In order to revive the economy, from today, Iceland officially opens the border to all tourists who have been vaccinated with Covid vaccine. -19 without the need to undergo mandatory testing or isolation. This decision makes the North Atlantic nation one of the first to reopen its borders since the beginning of the pandemic.
This is Iceland's attempt to attract more tourists to revive the economy that has been hit hard by the pandemic. The country saw a 75% drop in tourist arrivals last year to less than half a million, dragging its economy down 6.6%.
In a statement, Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir said: “The world has been through many (losses) in the past 12 months, and we are all hoping to return to normal in a slow and safe manner. This also includes reinstating tourism opportunities, which are valuable to culture, commerce and business ”.
Iceland officially welcomes those who have vaccinated against Covid-19. (Photo: VISIT)
ICELANDThe Icelandic government says people who have been fully vaccinated with the Covid-19 vaccine licensed by the European Pharmaceutical Authority will be allowed to visit the country without having to undergo testing and quarantine.
The statement states that from March 18, this measure will apply to citizens outside the Schengen area, including the United Kingdom and the United States.
So far, visitors allowed to enter Iceland who are EU / European Economic Area citizens have a negative PCR test result before departure to the country, then negative results. with Covid-19 when testing at the border. These travelers were also asked to quarantine for five days and undergo a third Covid-19 test with PCR.
Previously, Greece announced to open to international tourists from 14-5. Subjects are tourists who have been vaccinated with Covid-19 vaccine, have already had antibodies, or tested negative for Covid-19. However, all visitors may be randomly tested on arrival in Greece.