The Rise of Subscription Living

Tourism may be dead, but the future of travel is bright.

Last October, more than 400 Singaporeans rushed to make dinner reservations aboard two A380 superjumbo jets. A private suite set them back almost $500 USD per person, while economy class seats cost around $38 USD.

The planes weren’t going anywhere, though. It was a promotion by Singapore Airlines, offered in two stationary planes at Changi airport. The unique dining experience was made safe through socially-distanced seating arrangements and the hospital-grade HEPA filters that have long been standard on airplanes.

The seats sold out in less than 30 minutes and zero COVID cases were reported as a result, so it proved an effective short-term strategy to attract public attention and give a boost to cataclysmic revenue shortfalls. But it won’t help much in the long-term. Consumers may offer goodwill now, but many airlines will likely never recover. The same goes for hotels, restaurants, and other tourism-dependent businesses.

Global tourism spending isn’t expected to return to pre-pandemic levels until at least 2024. So, does that mean everyone will travel less over the next few years? Not exactly. Remote work is giving people more opportunities to move freely than ever before. Trips are no longer confined to vacation days, but to whenever and wherever there…