21 Top Places That Are Open for Travel NOW
As more and more countries are beginning to open their borders for travel, we decided to list down all the spots you need to visit once this lockdown is over.
You may be asking, “Is it safe to travel now?”
In today’s post, we’re going to provide you with the top destinations that are starting to ease up on travel restrictions and get tourists back to helping their economies come out of this coronavirus lockdown.
Let’s get right into the top 21 places that are open for travel NOW.
Americas
St. Lucia
If anything, this Island was one of the earliest to open back up as early as June 4 for visitors from the United States in much desperation for a quick recovery to its tourism reliant economy. Almost 424,000 visitors flocked to this Caribbean nation in 2019 which is now seeing a trickle of visitors compared to the same time last year.
If you plan on visiting St Lucia, you’ll be required to provide a certified proof showing a negative test for COVID-19 at least 48 hours prior to boarding the flight.
Special measures have been put in place to protect passengers and drivers while in taxis.
With phase one already being carried out, phase 2 has its eyes set for August 1. According to the Ministry of Tourism, these dates are tentative and may change.
For more information on exactly which vaccinations you may need, please visit cdc.org
Aruba
What’s better than visiting this Caribbean island in the North American summer. Crystal blue waters and beautiful people. This is a must travel to destination especially after having stayed indoors for almost 3 months.
Check out The Best Aruba Vacation in 2020 (includes All-Inclusive Resorts) to make the most out of your time in Aruba.
The visitor’s bureau for the Caribbean has declared that the opening of its borders is “tentative”. This would mean that its opening dates of June 15-July 1 could possibly change as situations arise.
Most nonessential services have been opened as early as May 25th which include malls, cinemas, beauty salons, and restaurants. The curfew of 10 pm – 5 am still is in effect.
For more information on exactly which vaccinations you may need, please visit cdc.org
Jamaica
Another Caribbean island making this list is the friendly country of Jamaica that is open for travel now.
Clocking in 4.3 million visitors per year, tourism for Jamaica accounts for almost 34% of its GDP.
Jamaica opened its borders on June 15 allowing visitors carefully through a resilient corridor system where tourism will only be allowed in a specific part of the country. This is limited to the Jamaica northern coast between the town of Negril and the city of Port Antonio.
Jamaica’s Director of Tourism, Donovan White said: “Tourism is the lifeblood of our local economy, and with the help of international experts and a dedicated task force, we have developed protocols that allow us to safely reopen our borders.”
Mexico
With a lot of its tourist density coming from the US and Canada, Mexico is set to open up to domestic travelers and shortly after would be its North American counterparts. Mexico is open for travel by flight at the moment. The plan for Mexico is to open up in stages and regions.
Flights to Mexico, especially run by Delta airlines to the regions of Cancun, Mexico City, Los Cabos, and Puerto Vallarta would be a good choice since it’s a common carrier covering these destinations.
If you’re looking to hit up the warm beaches of eastern Mexico, where Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum are located, mid-June is your time to book those flights.
With summer heating things up, it’s a good time to relax close to the Caribbean sea which the above-mentioned locations will provide.
If you’ll be headed towards Tulum, be sure to check out Camp Akumal which is best for budget travelers. You’ll find Camp Akumal amidst the dense jungle. This budget Airbnb is best for those looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
If you’d like a more luxurious retreat, check out MiAmor Hotel in Tulum. This boutique hotel is part of the small luxury hotel collection and is reserved for adult guests only.
Los Cabos is set to launch a 5 phase plan in June to revive its tourism-impacted economy.
Note to drivers in North America looking to cross the Mexican border: Any non-essential travel will not be allowed into Mexico as of yet.
Asia Pacific
Bali
Bali is one of our top destinations especially the fact that we have had a great experience visiting this beautiful Island. Sharing its coasts between the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean, it is worth a visit if you like culture, authentic food, and utmost hospitality.
Here is a video of Bali which we created while there.
This Indonesian island has seen an increase in tourism year over year as visitors clocked in 6.3 million visits just in 2019 alone.
Thankfully for us, their infection rate has remained consistently low, only confirmed at 350 cases. Bali is open for travel now to locals but tentatively set to open its doors to foreigners in September or October.
As for now, all foreign nationals are barred from entering Bali but we expect it to open soon as the travel bubble between Bali and Australia is implemented.
Anyone allowed into the country is mandated to go through swab testing at the airport and must provide a letter from their healthcare provider stating that the individual is free from the Coronavirus.
The Maldives
The popular honeymooners’ destination has seen its fair share of COVID cases with around 1,457 confirmed.
Having shut its borders in March, the tourism board of Maldives stated that they will be back open in July. This decision was prior made for the end of the year but as cases have eased up, the country is willing to open sooner than thought.
Maldivian officials are looking into issuing a “safe tourism license” for facilities that meet the safety and health requirements which includes having a medic on-site and having enough supply of PPE equipment.
Unlike other countries, Maldives does not require a 14 day quarantine period. You also would not have to have a confirmed booking at facilities carrying the “safe tourism license”.
Bookings would be open to all hotels and resorts but anyone holding this license would be guaranteed to have medics and PPE available.
Check out our blog of Maafushivaru Island Resort which has since undergone renovation and is now open for tourists.
Thailand
Thailand has been quite lucky when it comes to its handling of the COVID outbreak.
The nation has seen 3,000 confirmed cases for what is a nation of almost 70 million people. That’s low compared to the astronomical cases seen in the United States per part 300 million.
With 40 million visitors making Thailand their vacation destination last year, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is taking extra precautions when it comes to allowing anyone into the country.
Their goal is to undermine any traveler from destinations that do not have control of the outbreak.
Expect to see the resumption of international flights by June 30.
Turkey
Having transcontinental ties with Western Asia and Southeastern Europe, there is no surprise why Turkey is eager to reopen to Asian countries like China and South Korea.
Bringing in a whopping $34.5 billion in revenue from tourism in 2019, Turkey is unlikely to let this number fall off too far thus allowing domestic travel to resume in May and opening up for international travel in mid-June.
As a hotel guest, you should be confident in the check-in process as hotels are mandated to keep the room ventilated and unoccupied for 12 hours before the next guest is able to occupy the space. We really like this approach to containment and elimination.
Beaches, museums, restaurants, cafes, parks, and sports facilities have been open since June 1.
Middle East/Africas
Cyprus
Have you been setting your eyes on the Meditteranean but not quite sure which country to visit? This Island nation has our attention. Looking at every possible way to get tourists flocking to its shores, Cyprus is willing to cover most costs related to any traveler catching an infection while on vacation.
Yes, you read that right! The Cypriot government has stated that any traveler that catches Covid-19 within its borders will have their accommodation, food/drink, and medication paid for. That’s a hassle-free vacation given you take care of yourself and remember to wash your hands.
The only thing you would want to consider is any airport transfer fees and repatriation flight. It’s something the government said they would not be covering. Changes to airport transfers would be conducted with your airline of course.
Cyprus has recorded just over 900 COVID-19 cases with 24 deaths. They have held a mandatory 14-day quarantine for foreigners entering the country which ended on May 25th.
If you are going to be entering the country, a certification proving you’re negative of coronavirus needs to be presented to authorities.
Egypt
If this coronavirus does not look like a plague of the 21st century, we don’t know what else qualifies. If you’d like to dive deep into ancient history and learn about plagues and pharaohs, Egypt is your spot!
Egypt is used to seeing around U.S $1 billion in revenue each month. WIth this pandemic cutting reach for tourists to their travel destinations, it’s no wonder why countries are desperate to get back up and running.
The country has plans of easing up travel to its doors by July 1 where international flights will be given the go-ahead.
As for now, the country has held a curfew from 8 pm-5 am every day while wearing masks has been made mandatory while out in public places.
So if you’re looking to visit the pyramids, this would be best from July onwards.
United Arab Emirates (U.A.E)
The reason we like going to the United Arab Emirates is that they are so well organized in everything they do. This reflects in the curfew policy they had rolled out which was called “the national sanitization program”.
This was a 24-hour lockdown to prevent unnecessary contact during the height of the pandemic. This policy has been gradually toned down as infection rates have fallen.
As the country opens to domestic travel, there is a method for those looking into hotel stays.
If Turkey’s mandate for hotels for a 12 hour ventilation period wasn’t enough, Dubai, one of the emirates, has mandated a 24 hour ventilation period.
This gives us a sense of peace that our living space will be COVID free when we check-in. Check out this video of the hotel staff at Paramount Hotels sanitizing the property.
Numerous shopping malls in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah have been permitted to open given they enforce social distancing rules. Parks and beaches are open to groups of up to 5 people.
Being the busiest hub for international travel, the emirates have opened up their airports for connecting flights. Local airlines like Emirates, Etihad, Flydubai, and Air Arabia are set to commence flights in the coming weeks.
As for international travelers, the U.A.E is yet to give a definite opening date for when they start allowing visitors but the horizon is pointing to sometime between July-September.
Keep up with Dubai travel on our Instagram page @wewanderlust.co
Europe
France
If you’re reading this blog and are an American, you must be asking yourself, “can Americans travel to France?”
The short answer is YES. That is if you’re willing to undergo a 14-day quarantine leading up to at least July 24.
As an EU resident, this would not apply to you as the union has made exceptions to this. As an EU resident, you can drive up to 100 kilometers (~62 miles) to any destination you like within the European Union and that includes visiting Paris and the beautiful Eiffel Tower.
France was the world’s most traveled to country prior to the coronavirus lockdown so anything affecting its tourism sectors definitely does strike a blow to France’s economy.
France’s Prime Minister was quoted saying, “What is good for tourism is often good for France, what strikes tourism strikes France.”
Booking.comSearch for all the best Hotels in Paris HERE
Georgia
Another country that makes the July 1st opening is Georgia. Seeing an influx of tourism of over 7% the previous year, Georgia was well-positioned to continue this uptick in tourism up until the lockdown.
The country has rolled out a 3 stage plan dubbed the “anti-crisis” plan which will promote itself as being a safe destination to travel to. This 3 stage plane is well through its first 2 stages as the country is beginning to phase into stage 3 which is to now devise plans on how to reopen the different sectors.
The country is planning to welcome guests as early as July 1.
Germany
EU residents rejoice as they are being allowed to travel to Germany on June 15. This lift on travel restrictions only applies to EU residents while nonessential travel is prohibited as of now.
Countries that are up for consideration for international travel to Germany are as follows:
The UK, Iceland, Turkey, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland. This list is tentative as a final decision is yet to be made.
The border between Austria And Germany was opened on June 15 allowing much free travel between these 2 countries. Restrictions are being relaxed so you should feel more confident in traveling around freely.
Looking at getting a drink at a bar? Bars along with restaurants and museums are open for business now.
Greece
Have you been eyeing those Instagram posts of beautiful Greece? This is also on our list as the country is ripe for tourism.
The Greeks have allowed travel to its borders as early as June 15, which coincides with the EU lifting its bans and allowing travel to resume on June 15.
Twenty percent of Greece’s tourism is accounted for by the tourism sector which is nearly 1 in five jobs.
If you’re a foreigner making this list which the Greeks have approved for open travel, you can bypass testing which will otherwise be set aside for nationals from countries, not on the list.
29 countries allowed to travel to Greece:
Albania
Australia
Austria
North Macedonia
Bulgaria
Germany
Denmark
Switzerland
Estonia
Japan
Israel
China
Croatia
Cyprus
Latvia
Lebanon
New Zealand
Lithuania
Malta
Montenegro
Norway
South Korea
Hungary
Romania
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Czech Republic
Finland
Iceland
Iceland has been proactive in large-scale testing, tracing, and isolation. This strategy is what has helped the country keep infection rates low to under 2,000 cases. It’s safe to say that Iceland has opened its’ doors since June 15.
The previously required 14-day quarantine is no longer mandatory.
Tourism officials have stated the incoming foreigners have to either submit a COVID-19 test on arrival, provide proof that they have been tested, and have the negative result on hand or get the last option of a 14-day quarantine.
We’re not fans of having to quarantine for 14 days so to have a certification or letter from your doctor after a negative test in your home country is the best option to make the most out of your trip.
Also, the test that you would have to take if you don’t have certification clearing you off COVID-19 will cost you $112.
What we have learned from Iceland’s proactive approach to this pandemic is its ability to keep track of where infections are originating from.
The Ministry of Health encourages downloading the Rakning C-19 app which can be found on both the Google Play Store or Apple App store.
Italy
Remember watching those balcony videos of the Italian people playing music and showing the word how resilient they were as a country? It was marvelous so see their strength and that also shows in how the country is getting back up on its feet.
Having been one of the worst-hit by the pandemic, the Italian Government is eager to get the country back up. This is due in part to slowing infection rates which is always good for us as travelers as well.
Bars and restaurants have been allowed to open back up as early as May 18 which shows good signs of containment and officials finding reason to open other parts of the economy.
Malta
Maltas closed its doors to the world on March 20, bringing the country to a slowdown.
This strategy has changed since and officials have set out July 1 as their reopening target date. If you reside in any of these countries listed down below, you have been deemed safe for travel by the Malta Tourism Authority.
17 Countries making the list for approved travel to and from Malta:
Germany
Austria
Cyprus
Switzerland
Iceland
Slovakia
Hungary
Finland
Ireland
Lithuania
Israel
Latvia
Norway
Denmark
Estonia
Luxembourg
The Czech Republic
Portugal
Portugal is kicking off the easing of its restrictions with TAP Air Portugal. The non-stop flight between Lisbon and Newark has been reestablished giving much hope and opening doors for more easing.
Residents of Spain and Italy are yet to receive clearance when they’ll be able to cross the Portugal border again but officials have given at least for July 1 for any land crossing to be ok. Residents of parts of the EU other than Spain and Italy are free to travel within its borders.
“Don’t Cancel, Postpone”. That’s the movement the country’s secretary of State for Tourism, Rita Marques has stated.
This is in essence telling tourists to “not cancel” but “reschedule” any trip to Portugal until the end of 2021. If you’ve made a booking between March 13 and September 20, 2020, you should be able to make this deferral in plans with your booking agents/companies.
Visitors entering the country will be given a temperature check and will not have to undergo mandatory quarantine.
A certification stamp of free hygiene has been given to travel and tourism enterprises that showcase cleanliness and proper hygiene implementation in its business activities which in turn gives visitors confidence in the establishment.
Spain
We have to guarantee, when international tourism opens, that the person who comes to Spain is a safe person
Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto
With a record 84 million visitors arriving through its borders in 2019, Spain opened its doors to EU residents on June 21.
The strategy of creating a travel bubble within the EU is in conjunction with destinations such as Lithuania and the Czech Republic.
These countries have demonstrated the importance and effectiveness of safe corridors and travel bubbles. Mentions of anything outside of the Union are unheard of at the moment.
Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto spoke to the El Paris newspaper and was quoted saying “We have to guarantee, when international tourism opens, that the person who comes to Spain is a safe person.”
United Kingdom (U.K)
Contrary to what nations in the surrounding region are doing, the UK is fixed on mandating a self-isolated 14 day quarantine period for visitors. You would be required to provide an address at which you must remain for two weeks.
Hotels will mostly be opening mid to early July but we won’t count this in for international travelers as 9 out of 10 flights are grounded. There’s little to anyone going into or leaving the country.
Hotels are being primed for travelers traveling domestically. All visitors and staff will be required to consent to a temperature check and sanitize their hands before entering all buildings on the estate.
International travelers may want to keep a close eye on the situation in the UK as more news about when international travel should be allowed to open back up will slowly be released once the country sees a clear downtrend in the cases confirmed.
We hope this list about the 21 places that are open for travel now helped you figure out which destinations you’ll be travelling to next.
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