Some countries will feel better letting you in if you've been tested for SARS-CoV-2. Iceland is offering testing on arrival at the Reykjavik airport. They've done incredibly well battling the coronavirus and don't want to bring it back in.
Hawaii wants to impose testing on arrival (or submission of a test within the past 72 hours) in order to avoid quarantine on arrival, plus testing every 7 days while in the islands. That simultaneously works to 'keep coronavirus out' while marketing Hawaii as 'the safest place in the world', though I don't know how they can require tourists to have ongoing testing without requiring that for everyone.
Some hotels are realizing, like Hawaii, that requiring tests can also be a marketing tool. Just as seeing everyone else wear face masks on a plane makes many other passengers feel more at ease about their situation (though at some point this will change, and masks will become a reminder that something is wrong), knowing that everyone around you has tested negative is peace of mind as well.
Right now it's difficult to feel safe going out into the world. There's a lot of fear, even beyond what's warranted by the uncertain conditions of the world. So how can a resort convince you it's safe to stay? When they require you to be tested to stay, that means you know everyone else has been tested too or at least that's the theory.
According to Alejandro Bataller, vice president of the Sha Wellness Clinic hotel in Alicante, Spain,
During these times, people are more concerned than ever about their safety when it comes to traveling,..Guests can have some peace of mind knowing that everyone visiting has been tested, and the spaces are constantly being sanitized, so they can truly relax and feel confident and safe.
...It is important to us that our guests not only feel safe when returning to Sha, but also feel healthier during their stay.
Credit: Sha Wellness Clinic
At Sha Wellness all guests have to be tested for COVID-19 24 to 48 hours prior to arrival, and then again once on property. They get that test, and an antibody test, included with their room rate. Hotel staff also get tested "before returning to work and regularly thereafter."
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