Although the pandemic is still ongoing, there are countries that are ready to host tourists just in time for summer.
Caribbean islands are preparing to open their boarders to foreign visitors this month, while Mexico and Thailand are planning to open up region by region. If you are planning to travel this year, here are some of the top destinations that are ready to reopen.
Cyprus
Cyprus wants to reopen the country to help the economy, and to entice people, Cyprus is now offering tourists that they will cover the cost if a traveler tests positive for the coronavirus after visiting the country.
The government are willing to pay for lodging, food, drink and medication. The plan was released on May 26 and officials have earmarked a 100-bed hospital for tourists who will test positive for the virus while a 500-room hotel will be used as a quarantine site.
This decision came after Yiannis Karousos, the Cyprus Transport Minister, announced that on June 1, the hotels will open while the international flights will resume on June 9.
However, the government clarifies that not all tourists will be allowed to enter. All flights from Greece, Malta, Bulgaria, Norway, Austria, Finland, Slovenia, Hungary, Israel, Denmark, Germany, Slovakia and Lithuania will be authorized first.
On June 20, flights from Switzerland, Poland, Romania, Croatia, Estonia and the Czech Republic will be allowed. The UK and US will still be restricted as the two nations have the largest number of coronavirus cases in the world.
Bali
Bali has been successful in their battle with COVID-19. Indonesia is now ready to open their country for tourists by October, as long as the infection rates will stay low. Bali's economy depends highly on tourism.
Every year, the number of visitors increase and in 2019 alone, 6.3 million tourists were recorded to have visited the country. Tour guides admitted that they've had a difficult time since tourism is in an all time low this year, and it collapsed the economy of Bali.
Now that the island is ready to open up, tourists must be willing to do a swab test and provide a letter proving that they are negative of COVID-19.
Thailand
Thailand is one of the top destination for tourists in Asia, as it welcomes 40 million foreign tourists in just 2019. But the boarders of the country was closed since March.
Now that the coronavirus cases in the country is slowly decreasing, the Thai government will be reopening the country region by region. It is unlikely that the country will open the boarders for international travels this year although the government is eyeing the reopening of international travels early 2021.
France
One of the most visited country in the world before the pandemic is France. Now the country has opened its boarders but travelers need to undergo a compulsory 14-day coronavirus quarantine and the practice will continue until July 24.
Businesses have been given the permission to reopen, such as hotels, restaurants, bars and cafes in June 2. The museum, the Louvre, will reopen in July 6. Right now, French tourists are allowed to stay at hotels and go around the country.
