December started and the typical holidays of these dates are just around the corner. Almost two years after being confined by Covid-19, many families plan to travel before the end of the year to visit their loved ones or, as a way to reward themselves for the confinement they experienced.
If you already have your plane tickets and accommodation reservations ready, it is necessary to take into account some recommendations related to protocols and sanitary restrictions to enjoy it to the fullest, as well as to avoid bad experiences.
The arrival of the Omicron variant and the implementation of stricter measures are new factors that travelers should keep an eye on during this travel season.
Having a vaccination certificate, the type of vaccine, PCR tests of Covid-19 hours before the flight and even restrictions that each state or country puts, are some of the issues that should be investigated and put under the magnifying glass before packing. and enjoy some well-deserved days of rest.
Yesterday, the United States government reported that it will require a negative test for Covid-19 from all foreigners who wish to enter the country. This comes as a package of stricter restrictions announced by US President Joe Biden.
Alejandro Calligaris, country manager of Despegar.com explained that during the Christmas season the demand for flights and hotel occupancy goes up a lot, so it is the time when there are more problems to find availability in both sectors.
Meanwhile, Juan Camilo Giraldo, commercial director of Ayenda Hoteles, indicated that due to the mutations of the virus, it is necessary to constantly monitor the epidemiological semaphore of each entity in case of traveling within the national territory; While in the case of moving to another country, check the guidelines on the official pages or through your embassy.
Passport, visa, Covid test
According to the Despegar.com executive, in addition to having his valid passport and visa; Travelers must have as part of the documentation to present their complete vaccination certificate, in addition to a PCR test for Covid-19 regularly 24 hours before the flight. In some places they even request a kind of medical card issued by the health authorities.
Calligaris stressed that it is important to constantly monitor the sanitary guidelines, protocols or restrictions of the destination you plan to visit, since the Omicron variant caused a change in the guidelines of all sectors, including the hotel and airline industry.
“You have to research the recommendations for each destination very well, you have to read what each place you are going to travel asks for, you have to look for the recommendations and follow them,” he said between interviews.
Vaccines count too
Another point to consider is the type of vaccine that travelers have, since some countries do not allow entry if the chemical applied to them is not approved.
The United States and some countries of the European Union only allow entry of people who have the doses of Pfizer / BioNTech, AstraZeneca / Oxford, Janssen, Moderna, Sinopharm and Sinovac. Instead nations like Austria, Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Greece allow foreigners with doses of Sputnik.
Flights and hotels
Due to the constant changes in policies and guidelines due to the virus, the experts advised to look for flights and hotels with flexible policies that in any situation or unforeseen, dates can be changed without penalties or extra payments.
Despegar.com’s country manager also pointed out arriving at his flight early, since the protocols have changed and what used to take two hours, now can take up to three; while in the case of PCR tests, they must be done 72 hours before boarding the flight.
In the case of hotels, Juan Camilo Giraldo pointed out that these sites also have their own health policies and protocols, which is why he called on visitors to investigate what each hotel requests or requests.
Compare, the key
If you are still looking for your tickets or the place to stay, the Ayenda executive recommended using some Internet pages to compare prices and services of what each airline or hotel offers to find out which offer suits you best and suits your pocket.
Reference-www.eleconomista.com.mx