Overcoming Travel Restrictions for Events (July 2020).

As countries gradually and cautiously start opening up to the idea of live events there remain in place multiple restrictions for venues and participants. As some countries start experiencing second and third waves of COVID-19 cases it is travel restrictions that continue to be a major barrier to free movement.  

Despite the UK allowing outdoor event to resume they are subject to reduced event capacity, social distancing measures and possible wearing of masks there is still the issue of actually getting to an event venue.

Most countries still have strict rules in place for using public transport like buses and trains so expect masks to be mandatory along with social distancing. Many public transport operators have reduced services and reduced capacity so anyone trying to get for their home to an event venue will have to book well in advance to get their desired day and time.

This is going to be another hurdle for event goers to overcome. The possible solution may to drive and all the better if you can share but that may not work for those concerned about social distancing which is not really possible in the confined space of a car. Notwithstanding the environmental impact of car driving discouraged by many event organisers.

If an event attendee is travelling from one country to another then flying may be an option but that is subject to so many issues currently. Most airlines are in a dire financial crisis and have reduced schedules and capacity, prices for tickets have also increased substantially making international flying extremely difficult. Flying domestically is also problematic for the same reasons, reduced schedules, capacity and high prices. Carefully check how an airline is performing as there are many stories of airlines accepting flight bookings and taking money only to cancel the flight, ticket holders than have to wait months to get a refund.

For anyone considering flying internationally they should keep up to date on current border restrictions too. Some countries have agreements in place with each other to allow freedom of movement without the requirement to do 14 days quarantine, whilst others remain firmly closed. Travellers can check the current status of border openings and restrictions by visiting the Kayak or IATA websites, both are constantly updated. Even for those with a confirmed ticket and seat keep checking the status as the border situation is fluid.

Even once event goers get to a venue if they need to stay overnight there could be issues in finding hotel accommodation. Many hotels are closed, even if booking.com and agoda.com accept a hotel booking it does not guarantee the hotel is open for business. There have been numerous complaints related to this because the booking process is automated and their systems have yet to catch up with the reality of what is open and what is closed.

As time passes travel will become easier but for event organisers they should be keeping themselves up to date with all travel restrictions so that event attendees can be fully informed by them.

If you use an events management software solution like FestivalPro it already has built in functionality for all your event travel and accommodation needs. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The FestivalPro platform is easy to use and has all the features you need to manage every aspect of your live outdoor event.  

Photo by freestocks.org from Pexels

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