Small steps back to normality in Ibiza after COVID-19 lockdown

As we return to our activities it’s becoming clear that ‘normality’ may not be achievable when it comes to travel. Many frequent-flyers and returning visitors to Ibiza are asking experts what will go back to how it was before, and what will change forever. The good news is that, while reopening dates and plans vary business-to-business, most of Ibiza’s tourism industry is planning to be open and have plenty of availability by late summer.

Firstly, you’re probably wondering about the logistics of your plans for ibiza 2020, in other words, what will happen to your flights to Ibiza? Here are the changes that are currently predicted, as well as the steps that airlines are officially announcing to kick start air travel post-COVID.

1. Flights and airlines post-COVID

It’s expected that, at least in the medium term, there will be fewer flights all-round. Much of the population will have lower spending power and fewer companies will be sending their teams to in-person meetings, rather opting for video conferencing, so demand is unlikely to drive airlines to provide an endless supply of airbourne seats. Sadly, some travel providers are expected to go out of business but it’s likely their aircraft and flights to Ibiza slots will be picked up by more resilient corporations.

Fewer people having the means to travel may, however, result in flights to Ibiza being cheaper, particularly when sold off last minute. Contrarily, experts are wary of measures that airlines might introduce to reduce the number of people on flights, such as leaving empty seats between passengers, which could cause flight tickets to be more expensive. We’ll only be certain how prices will be affected when we understand which of the two realities is guiding airlines.

Assuming you have already bought your ticket or you have a voucher for a cancelled fight, prices might be the least of your worries. You just want to know what to expect at the airport!

2. Airport measures

It’s no surprise that airports will be implementing more security to limit contagion. Those that secure a ticket and are ready for their trip to Ibiza, should also be ready for thermal imaging scanning, not just for dangerous objects.

Luckily security companies have the technology to do this swiftly and with minimal contact, but it will be a change to the routine. Thermal imaging may even become standard procedure in train and bus stations for the same reasons so whether you’re flying or taking public transport, allow extra time to get through customs at both ends.

Less crowded planes and a couple more scans at the airport: not too shabby, right?! The next step is deciding how to plan what to do in Ibiza in terms of activities and days out.

3. Shopping, clubbing and eating out

Local businesses in Ibiza always welcome visitors. But now, after a couple of months of being cooped up with no new faces or fun people to meet, they’ll be doubly excited to see you.

The government plans for Ibiza 2020 will dictate the exact measures that publicly facing shops, restaurants and bars will need to abide by, but the quantity of outdoor, non-enclosed spaces shows promise for Ibiza’s tourism industry returning to normal, because garden and terrace bars are already opened and restaurants are expected to reopen soon. Small steps like wearing standard PPE will, of course, be observed. You should also expect to be asked to use hand sanitizer on entering everything from boutiques to shopping centres.

Clubbing is still a very unclear territory for 2020. Understandably, governments aren’t prioritising nightlife over quieter eateries reopening so we need to be patient to know exactly where we’ll be able to dance the night away this summer. Unsexy as it is to see your nightclub server’s face obscured, the official line is that bartenders will be wearing PPE at all times when reopening.

Most of us are happy to adapt to the extra health and safety measures, as long as we can see something new! So what can we actually see during a trip to Ibiza shortly after lockdown is lifted?

4. Culture and sightseeing

Optimists think that the art scene will rebound stronger than before, as the population has been starved of experiences and content. Cinemas, museums and galleries could thrive after stifled creativity is allowed an escape. Moreover, many sofa-tourists will have seen Ibiza’s stunning art scene online through virtual tours and now want to see the real thing.

There is another camp, however, of pessimists that fear the arts scene has suffered irreparable damage. Despite local and government support, grassroots art centres all over Europe are expected to dwindle if funding didn’t manage to keep them going through lockdown. In Ibiza, some of the municipally-run and privately owned museums and galleries are already open for small groups at a time and require standard PPE.

After a more private museum tour, plenty of outdoor activities are also at your disposal in Ibiza: sunbathing, yachting, hiking, paddleboarding, cycling, and fishing are all practiced in unenclosed spaces so the only changes are expected to be extra sanitization of rented equipment. There are salt flats, dunes, cliffs and stunning mountain walks to explore without need to involve anyone outside your family, so you can effectively re-isolate once in Ibiza, and out-and-about in nature.

Overall, we see many positive transformations on the horizon. Extra checks and planning are a small price to pay for less-crowded tourist sites, extra elbow room on the plane, and plenty of space on the beach.

On another positive note, now that digital platforms have become a normal way to work, get fit, learn and entertain ourselves, an upside of post-COVID travel is that you may be able to go away for longer—if your boss isn’t bothered about you taking calls from a swish hotel suite or a poolside table, why not extend your stay and tag a little remote working onto your holiday? You can even keep up with your exercise classes back home as normal!

We know a return to normalcy, or as life was in early 2020, is still a way off, but we’re excited to get going again. Invisa is ensuring our teams support holiday makers with their plans for Ibiza 2020, so that visitors know what to do in Ibiza even before they arrive, and can adjust to the measures once they’re here.