Through Zika, hurricanes and now Covid-19, the Caribbean desperately wants to revitalize tourism. This is what it means to you.
Through Zika, hurricanes and now Covid-19, the Caribbean desperately wants to revitalize tourism. This is what it means to you.
Sunset over the English port, Antigua.
Sunset over the English port, Antigua.
Allen Chastanet, the prime minister of St. Lucia, had the idea of getting lucky: his idea of an island as an “epidemic-free” zone when the Zika virus swept through the Caribbean in 2016, and also saved the hurricanes that hit its neighbors in 2017. . But then I got here Covid-19.
“This has had a devastating effect on our economy and the livelihoods of our citizens,” Chastanet says. In fact, 65% of the island’s gross domestic product comes from tourism, and the island experienced an 89% dramatic drop in arrivals from March to July. This has reduced overall government profits by nearly 60%, so this year, and attempts to lower the island’s already highest unemployment rate by 25% have intensified in the opposite direction.
Elsewhere in the Caribbean, tourism officials began in 2020 with optimism that this would be the year when it will recover from the billions of dollars in hurricane-related losses, but no matter where you look, that’s not how the story unfolded.
Saint Lucia lifted the guest ban on June 4, after 20 long weeks of prioritizing fitness problems; it is the first Caribbean country, along with Antigua and Barbuda, to reopen. By early July, that list had grown to include only a handful of other islands, such as Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, as well as some start-up and closure efforts that failed when new instances of the coronavirus emerged.
The game now peaks.
Nearly part of the 28 caribbean island nations have made the decision to reopen their borders. The “festive” season, the era of the high holiday season at the end of the year, when warm weather destinations get an abundant percentage of their tourist gains, horizon, and caribbean islands are contemplating recovering some of the estimated losses of $44 billion that the region will suffer due to the Covid-19.
While St. Lucia and its Caribbean neighbors are among the countries of the world most dependent on tourism, Chastenet is feeling the pressure. “Our tourism industry wants to co-exist with Covid to recover,” he says.
The playbook settings in the destination.
“While sales options like the Cayman Islands can remain closed smoothly, as they have other sectors such as offshore banking, most Caribbean destinations only have to let visitors in to survive,” says Daniel Marmontello, Chief Strategy Director of Apple Leisure Group. , whose subsidiaries come with CheapCaribbean. com. Si well all islands adopt protection protocols to restrict Covid-19 cases, the number of hoops that require travelers to cross differs not only from country to country, but from week to week. 30% to 40%, are more constant.
For travelers to spend a tropical vacation at record costs this winter, these are the islands that provide the most productive arguments for visitors to return, and all the fine print to think about.
The great sale: the ease of entry. The country opened its borders in July, but in September it removed the requirement of a Covid-19 negative check at entry and instead offers flexible fitness insurance as a component of its plan to reactivate guilty tourism.
Opening status: Yes, it can fly, but two-thirds of the country’s hotels (mostly all-inclusive hotels) have still reopened, with a restart date in November.
Small letter: Simple policies require you to complete an affidavit of physical fitness before you arrive, and airports perform random immediate testing.
Where to stay: With limited Covid-19 restrictions at the government level, it now depends on individual households performing certain practices. For this, the Cottage is attractive: the 7000-acre assets are its own secluded retreat, with a personal airport, marina and hospital on site.
The great sale: a paradise for personal travelers. Since no major advertising airline lands on its extraordinarily short and exclusive runway, there are fewer threats that Covid-19 will land on its shores. “This summer, we flew 400% more than normal,” says David Zipkin, founder of Tradewind Avation,” and between 40 and 50% of [these] personal trips were for new customers. “
Opening state: The island reopened its borders on June 22.
Small letter: Arriving customers must provide evidence of a negative Covid-19 PCR check performed within 3 days of landing, and all travelers who stay more than a week must pass a moment verification on the seventh day of their stopover in (expect it to charge more than $150).
Where to stay: The beloved Eden Rock, with its central location on the cliff, still re-opened on October 22, after a multi-year reconstruction effort that followed Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
The big sale: continue your insulation in style. The Turks and Caicos Islands are lately the most sensible destination for electronic villa bookings this winter, according to Amanda Dyjecinski, onefinestay director of luxury rental marketing. and long-term travelers.
Opening status: Borders were opened on July 22.
Small letter: A Covid-19 PCR check with negative effects must be spent less than five days before arrival, and all travelers must provide evidence of passenger insurance upon landing.
Where to stay: The personal island of Como Parrot Cay reopened on October 1, with 1,000 acres along a white sandy beach for cycling, hiking and personal dining.
The big sale: A time device that takes you out of 2020. The strictest public fitness policies in the Caribbean have helped maintain the pristine record of Anguila Covid-19: there were only 3 cases shown (and 0 deaths) of the pandemic. Duration. The on-demand scale includes a payment of approximately $250 according to the corresponding data and covers two PCR tests, one administered before arrival and one under strict quarantine on the island. After that, no mask is required and life will return to be like 2019.
Opening status: Anguel reopened in August, but for villa stays. Hotels and resorts are lately in soft green by November.
The fine print: until “phase two” begins in November, a villa will be your only accommodation option, and travelers who stay five days or less will have to pay an additional payment for the applicable Covid-19 monitoring; it is priced at $500 depending on the couple. Those who stay six to 90 days will also have to pay a payment for searching for contact with the canopy and other containment efforts on the island, around $600 depending on the couple.
Where to stay: AtNI Private Resorts offers a horny hybrid of living villa with hotel amenities; Once opened on November 1, Belmond’s Cape Juluca offers plenty of space to stroll, as well as special luxuries such as new towels and a lounge chair meal service.
The big sale: move in right away. With the creation of the One-Year Work From Bermuda Certificate, which allows visitors to circumvent the classic bureaucratic barriers of a transient movement, Atlantic Island hopes to entice long-term consumers to attend its Zoom meetings with authentic ocean backgrounds. .
Opening status: International flights resumed on July 1, from the East Coast, Toronto and London.
Small letter: Travellers must complete a form of authorization prior to arrival and will get a negative Covid-19 result after a check within seven days of the flight. two weeks or more; Visitors are asked to bring their own thermometers and also disclose their temperatures.
Where to stay: The 120 square meter Harbour Suites are 120 square meters long and have a suitable living and dining room, best for long-term island living.
The big sale: accessibility. While Caribbean hotels have reduced their rates, Prime Minister Chastenet is working with airlines to offer reduced airfares until 2021 as well.
Opening status: International flights resumed in June on the top 4 U. S. airlines.
Small letter: travelers must complete a registration form prior to arrival and download a negative PCR Covid-19 result within seven days of travel; Only approved taxis can be used upon arrival and visitors are relegated to their Covid-19 compliant hotels throughout the stay.
Where to stay: Jade Mountain remains an eternal favorite; its rooms, maximum with their own infinity pool, are open to the majestic Piton Mountains.