Rick Steves travel expert is hopeful for the world of travel after everyone is vaccinated

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PBS travel expert, Rick Steves, has had an interesting year. The pandemic put his travels and his travel “business” on hold, but it gave him a chance to use that tourist-mindset at home. We spoke with Rick Steves about the “future” of travel and his plans to get back out there and experience the world.

When asked ‘what are the travel trends right now during the pandemic, Steves responded, “As soon as everybody gets vaccinated, we can travel. You know, this is really a very basic thing.”

Steves said they are eager to get back out there and he is hopeful for the future. “We want to travel. Europe wants to travel. Europe and the United States got up to a rocky start on the vaccination front but right now things are kicking into gear. If things continue the way they are, we’ll be free to enjoy the world soon again. So I’ve been grounded here for over a year, I’ve got 100 people on my staff, we are just chomping at the bit to get back to Europe and make new TV shows and lead our tours and write our guide books. I fully expect us to be traveling either late in 2021, or early in 2022.”

Rick Steves employs about 100 people for his travel business but COVID has put it all on hold.

“I’ve still got my team together, I feel that the ethical thing as an employer is to keep them employed, even in tough times. I’ve got 100 people on my payroll, right now, with no revenue. That’s tough, but the team’s together. I think it’s a good investment in the future, because we’re going to need that team when we start traveling again,” Steves said.

In the meantime, Steves explained he is taking time to enjoy life, “It’s like God’s way of telling me to slow down and kind of therapy for a workaholic. It’s a reminder that there’s more to life than increasing in speed. I’ve been not so focused on travel, but employing that travelers mindset, that positive, curious, willing to get out there and try new things and broaden my perspective, right here at home.”

Rick Steves, PBS Travel Expert

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