Plans for these and other international trips in 2020 were brought to an abrupt halt by the Covid-19 pandemic.
On 13 October, the International Air Transport Association (Iata) said that international traffic "has all but disappeared", with airlines carrying only about 10% of normal levels.
By Iata's estimate, Covid-caused disruptions put more than 41 million jobs at risk across the travel and tourism sector.
In the absence of travellers, tourism boards, hotels and destinations have turned to virtual reality (VR)
Some 1,200km (745 miles) to Germany's west, VR was being explored by Irish tourism officials even before the pandemic began.
Tourism Ireland was using VR even before the pandemic
"We know technology is already changing how we travel, and it's only going to accelerate with VR in a post-pandemic environment," says Siobhan McManamy, Tourism Ireland's director of markets.
VR has been used to promote snorkelling in the Maldives
Some, however, believe the benefits of VR in travel might be felt much sooner.