Vaccinations begin in the UK and start happening in the U.S. days later.

TripActions responds: Travel is coming back! What does that rollout look like in 2021? Find out! It’s all in the TripActions + Skift report on 2021 Business Travel Trends.

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