People around the world have likely been making travel plans for 2020… plans that were ruined by the pandemic that swept across the world in the first half of the year. All over the world, hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues, and beaches were closed, and so were borders, bringing the entire travel and hospitality industry to a screeching halt.
In many countries, the first wave of the pandemic seems to have passed. In Europe, the current state of the pandemic allows countries to slowly reopen, allowing shops and entertainment venues to return to business as usual. Well, not quite – there are still limits imposed on the number of people that can gather both inside and outside, and they are required to keep the distance from each other. But in some places, the tourist season is starting – and they are planning to open their borders to foreign vacationers, too.
Greece
Greece is one of the European countries where the number of COVID-19 cases remained low – at the time of writing, the country had a little over 3,000 confirmed cases only. As such, it is among the first to reopen its tourist destinations to foreign vacationers.
The country has reopened its borders to foreign travelers on June 1st, and it also allowed year-round hotels to reopen on the same date (seasonal hotels will likely reopen on June 15). At first, foreign visitors will only land at the Athens and Thessaloniki airports, with the others reopening to international flights on July 1st. The authorities will take spot COVID tests, but visitors won’t be quarantined on arrival. At all times, visitors will have to maintain a distance of 1.5 meters.
The beaches will also be subject to social distancing rules – sunbeds will be placed 1.5 meters apart, and tourists will have to cover them with a towel. There are a series of other rules and regulations to observe – here is the complete list you can check.
Spain
Unlike Greece, Spain felt the full force of the pandemic, with close to 300,000 citizens infected with the novel coronavirus. Here, too, the first wave seems to have passed, so the country is slowly reopening. It will open its borders to French and Portuguese travelers first, then – from July 1st – to visitors from the EU and the UK only.
Vacationers will be able to travel to certain areas of the country, like the Canary Islands. The safety measures taken by the authorities will be strict: the temperature of all incoming travelers will be taken, and they’ll have to communicate their contact and accommodation details.
Croatia
Another popular tourist destination that has been mostly avoided by the novel coronavirus, with just around 2,200 cases. As such, it was also among the first to reopen.
Croatia has reopened its borders to visitors from the EU, the EEA, and the UK in mid-May. The visitors had to provide written confirmation of their accommodation, and maintain the required distance. Hotels and restaurants are open in the country, with visitors having to maintain a safe distance, and the personnel required to wear masks at all times.
After weeks spent cooked up at home, it’s not surprising that you have wanderlust in your heart. With the first wave of the pandemic passing, you may have the chance to calm it with at least a short vacation at one of the amazing beaches of Southern Europe this summer, after all.
