The First Signs of Travel's Return?

[elleng]

'As Australia announces plans to revive tourism, we look at 10 top travel destinations and their timetables for reopening. The challenge: balancing safety with the need to reboot.

Covid-19 has upended daily life in much of the world for so long that the idea of traveling to another country or state seems like the stuff of dreams. But in the last week or so, as the idea of opening up to travelers has gained traction, some countries are taking concrete steps. Yesterday, Australia announced a three-stage plan to reopen the economy, which includes a focus on tourism. And some countries are forming regional alliances designed to minimize the risk of the virus, including an Australia-New Zealand travel “bubble,” and, in Europe, a travel “corridor” shared by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. . .

Here is a look at 10 top tourist destinations and the beginnings of their plans for reopening in the weeks and months ahead.

Australia and New Zealand
Greece
Puerto Rico
Iceland
Mexico
France
Singapore
Hawaii
Italy

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/08/travel/travel-reopenings-virus.html?

[PSPS]

1. Don't hold your breath

Very few, if any, people will be taking elective/recreational flights anywhere for the foreseeable future. British Airways and American are both giving up Gatwick. Maybe Australia's "alliance" can stay afloat for a while with their bellies full of cargo. But nobody in their right mind is going to take their Sydney family on a "vacation in Greece." New Zealand, maybe.

[BamaRefugee]

2. A 3 hour flight will be scary enough, with people not wearing masks.18 hours? No way.

[BigmanPigman]

3. I look at the Worldometer's charts for all the countries

on Earth and what their history is with this virus in numbers. There are a lot that have had less than 20 total cases and zero deaths and they are nice destinations too. None are on that list in the OP though.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries

[Initech]

5. And expect all progress to be reversed if international travel starts again.

Second wave, worse than the first.

[BigmanPigman]

6. You couldn't make me get on a plane.

A guy connected with the airlines and travel on CNN today and he said airplane air is filtered and cleaner and safer than most indoor air. I still wouldn't fly.

[Initech]

8. Only when the pandemic is over or there's a vaccine.

Until then, no travel, no sports, no concerts, not even going to my favorite restaurants.

[BigmanPigman]

10. Same here.

[Initech]

4. No travel for me until there's a vaccine.

I want to travel, believe me, but as long as this POS virus is out there, no way in hell.

[sinkingfeeling]

7. Don't think my $$$ 6-week trip to Australia and New Zealand in

September-October is going to happen. Everything, flights, trains, hotels, tours, and attraction fees is paid for.

[elleng]

9. Fingers crossed that you'll be able to go sometime,

maybe next year.

[TBF]

11. Hoping to travel in 2021 if there's a vaccine

I am high risk for this virus so I need to stay home now. All of our travel through 2020 has been cancelled. We were planning a short family trip to Vancouver this month (to check out colleges, my 17 yr old daughter is smart & wants to leave the country) ..

[elleng]

12. Good luck!

I haven't had travel plans for a while, except to visit my daughter in NJ (I'm in MD,) and we all look forward to resuming that.

Among my favorite trips were those driving around the country, mostly eastern States, to visit colleges; still wear T-shirts I bought on those trips. Traveled a lot as a family, across country and to Europe; those years and trips are long gone.