It’s been another busy week, full of veiled announcements regarding borders re-opening and the requirement of vaccines.
Canada announced that it will welcome fully vaccinated Americans beginning August 9th! That is great news for those who have been waiting to experience the diversity that Canada offers.
The French celebrated Bastille Day last week with much fanfare and an announcement from President Macron that beginning in August ” anyone who wants to visit cafes, bars or shopping centers must show a “health pass” that certifies they’ve been vaccinated or recently tested negative for the coronavirus.” The Eiffel Tower began welcoming fully vaccinated guests just a few days later on the 16th of July.
Several tour companies, including Brendan Vacations, Insight Vacations and Trafalgar, among others under the same parent company released the following on the 21st of July:
“We wanted to alert you that effective immediately, we are requiring all guests booked to travel to European destinations with any of our guided and FIT brands, are fully vaccinated. This policy will be in effect until September 30, 2021. We will continue to monitor the local requirements and will adjust accordingly.
Venues such as museums and restaurants are requiring proof of full vaccination or near-daily negative PCR testing results for non-vaccinated visitors. If your clients are not vaccinated, they would be required to take multiple PCR tests to participate in many of our included activities.
We wish for guests across our brands to experience travel seamlessly and joyfully. When faced with having to exclude guests from activities and subject them to frequent out-of-pocket on-trip testing, we feel that requiring all guest to be vaccinated to be the most responsible choice.”
It’s becoming evident that the pathway back to travel, aside from the Caribbean, is through the vaccine. This also explains the surge in Caribbean travel for families with children not yet old enough for the vaccine. I would be remiss in not advising clients who are considering traveling for Spring Break 2022 to book as soon as possible. Demand is higher than we’ve seen in years and many resorts are already sold out, as are the better flight schedules when dates are not flexible.
My last bit of advice for the week is to check your passport expiration date today! Many travelers haven’t had the need to check their passport in the past 18 months and are surprised to find it expired, or nearing the expiration date. Renewals and new applications are in high demand and taking much longer than the usual time frame. The State Department is recommending that travelers submit their applications at least 6 months before they intend to travel. Keep in mind that passports need to be valid for 6 months AFTER your vacation. Don’t let an expired passport be the reason you are stuck at home another year!
We’d love to help you plan your next vacation, it’s certainly something you don’t want to navigate yourself with the near constant updates in protocols. That’s what we’re here to do for you.
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