The year 2020 was a nightmare for the tourism and travel industry all around the world due to COVID-19 pandemic.
These days the vaccine rollouts give hope to everyone that we will be able to control this brutal virus somehow and safe travel will not be just a dream for holiday lovers.
Governments and health centers warn people that travel may increase the chance of spreading and contracting COVID-19, therefore advise its citizens to postpone travel and to stay home.
This is the best way to protect themselves and others during the pandemic. But how much longer do we have to endure the restrictions? People’s patience is dwindling, not to mention the economic consequences. Thousands of people working in the travel and catering industry lost their job globally and have been struggling with serious financial problems for months. The United Nations’ World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is calling for a vaccine passport, saying it must become an essential travel document to help restart international tourism as the restart of tourism cannot wait any longer.
More and more destinations worldwide are reopening their borders to tourists in phases with coordinated health and safety measures in place. Certain countries require visitors to test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of departure or quarantine for some days upon arrival. Travelers should take several key factors into consideration before deciding whether to go for a holiday.
You obviously should avoid any travel if you test positive for COVID-19 or if you have been in close contact with anyone who is or was sick. Also check the destination in mind and be sure to look into how it is handling the spread of COVID-19 and monitor case numbers, infection rates and hospitalizations. Avoid COVID-19 hotspots or areas where travel restrictions may ruin your holiday.
For example, travelers to Hawaii can bypass mandatory quarantine with a negative test result made within 72 hours of departure while visitors to Barbados must test out of the island’s mandatory quarantine by taking a second COVID-19 test after three days in isolation in your hotel room.
From January 26, 2021 all U.S.-bound international air travelers are required to provide a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 72 hours of departure. Fortunately, plenty of destinations, airports, hotel and resort companies have implemented convenient and free or cheap on-site testing programs to help visitors easily get the necessary certification prior to boarding their return flight home.
Always check the entry requirements of your destination even some days before your departure as rules may change every hour. You may face shcedule changes of your flights or even sudden flight cancellations therefore you better book your trip with a travel agent who is always there to help you. You do not have to spend your holiday making phone calls or writing emails to the airline, you just easily contact your travel advisor who will solve all your problems while you can relax on the beach.
One thing is for sure, we will have to travel differently from now on, but the world is opening up and travel is a possibility again. There is a lot to consider before you set sail but hopefully the epidemic situatuion will improve globally with vaccinations and travel will soon be as it used to be.