New Era of Post-Pandemic Travel Arrives as Most Countries Ditch COVID Curbs

Travelers pass through the concourse at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in Arlington, Va., on May 28, 2021. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

Many countries are opening up their borders to welcome post-pandemic travel from around the world in a bright turn for the global economy after reeling from prolonged COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns.

According to travel platform Kayak, 118 countries have opened their borders to American citizens, without COVID-19 testing or quarantine requirements. Sixty-one countries require testing, 15 require testing and quarantine, while 33 countries remain closed. Of the countries with restrictions, 17 do not allow entry to Americans, despite following COVID protocols, such as China, North Korea, and Yemen.

India, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates are a few of the 15 still requiring testing before travel, while Taiwan still requires testing and quarantine. The removal of travel restrictions are a life-saver for businesses who are still clinging on, and a relief for families separated from loved ones.

“The world increasingly wants to move past this point where COVID is overpowering our daily lives with everything we’re doing,” Katrine Wallace, an epidemiologist at the University of Illinois, Chicago, said to Bloomberg.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans are planning on at least one overnight leisure trip in the upcoming three months, and of those, almost 50 percent are traveling to visit friends and relatives.

“Despite the challenges facing our industry, the outlook for fall looks stable,” said Erin Francis-Cummings, chief executive officer of Destination Analysts, in a presentation, according to the outlet. A third of U.S. travelers said they’re looking to take more leisure vacations in the next 12 months, compared to the previous year.

Opening Up Japan

The United States, China, Indonesia, and the Philippines remain the main tourist destinations that remain closed to unvaccinated visitors.

Japan opened its borders after more than two years of isolation, although unvaccinated travelers would need to test negative and possibly quarantine upon arrival.

The island nation removed its 50,000-person cap on daily arrivals, and ended the requirement for travelers to be part of tour groups. Japan will not require visitors to obtain a visa if they’re citizens of the 68 countries with which the country carried a waiver agreement.

Within the country, the government is offering a financial subsidy of up to ¥11,000 ($76) per person per night (for a total of seven nights) for traveling throughout Japan’s 47 prefectures, except Tokyo, which is expected to join soon.

“Through these measures, we hope to promote tourists’ travel both domestically and internationally and help revive demand hit by the pandemic and revitalize regional areas,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a regular news conference, according to Kyodo News.