Post-pandemic travel rebound: go-to-market plan for a new travel offering

Assume the COVID-19 pandemic has come to an end and travel is reopening. How would you plan the launch of a travel product for this moment? Cover what you would launch and for whom, how you would get ready, how you would run the launch itself, and how you would judge it afterward. ```hint Start from what changed The pandemic changed who wants to travel, why, and how cautious they are. Let one specific shift in behavior drive your product, your target travelers and your launch timing. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Which travel product is in scope: an existing Airbnb offering such as stays or experiences, a new product, or is the choice mine? - Is this a brand-new product or the restart of something paused during the pandemic? - Does "the end of the pandemic" mean restrictions disappear everywhere at once, or do countries reopen at different times? - Is the main goal bookings and revenue, acquiring new travelers, or winning back people who stopped traveling? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A product and target-traveler choice tied to how travel behavior changed during the pandemic - Pre-launch readiness: supply, partners, cancellation and refund policy, and capacity for a demand spike - A launch plan that sequences markets by reopening status and uses channels that reach the chosen travelers - Launch goals and metrics, with guardrails such as cancellations, support load and safety - A post-launch review and a plan for setbacks such as a market closing again ### Follow-up Questions - Shortly after launch, a new wave of cases closes one of your biggest markets. What do you change? - Demand in your launch cities exceeds available supply. How do you protect the guest experience and keep prices from spiking? - How would you decide which markets go first when countries reopen at different times?