The easiest way you can show your support without leaving your couch is to write some online reviews. If you’ve never left your favourite hotel, restaurant, or attraction a glowing review, now’s the time to sing their praises. After all, most of us have plenty of time to kill as we’re confined to the four walls of our homes.

While fresh reviews won’t help businesses generate revenue right now, they’ll help a lot of companies once people can travel again and are seeking the best-rated spots to make their eagerly anticipated trip even more exciting.

It’s also worth giving your favourite brands a shoutout on social media, whether on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Whether you have a strong following or not, any praise and attention is useful, especially for smaller companies during these uncertain times.

Many of us with upcoming travel plans in the next few months or so have sadly had them disrupted. However, if you’re able to, consider postponing or rescheduling your trip rather than cancelling it.

For many companies in travel – especially the small ones – too many refunds mean there’s a high chance they may go out of business. After all, with an influx of refunds and nobody booking future trips, it simply means the company isn’t making any money.

While you may not be able to fly, go on a tour, or take a cruise any time soon, if you can reschedule it, do it. Many companies are flexible with their booking options given the circumstances and will change the dates without charge.

Plus, it means you have an exciting adventure to look forward to once the dust settles and it’s safe to travel again.

Another simple way of supporting travel companies right now is to buy vouchers or gift cards that you can use in the future. That way, you can put money in their pockets now rather than later.

This can be done locally by purchasing gift cards for nearby restaurants, attractions, shops, and museums, but you can also do it on a global scale. If there are destinations you visit often or are planning to visit, you can buy gift cards for tour companies, hotels, restaurants, airlines, and more.

With so much uncertainty up in the air, just make sure the expiry date is long so you have plenty of time to redeem your voucher or gift card.

Once you’re finally able to soar away on that highly anticipated holiday, you’ll already have tons of activities, excursions, and restaurants booked up, leaving you less planning to do closer to the date.

Have you been putting off buying that guidebook of a destination you’re desperate to visit? Or maybe you’ve been meaning to purchase that travel audio book you’ve been recommended?

With so much time to spend indoors, now’s the ideal time to buy those travel books, guides, and audio books you’ve been meaning to purchase. Right now, self-publishers, small publishers and other travel businesses in the publishing industry need as much support as possible to stay afloat.

You could also subscribe to a travel magazine you’ve always wanted to read, but never really thought you had the time for. Armed with all your new travel knowledge and inspiration, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to plan your next epic trip for when coronavirus has settled.

This leads us to our next point. The best thing you can do to support the travel industry during these uncertain times is to keep researching and planning future trips. Once it’s safe to travel again, the industry will eventually boom but in the beginning, pickup will be slow as people are still wary to travel.

Show your support to your favourite brands and destinations by making sure you use and visit them when you can. And the good news for you? There’s evidence to show that the act of planning and looking forward to a holiday can be just as beneficial for your mental health as actually heading on one. It’s a win-win situation.