The 2022 tourist season is looking brighter for Caribbean destinations. The Covid-19 pandemic brought tourism, the main activity of these countries in the basin, to a halt. Today, strict sanitary protocols allow the opening of borders to visitors.
White sandy beaches, turquoise water, dream hotels, Caribbean gastronomy... a whole lexicon linked to Caribbean vacations that were almost forgotten because of Covid-19.
Today we can find the smell and the taste of the vacations. The airlines are resuming their weekly routes, the hotels are reopening their doors and the majority of the countries in the basin are welcoming visitors again.
The list of Caribbean destinations is growing as the need to revive the tourist economy is felt, the countries are on the verge of suffocation.
Where to Go for Vacation?
The countries are reopening their borders, but with certain conditions. The Covid-19 pandemic is still hovering around the world, and Caribbean destinations are not left out.
The challenge is to get the economy moving again by welcoming tourists, but without endangering the population with the risk of spreading the virus.
Many countries have therefore chosen to implement a protocol and strict sanitary rules, and they do not hesitate to communicate regularly.
Each Country Has Its Own Rules
Some impose a quarantine, including for vaccinated persons, others only require a negative PCR test or a negative antigenic test. These rules are adapted according to the country of departure of the travelers.
Barbados, for example, has put a Covid-19 travel guide online to guide but also to question visitors. Barbados is very firm in terms of entry into its territory. PCR testing on departure and arrival. Even vaccinated visitors must undergo a "quarantine" of 1 to 2 days, for the non-vaccinated it lasts 7 to 8 days.
In order to visit Jamaica, a travel authorization form must be filled out, accompanied by a negative PCR test or a negative antigen test less than 72 hours old. Since the reopening of the borders in the area, Jamaica is one of the most popular destinations.
Since July 1, 2021, the Dominican Republic welcomes again its tourists in search of relaxation, change of scenery and a "Latino" atmosphere. Tourists are literally rushing to this destination that does not impose strict health protocols.
Depending on where they come from, tourists have to present a negative PCR test less than 72 hours old and fill out an "E-ticket", a mandatory form to enter and leave the country.
Since October 1, Belize welcomes visitors of all nationalities, except residents of India and Bangladesh.
Entry requirements are relatively flexible, but tourists must present a PCR or antigen test, as well as proof of reservation in one of the government-listed "Gold Standard Hotels," a way to reassure a clientele looking for "safe" places.
Cuba has one of the strictest sanitary protocols for the reception of tourists. From November 15, 2021, Havana and many other tourist spots will welcome visitors. They will have to perform a PCR test upon arrival and isolate themselves for 7 days in one of the hotels listed by the Cuban government.
On the penultimate day of their isolation, visitors will have to take the PCR test again. If the result is negative, they can then explore the island.
Puerto Rico, Aruba, Curacao, The Bahamas, Turck and Caicos, the Virgin Islands, St. Barth, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Martin, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Bermuda, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Dominica, Anguilla, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago ... so many Caribbean destinations that have chosen to resume tourism, islands that rely on the sector for almost 90%.
In 2020, the number of visits to the region fell dramatically by 65.5%.