After months of lockdown due to the global coronavirus pandemic, some countries around the world are now ready to open their borders to tourists.
People are now keeping an eye out for the next steps of the tourism industry, whether they will be proactive in courting travelers and how they will do it to win tourists back.
The following countries are deemed safe by the European Union and the United Kingdom to go to. These countries have been successful in battling the pandemic and has a steady decrease in cases.
South Korea
Seoul, South Korea Photo by cattan2011 on Foter.com / CC BY
Since May, the number of tourists that traveled to South Korea had decreased to 99.5% due to the travel restrictions that were implemented because of the coronavirus pandemic. The largest number of visitors in the country are from the United States, followed by the Philippines and Indonesia.
According to the KTO, even though South Korea received global praise for how they handled the pandemic, the country will still look at a gloomy future for tourists arrivals due to the continuous spread of the coronavirus in the United States and other countries.
If you will travel to South Korea, you will have to self-quarantine for two weeks before you can go around the country.
Thailand has also successfully beaten the coronavirus, and on June 25, the Government of Thailand approved a plan for relaxed measures for foreigners who will enter the country. They are preparing to open international tourism starting on August 1.
Six of Thailand's international airports have reopened on July 1 and it handled both domestic and international arrivals. Around 1,000 foreign travelers will be allowed entry to the country every day without having to undergo a 14-day quarantine, as approved by the CCSA.
These visitors should come from countries that are part of the bilateral cooperation on tourism between Thailand and countries that were able to contain COVID-19. If this operation is successful, general tourists will later be allowed to enter the country.
Japan
Japan garden water asian building temple treePhoto on Foter.com
Japan's controversial Go To Travel campaign had raised concerns about it will lead to more coronavirus infections. The campaign is meant to entice the public to travel to Japan and help the economy recover. The number of coronavirus cases in the country is increasing, with around 10,000 cases as of July 2020.
The government discourages the high-risk people from traveling, such as those with pre-existing medical conditions and the elderly.
However, for the rest of the people, the government continues to encourage them to go out and take the necessary safety precautions. As for tourists, a 14-day quarantine period is required before they can be allowed to go around the country.
Italy
Cinque Terre, ItalyPhoto on Foter.com
On June 3, Italy reopened its borders to tourists from 26 countries without implementing any restrictions upon the arrival of the travelers. However, on July 1, the country started accepting selected nations like Canada but tourists are required to undergo a 14-day quarantine period.
Russia
Moscow, The Kremlin, RussiaPhoto on Foter.com
Russia reopened its borders for international tourism on July 15. The country did not require foreigners to go under a 14-day quarantine period after arriving.
However, on July 22, those arriving in Russia will need to present Russian or English-language proof that they had tested negative for the coronavirus in the past 72 hours to be allowed to enter the country.
