We won’t be able to take a vacation from COVID-19 completely until we have a vaccine, but that doesn’t mean that travel is completely out of the equation. Airports are gradually reopening, with more countries easing restrictions; and that’s not just for essential and business travel, but for vacation travelers as well. As we start to approach the holiday season, you need to first ask yourself which countries are open for travelers. Then, which are opening with sensible safety measures in place, and what sort of frustrations there will be. Fortunately, Belize has taken a gradual approach to reopening with the hope of smooth vacations by peak holidays. Belize is renowned as a vacation destination and recently, was awarded as an Industry Leader with COVID-19 safety protocols to emulate. Belize’s international airport first closed in late March and reopened to tourists on October 1.
A New Travel Era
Photo via Roberto Nickson/Unsplash
Things aren’t quite back to normal though. While there are no travel restrictions in place for tourists, everyone who arrives in Belize will be required to test negative for Covid-19 before entering into the country. That’s unlikely to change anytime soon. Although if you haven’t flown since the pandemic began, things aren’t that different. Everyone will be wearing a face mask in airports, and there will be new precautions like plexiglass screens and floor markers. On the plus side, the checkout process is expected to be much shorter; prices for tickets are also considerably lower than what would be expected during the holidays.
Tourists Are Recommended To Vacation Inside Belize’s Tourism Safe Corridor
In addition to the months-long freeze and tourist air travel and the precautions in place to prevent the spread of Coronavirus, Belize has some helpful recommendations for travelers. The Belize Tourism Board has instituted a new “Tourism Gold Standard” certification that ensures a business holds itself to the highest standards of cleanliness and sanitary habits. The showcase for this new certification is Belize’s Tourism Safe Corridor. All tour operators, hotels, and restaurants within the Safe Corridor are required to meet the Tourism Gold Standard expectations. Additionally, it is recommended that all tourists stay within the Safe Corridor until circumstances change.
Belize currently has no COVID-19 travel restrictions in place to vacation; travelers who come over the holidays should expect an experience not that different from any other year. And as an added bonus, you’ll be paying less and dealing with fewer crowds. By January of 2021, the Belize Tourism Board tentatively plans on reopening the entire overnight sector.
