End of Covid travel restrictions: Over 118 countries open for unvaccinated tourists

More and more travellers have resumed their globetrotting plans, as countries around the world have begun lifting restrictions and are looking towards tourism to help revive their local economies.

According to Kayak.com data, more than 118 destinations are now welcoming travellers, especially from the US. Of the 109 destinations that still require testing, quarantine or both for unvaccinated travellers, only 17 don’t are not allowing American tourists.

Travelling to and from the UAE is almost back to pre-pandemic normal as authorities have relaxed Covid rules.

In Abu Dhabi, fully vaccinated passengers do not need to take a PCR test before flying. It is also not required for those holding a Covid-19 recovery certificate issued within 30 days.

Dubai's Emirates airline has stated that passengers travelling to the emirate must present one of the following – a vaccination certificate, a negative PCR test or a medical certificate issued by the relevant authorities hat the passenger has recovered from Covid‑19 within one month from the date of recovery to the date of arrival.

According to a Bloomberg report, the removal of travel restrictions in these countries is “an acknowledgement that we’re in a new phase of this pandemic, where things are more stable,” said David Dowdy, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Among the countries that have eased arrival, policies are Japan, Bhutan, Canada, the Bahamas, and New Zealand. However, some destinations are still not open to unvaccinated visitors like mainland China, the US, the Philippines, and Indonesia, the report further said.

According to some experts, there is a deeper understanding of coronavirus and there are several vaccinations available that offer protection. Travellers, who were once concerned about getting infected have since become more confident and have begun planning their trips.

The downside, however, seems to be ticket prices. Airfares have skyrocketed due to the sudden rise in demand, but that has not discouraged avid travellers who are determined to go ahead with plans.

Almost two-thirds of Americans are planning a trip during the next three months, the report stated.

According to Reuters, global travel and tourism sectors are projected to return to pre-pandemic levels in 2023 and grow at a rate that will outpace global gross domestic product (GDP) growth.

(with inputs from Reuters)

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