Travel & COVID - One Year Later - Part 3
The final chapter of our blog series, A Year in Retrospect, touches on some stories around the world and changes to everyday life for different people.
In Singapore, a sleeping airport awaits travelers and tourists to fill its lounges once again. The Changi Airport, which boasts a $1.3 billion shopping and entertainment complex and luscious plaza featuring the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, witnessed a steep drop in passenger traffic by 83 percent in 2020 and net profit loss of nearly $327 million (Wee, 2021). The airport has rebranded its lounges as temporary workspaces for local Singaporeans and has even offered “glamping” events for travel-hungry locals (Wee, 2021). But the airport will need a revival of its international market to fully recover from the pandemic in the long term.
In Paris, once-lively restaurants such as Aux Lyonnais no longer bustle with activity from business executives, journalists, government officials, and tourists eager to experience the taste of Lyon-style lunch. Here, the art of dining is not just about food but about “le partage,” which refers to the sacred, shared experience of dining out and socializing together (Sciolino, 2021). Innovative chefs have adapted to the challenge of capturing Parisian delights in to-go meals, and Aux Lyonnais now temporarily operates as “Naturaliste” which delivers healthy, delicious, quickly prepared meals (Sciolino, 2021).
One year later, the only thing that remains constant is change. While there have been a lot of pain and setbacks to come out of this past year, there have also been some moments of joy, wonder, and celebration. What does your year in retrospect look like? The highs and the lows, we would like to hear it all!
Sciolino, Elaine. 2021. “‘Having a Meal Delivered Is Not Life.’” New York
Wee, Sui-Lee. 2021. “Waiting For Passengers Who Don’t Come.” New York