Is leisure travel all set to return for summer?

Low Coronavirus infection rate lets these countries open up for tourism. As we slowly get back to our lives after the outbreak of Covid_19, parts of the world are thinking of leisure travel again. With Australia announcing plans to revive tourism, the first signs of travel are there albeit with precautionary measures in place. Many countries are easing border restrictions or creating safe passages between destinations where infection numbers are low.

The challenge: balancing safety with the need to reboot. With a trans-Tasman, quarantine-free travel bubble on the cards, travel between Australia and New Zealand seem possible.

Australians can now start dreaming about a trip to New Zealand sometime in the not-so-distant future. Recently both the countries announced plans for reopening, taking small steps towards a normal life.

As of now, there is no firm date for the proposed trans-Tasman Bubble, however the Australian prime minister is hopeful that a trans-Tasman travel will be possible by July. When trans-Tasman travel is allowed, it’s likely that a 14-day quarantine will be required following any travel between the two nations.

Much of Australia and New Zealand’s success in containing Covid-19 can be attributed to the strictness of their lockdowns.

Greece has had early success managing the pandemic and so far has avoided major outbreaks. As coronavirus lockdowns begin to lift in Europe, Greece has its sights set on the summer for reopening. The country intends to reopen to tourists on July 1, using extensive testing, distanced accommodations and activities. It might not be a typical tourist season, but small pleasures by the Aegean sea are good enough.

Iceland has tested large numbers of the population – without imposing any lockdown or curfew. Iceland’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism, and the summer is typically the high season. As it stands now, Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir announced some up-coming changes to the travel restrictions to Iceland.

After, June 15th the country will accept, tourists from outside Schengen, but requires a clean bill of health from the health authorities in their home countries. Visitors will also be asked to install the Rakning C-19 contagion tracing app.

Puerto Rico is slowly reopening its economy and tourism is an important part of it. The island is focusing on hygiene as it plans its reopening to tourists. The first round of easing up includes smaller businesses to open, as long as they enforce social distancing and provide protective gear to employees.

All visitors to the island are being screened for symptoms and are also requested to self-quarantine for 14 days.

Bhutan: The under-resourced nation’s response, led by science and quick preventative action, has been fortified by its traditional communal values. With just seven cases and zero deaths so far, many in the Himalayan Kingdom believe they are being spared by their guardian deities.