Several Caribbean islands have relaxed Covid-test requirements to remove them altogether. The moves will pave the way for regional recovery this year.
With the global downward trajectory of cases resulting in less hesitancy and more confidence among travelers to pack their flip-flops and sunscreen and head to the islands, Coexisting with Covid seems to be the Caribbean's current rule of thumb.
The region is poised to see a return to pre-pandemic arrival numbers if the BA.2 variant causes a new wave of cases.
The Caribbean is recovering from the impact of Covid-19 at a quicker pace this year, than last year, according to Neil Walters, the Caribbean Tourism Organization's acting secretary general.
He said that destinations that began easing restrictions early are at an advanced stage of recovery.
During a Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) webinar on April 7, Walters said that arrivals increased in 2021 but were down in 2019.
The first two months of the year averaged about 70% of the industry's peak performance for the same period prior to the swine flu, according to the president of the CHTA.
She attributed the growth to easier entry.
The reduction in Covid-19 travel restrictions has eliminated some of the hesitation about traveling to the region. The robust travel trend is expected to continue throughout the summer.
Covid entry restrictions are still in place. Caribbean islands still need a Covid test to enter. The destinations that are still closed to unvaccinated travelers can change with the times.
Travelers can take rapid antigen tests prior to their arrival in lieu of the more expensive and time consuming PCR tests, which can take up to 72 hours to deliver results, as a result of the relaxing of policies.
The last few weeks have brought good news to the Caribbean, with more destinations, including St. Lucia, Jamaica, Barbados, Curacao, Antigua and Grenada, easing travel restrictions and making it easier for visitors to come to the region.
Jamaica does not require pre-arrival Covid testing for visitors who are notvaccinated. The mandate of the mask has also been ended.
In a recent speech, Jamaica minister of tourism Edmund Bartlett said the island nation's case levels had decreased in recent months, and visitor arrivals have been increasing with hopes for a full recovery in 2023.
Jamaica has seen more than 1.5 million visitors in the last two years.
St. Lucia dropped all pre-testing requirements for vaccine visitors and eliminated document uploading for travelers. Visitors who have not beenvaccinated must show proof of a negative test within five days of arrival.
Ernest Hilaire, St. Lucia's minister of tourism, said during a February webinars that they remain committed to coexist with Covid and look to the future with hope.
Dominica no longer requires vaccinations for travelers and removed a requirement for unvaccinated visitors.
Travelers can now submit a rapid test instead of the traditional test, which was previously required.
Lindsay Grant, the country's minister of tourism, transport and ports, is confident that the amended entry requirements will aid in the rebound of our air arrivals.
Last year, Grenada had a mandatory, 48 hour quark in place. The same thing has happened in Puerto Rico.
Since September 2020, the Dominican Republic has not required Covid testing.
Last year visitor numbers were close to the levels of 2019.
The rule that all international arrivals test one day before entering the U.S. is out of the control of the islands and has become a roadblock to tourism recovery.
Madden-Greig said that they believe this will encourage Caribbean travel.
Travelers to the U.S. territories can take advantage of it. The Covid protocols were dropped by Puerto Rico. It's one of the easiest islands for Americans to visit because there's no need to have a passport or proof of vaccinations.
The operator of Luis Munoz Marin Airport in San Juan called 2021, a "stellar year" thanks to consistent messaging.
The demand for travel is growing and all the islands need this kind of messaging to explain to travelers that travel requirements are easier now that the Pandemic is over.
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