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The fourth wave has officially started due to the surging number of cases caused by the Delta variant. With that has come a whole new fresh batch of travel restrictions and uncertainty for travelers looking to book their next trip. Since the pandemic started in 2020, Travel Off Path has followed every country in terms of travel restrictions and there are a few we are calling ‘safe bets' for booking a vacation heading into fall and winter. These are countries that have never closed in the first place or they have reopened and stayed that way consistently over the last year despite new surges.
Here are our top 5 ‘Safe-Bet' destinations where travelers can feel confident that their trip will happen without borders being closed. While there's always a chance these countries could enact new restrictions, their track record has shown the chances are very slim.
Note: This article does not imply that these countries are safe or free of Covid-19.
5. Maldives
The Maldives reopened for tourism back in July 2020 and has never closed their borders since. While travel restrictions have changed over the past year, most moves have been positive making it easier than ever to visit. Currently travelers from all countries will need to bring proof of a negative PCR test, administered no more than 96 hours before departure on the first embarkation point. Fully vaccinated travelers are exempt from this requirement. See all the latest entry requirements for the Maldives.
4. UAE – Dubai
Dubai was one of the first cities in the world to fully reopen for tourism back in July of 2020. They have never closed since and have stayed consistent with their entry requirements. All passengers arriving to Dubai from any point of origin must hold a negative PCR test certificate, for which the test must be taken no more than 72 hours prior to the time of departure. For a very select list of countries, the window for the test is reduced to 48 hours.
3. Jamaica
Once Jamaica reopened for tourism, it stayed that way. While they have never re-closed their borders, the country did start requiring a negative PCR or Antigen test, taken no more than 3 days prior to arrival. The Jamaican tourism board has launched a Test Date Calculator to make it easier for travelers to understand the 3-day timeframe. Passengers must also fill out a Travel Authorization Form that will be required to check in for your flight.
2. Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is by far one of the easiest countries to travel to during the pandemic. With no testing or quarantine requirements for travelers coming from the U.S. Canada and Europe, the Dominican Republic will once again be a top choice for winter vacations. The country reopened for tourism back in July of 2020 and has stayed open ever since.
1. Mexico
The king of pandemic tourism remains Mexico. The country never actually closed their borders and has received tens of millions of tourists over the last year. There are no testing or quarantine requirements and it's the easiest country to visit for American tourists. The country has no plans of restricting its borders and most resort cities have deemed tourism as an essential service. This means hotels and restaurants will always remain open offering full services albeit with limited capacities. The only Covid-19 entry requirement to enter Mexico is for passengers to fill out an online form before arrival.
Our two top picks for a safe-bet winter getaway would be the Dominican Republic and Mexico. With the easiest entry requirements in the world and consistent open borders, travelers can relax knowing their vacation is going to happen. With the Delta variant creating a 4th wave, travelers should stay away from booking trips to countries that have just recently opened or are known for changing entry requirements constantly.
Read More:
Travel Insurance That Covers Covid-19
Countries Open For American Tourists
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
Sissy
Sunday 8th of August 2021
Why no one ever mentions Tanzania and Zanzibar? When the reality here is that there’s little to no Covid and no restrictions since the beginning of the pandemic. People usually wear masks if and when they want to not because they must. Only a small amount of offices will ask you to put a mask when you go in. Life goes on as normal,we socialize,we hug each other and we are fine. We have many tourists as well,but I feel that many people are actually unaware of how normal the situation is here. You can come and feel safe here and live a normal life.Especially great for digital nomads.
Muhammed
Saturday 7th of August 2021
I love all the countries are nice please how much be ticketed going come back
Sondra
Saturday 7th of August 2021
Sure. Let's keep travelling and keep this COVID thing going as long as we can. Too bad science can't cure irresponsibly.
Adam
Monday 16th of August 2021
@Sondra, Is ignorance your choice? Entire world has been in lockdown for a year and a half, wearing masks (sometimes even two masks at the same time), practicing social distancing, quarantines, constant testing, vaccinating Billions of people. Yet COVID is still ongoing. Ever heard of virus mutating? Did you realize cotton/surgical face masks are useless in preventing that virus, because they are made for bacteria which are 10x larger than Covid particles?
Holly Dietrich
Monday 16th of August 2021
@Sondra, Calm down Sondra. If you don't want to travel then please just don't. But there are plenty of people who choose to continue living our lives without a doomsday mind-set. I refuse to live in fear. Wear a mask if it makes you feel better. But if your mask protects u ou then why do I need one?
Jake
Monday 2nd of August 2021
I spent most of 2020 and a good portion of 2021 living in Mexico. Thank god they remained sane during all of this. Lots of masks, some restrictions last summer, but mostly people just continuing to live life compared to the rest of the world.
It was beautiful watching people go to the beach, enjoying the town squares in the evening, kids being kids, dining out, playing music, partying, working, socializing, etc etc. The whole point of the so-called pandemic is to destroy these things and some countries just won't have it.
Witness
Sunday 8th of August 2021
@Erica, I think you were watching the tv not real life..we travelled to many countries..hard pressed to find anyone who knew anyone who knew anyone who was actually sick..actually had a diagnostic test if they were said to be sick or who died of said virus without any other comorbidities...did everything we were told not to do..had a fantastic year. Mental fear can instill a lot of illness...just saying there are more questions than answers for any of this...too many variables in any given situation and too many people socially dependent and socially deprived.
Erica
Tuesday 3rd of August 2021
@Jake, I have lived in southeastern Mexico for 20 years. I don’t know where you were, but some states had serious precautions and up to lockdowns. To this day, you can be fined for being OUTSIDE without a mask. People were dying in ambulances and in their own cars, where they went to quarantine apart from their families. Many people do not have access to health care, and depend on such things as street selling to earn what they need for their families. There has been no government support as there has been in the US. It is estimated that more than ten times the official number of COVID deaths is the real number. There has been and still is little testing. Then we had events like spring break, when US people flooded Quintana Roo, leaving the waiters and housekeepers in hotels with COVID two weeks later….
Heath
Sunday 1st of August 2021
I presume this means for US travellers? Us Brits would have to isolate in government allocated hotels on return at a cost of a couple of thousand to go to The Maldives or UAE! And most insurers wouldn't cover us, so hardly a safe bet.
Kashlee Kucheran
Monday 2nd of August 2021
Yes, most of our readers are from the USA or Canada, but the UK's border rules for returning citizens changes so frequently we never would create an article currently about where they can travel without restrictions coming home. By safe-bet, we mean places that are unlikely to change requirements suddenly for entry.