Travelers Get Candid About Their Struggles With Permanxiety

Skift launched the latest edition of our magazine, Travel in an Age of Permanxiety, at Skift Global Forum in New York City in September. This article is part of our look into the current state of the traveler mindset through the lens of the pervasive state of anxiety felt worldwide.  Absent a heart monitor, anxiety is nearly impossible to capture in a chart or graph. It’s about how we feel in relation to the world around us and the challenges that appear to be coming our way. Anxiety's impact, though, can be measured in the choices we make because we are anxious or fearful. We stay at home instead of going out. Or we don't vacation in the U.S. because of Trump or avoid Paris because of ISIS or scratch Russia off the list because of unreasonable visa requirements or skip the Caribbean because of Zika. The impact on travel is significant. The following five stories look at travelers' permanxiety from a variety of perspectives to better understand what we think about when we visit an airport, check in to a hotel, or visit a new destination. These are similar to conversations that many of us have with friends and family, as well as how we think about things in our own heads. No matter your background, we think you'll recognize something in these stories from your own experience. —Jason Clampet Download Travel in an Age of Permanxiety magazine here Peter Slatin, as told to Deanna Ting Peter Slatin travels far and wide in his role as the founder and president of Slatin Group, a company that helps businesses better understand how to deliver customer services to customers with special needs. I'm blind, and I use a guide dog most of the time when I'm traveling. Sometimes I use my white cane, but most of the time I'll use a guide dog. What prompted me to start the Slatin Group was all the kinds of experiences I've had — the miscommunication, misunderstanding, and just difficult and challenging service experiences, some of which can be dangerous, and some of which are just annoying and insulting. At the Airport The two points that create the most anxiety are the entry to the airport and when I'm waiting to board. When I arrive at an airport, very often, I have a bad experience. Airport design has changed from a time when you would walk in and the check-in counter would be pretty much straight ahead. A lot of times, it's off to the side or they're just kiosks, and the check-in counters are far away, so I rely on someone. I'm hopin