Half of the year has already passed. Owing to Covid-19, many travelers had to abandon their plans and travel trips. Even hotels were shut down and only essential travel was permitted. Hence, the hotel industry was hit hard. Now, the situation is much better and many countries are gearing up to welcome back the travelers. However, many travelers will be skeptical and even reluctant to travel. That is why many countries have laid out perfect plans to attract and delight their travelers by offering various incentives ranging from free hotel stays to vouchers. These incentives are the hope for various countries to jump-start their economies, especially those that rely on tourists and travelers. Let’s have a look at some confirmed incentive offers.
Coronavirus Travel Incentives offered by different countries
If you are an avid traveler, then the incentives offered by various countries will surely give you an opportunity to travel within budget. Here are the best ones:
Cancun, Mexico
For travelers, Mexico has a gamut of offerings including discounts at spas, theme parks, golf courses, free hotel stays, and car rentals. If you happen to travel to the city, then you can leverage these offers:
- 20% off in golf courses, spas, and theme parks.
- For every two nights paid by the travelers, the next two nights’ stay will be free of cost.
- Two days car rentals will be free on every two days.
- Stay for up to two children will be free on hotel booking of two adults.
Moreover, Mexico is also promoting various destinations in the Mexican Caribbean such as Cozumel and Cancun.
Madeira, Portugal
Portugal has a unique offering for its travelers. There will be a free coronavirus test for all its travelers. The costs of the tests will be covered by the government. Many of its locations are already open for travelers. The reopening has been carrying out with utmost safety and precautions. Both Madeira and Porto Santo regions of Portugal are open without the need for any mandatory quarantine.
Located off the Morocco coast in the Atlantic Ocean, islands of Madeira have already opened borders for international tourists since July 1. According to the protocols of these islands, all visitors will have to prove that they have tested negative for the COVID-19 within 72 hours before departure or after arrival.
Cyprus
Just like Portugal, Cyprus has also launched several offers to lure travelers while keeping in mind the current scenario. It covers the expenses of the tourist who get infected with COVID-19 while visiting. The authorities of the Eastern Mediterranean Island have promised to pay for the accommodation, food, and medicine of the tourists and their families if they test positive with the virus.
The person would only require to pay for the flight while going back home. For those tourists who have contracted the virus, separate hospitals will be there for them and various quarantine hotels for their family members will also be allotted. This move is to revive Europe’s hard-hit tourism industry.
Sicily, Italy
Sicily is an island in Italy that exhibits spectacular white sandy beaches, mesmerizing coastline, various cultural sites, historically significant places, and various hot spots for foodies. It is providing 50% off on accommodation and flight costs to all travelers. Moreover, it is also offering free tickets to various attractions such as museums and archeological sites.
Almost 13% of Italy’s GDP comes from tourism. The island has suffered a loss of around $1.09 billion related to tourism revenues since it closed its doors on March 10. This is the reason why it is so keen to welcome its visitors. The plan of tourism revival aims to jump-start its tourism economy.
Iceland
You might be missing the enticing dips in the Blue Lagoon and many more adventures of Iceland. If so, then here is good news for you! As of June 15, travelers who desire to visit Iceland have the option of free COVID-19 testing upon arrival at the airport. Those who will opt for the free test must undergo a 5-day quarantine succeeded by a follow-up test. The tourists that will test negative can enjoy the country’s spectacular beauty. However, those who will test positive will have to self-isolate for 14 days.
At present, Iceland borders are only open to the residents of EEA, EFTA, EU, Schengen Area, and 12 other countries. If you want to see the updated information, you can visit the official website of Iceland.
Greece
Tourism contributes to about 20% of Greece’s Gross Domestic Product. The Greek government’s plan to cut off the transportation costs including the flights as a temporary move to minimize the loss and economic impact of the pandemic. Owing to mitigated transportation taxes, Greece is offering cheaper flights to its visitors. The prime minister of Greece announced in May that transportation taxes including flights will be reduced to entice travelers.
Till June 14, the non-EU citizens were banned from visiting Greece for non-essential purposes. Since June 15, only travelers from high-risk areas (as defined by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)) will have to take the COVID-19 test upon arrival. This list also includes the citizens of the UK and the US. They have to spend a night in a designated hotel so that the authorities could wait for the results of their Covid-19 test. Based on the test results, visitors will be asked to either self-isolate for a week or quarantine for two weeks under strict supervision. For visitors other than high-risk areas, there would be random testing. In order to get more details and updates on the matter, you can visit their official website.
Japan
According to the government data, Japan had witnessed a 99.9 percent drop in visitors during April as compared to the last year. This is significant for the country. In order to boost the depleted tourism industry, Japan has started taking various effective steps. It has developed a program to subsidize the travel expenses of the visitors.
As per this program, the government will take care of the travel expenses in the form of vouchers and discounts that can be used at the local restaurants and shops. This is certainly an effort to encourage tourism in the country. But, only those visitors are eligible for these offers who will make bookings through Japanese travel agencies or directly through hotels and traditional ryokan inns.
Uzbekistan
You will be amazed to find out that more than 33 million people live in this beautiful country and it just reported 19 deaths due to COVID-19. This was all possible with the smart and swift lockdown approach. This magnificent country is offering a compensation of $3000 to anyone who will test positive for coronavirus while visiting.
Uzbekistan is so confident that the visitors will not catch the virus that it launched the campaign, ‘Safe Travel Guaranteed’. It is this campaign that claims to offer $3,000 to its visitors if they get infected. The government of Uzbekistan is so confident about its hygiene measures and safety precautions that the president of the country said, “If you get COVID-19 on holiday in Uzbekistan, we will compensate you.”
However, to be eligible to receive the $3,000, you need to book your trip with a local tour guide. The government will require your accommodations, local tour guides, and tourist sites to provide you a certificate, which will show that they are following the safety as well as sanitary guidelines in order to prevent COVID-19.
Uzbekistan recently announced to open its borders for low-risk countries like Japan, Israel, and South Korea. Though, those visitors who will come from the UK and Europe will need to quarantine for 14 days after their arrival.
Las Vegas
Las Vegas is the dream destination of every traveler. Now, this place will even give you an incentive for traveling. Isn’t that a great move?
The Entertainment Capital of the World is all set to welcome visitors by offering 1,000 free flights. The owner of two hotel-casinos – the Golden Gate and the D Las Vegas, Derek Stevens, has clearly told that this move was to stimulate the tourism sector in the city and to remind travelers of the excitement they could have.
The Bottom Line
So these were some of the countries that are offering incentives to travelers. Many others are planning to join the list. If you are a traveler, you can leverage these details to travel in budget. However, you should also take care of your health and follow all guidelines to prevent yourself from getting infected.
While many countries are easing out their travel restrictions for visitors, there are also some countries where non-essential travel is currently not recommended. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) clearly warns against such countries. You can visit the official website of the CDC to know more about these places. It is always better to check the travel recommendations for each country before planning to visit.