He is just promoting his new book. It already suffers from a poorly timed release, as I think more people are in a "hunkered down" frame of mind than a "Let's book that trip to Paris" mood!
I retired early to be available to travel with my wife when she had an international position. During one period, I managed to take "passport needed" trips 17 quarters in a row. At times, we would wonder if that cash should have been shoring up our nest egg, which we were still focused on growing. Last year, I planned and pulled off 2 across the pond trips with under 3 weeks of planning.
Now, as we end our "5th month" of March, I side with the author a bit and feel very happy I got my passport stamped as many times as I did the last 15 years as the window on my style of travel has slammed shut...and may not get back to normal for 3 years or longer if the hospitality industry is decimated. In all likelihood, since my passport expires in 18 months, I may never have a passport again as interesting as my current one.